8 Signs of Overtraining

1. You simply can’t finish a proper workout.

When your body is overtrained, you won’t be able to lift the weights you normally can, you won’t have the energy to do as many sprints, you won’t have the stamina to run your normal route, and so forth.Even though you’re hitting the gym each day, you’ll feel progressively weaker, slower, and more lethargic. I’ve had it so bad before that I couldn’t stop yawning in the gym and simply couldn’t push myself to do another set.

2. You’re getting fatter despite training hard.

Well, you think you’re getting fatter at least, but what you’re actually dealing with is an increase in water retention.This is caused in part by the hormonal disruptions caused by overtraining (and this can be especially problematic when you’re restricting calories for fat loss.)Namely, your testosterone levels can plunge while your cortisol levels rise, which causes a whole host of problems related to protein metabolism, insulin resistance, appetite, and more.The end result?You train harder and watch your diet closely, but you look fatter.

3. You’re training hard every day of the week.

I’ve yet to meet someone not on drugs that can lift heavy, sprint hard, or engage in otherwise intense training every day of the week and still adequately recover.
Unless you have Wolverine’s gift of regeneration, it’s absolutely vital that you take at least two days off weights per week, and at least one day of absolutely no exercise.
What I like to do is lift weights Mon – Fri and do cardio Sun – Weds. Saturday is a full rest day.
You can intersperse your rest days throughout the week too, such as the following routine:

Day 1: Weights

Day 2: Weights & cardio

Day 3: Cardio only

Day 4: Weights & cardio

Day 5: Weights & cardio

Day 6: Weights

Day 7: Full rest

You can play with this however you want so long as you take two days off weights, and give yourself one day of no exercise whatsoever. If you want to give your metabolism a little boost, don’t take two full rest days in a row.

4. You’re restless at night and are having trouble sleeping.

If you do a lot of aerobic exercise and are overtrained, your sympathetic nervous system can remain excited at all times and you’ll feel restless and unable to focus, and your sleep will be disturbed and broken.

5. You feel overly fatigued and sluggish.

If you’re a weight lifter and are overtrained, your parasympathetic nervous system becomes overly stimulated, leading to a decrease in testosterone, an increase in cortisol, a crushing fatigue (mental and physical), and a stubborn tendency to hang onto body fat.

6. You have odd aches and pains in your joints, bones, or limbs.

This is one of the first things that I notice as I approach the point of overtraining. My shoulder will start to ache. Then my wrist. Then my knee. Then my forearm.
It’ll usually take 8 – 10 consecutive weeks of intense training before these things turn on, and I just take a week off or “deload” for a week to let my body recover. They’re always gone by the end of the rest period.
(These things can also be signs of poor form, but that’s easy enough to diagnose. If you’re lifting heavy weights for the first time, you can also expect various aches like these right off the bat.)

7. You’re getting sick more often than usual.

You can throw a wrench in your immune system in many different ways. Increasing sugar can do it, as can a lack of vitamin D/sunlight, poor sleep habits, and even mental stress.
But if you’re all good on these fronts and are getting inexplicable little coughs, sniffles, congestions, or headaches, you may be overtraining.Take a rest week and let your immune system build back up.

8. You feel drained and crappy after what normally would be a good workout.

The post-workout feeling of general well-being is one of my favorite things about training. The rush of endorphins just calms your entire body and mind and can last for hours. It’s great, isn’t it?
Well, if it never comes, and if you feel irritable and uncomfortable after working out, you may be overtraining. Exercise should elevate your mood. If you’re feeling negative instead, it might be time to take a rest.

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Leg Exercises for Men

Complete/Complex Leg Exercises for Men

Squat

The squat is one of the primary leg exercises for building both size and strength in the legs. With a proper and full range of motion, it works the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. The typical stance for a squat is slightly wider than shoulder-width. The user may angle their toes outward and use a wider stance if working the inner part of the leg is desired. Users must be very careful when performing the squat, as it is very easy to be injured when performing it. A key aspect to pay attention to is to not round the back at any point in the exercise. A good technique for assuring not to round your back is to keep your head back and look toward where the ceiling meets the wall throughout the motion. Another key aspect is keeping balance through this exercise. To help with balance, the user should keep his weight on his heels. To test this, the user should be able to wiggle his toes easily at any time during the squat. The typical stance for a squat is slightly wider than shoulder-width.

Dumbbell Squat

The dumbbell squat is a variation on the squat. It is one of the leg exercises that may be preferred by those with back problems or those who do not have access to a squatting rack. Unlike a regular squat where the weight is supported across the upper back and shoulders, the weights used on the dumbbell squat are limited by the dumbbell the user can hold. It is not recommended to use straps to do heavier weight; if heavier weight is desired, a regular squat should be performed. Because of the weight discrepancy, the dumbbell squat should be performed at a slightly higher rep range, though not much more, since it is still a strength exercise. 

Front Squat

The front squat is a variation on the squat. This exercise takes the weight off of the user’s back and puts it across the upper chest and shoulders. The benefit to this switch is that the weight no longer bears down directly on the spine. This is beneficial to more than just those with existing back pain. The front squat also works the quads more than a regular squat. The one downside to the shift in weight position is that the glutes and hamstrings are worked less than the squat.

Smith Machine Squat

The smith machine squat is a variation on the squat. What makes the smith machine squat more appealing to some users is that it limits the risk of injury when performing leg exercises. One of the risks of performing a squat is that the user will lose the weight either forward or backward. Since the smith machine controls the weight during the movement, the user does not have to worry about balance. This control can also allow the user to get deeper into the movement, really hitting the hamstrings and glutes. There are two downsides to performing a smith machine squat. The first is that the rigidity of the motion may be uncomfortable for less flexible users. The second, as with all smith machine exercises, is that the stabilizer muscles are not being worked because the machine is controlling the horizontal movement of the weight.

Machine Leg Press

The machine leg press is one of the primary size and strength building machine leg exercises. It primarily works the quads. It also secondarily works the hamstrings and glutes. The degree to which these secondary muscles are worked depends on how deep the user lets the weight come. The longer the range of motion on the machine leg press, the more the secondary muscles are worked. As with the squat, the typical foot position is shoulder width apart with the toes pointed forward. This foot position may be varied to change the way the muscle is worked. A wider stance works the inner muscle more. The feet may also be moved upward if the user wants the machine leg press to put more focus on the quads. This exercise comes in two variations. The first involves pressing the foot plate away from the user to move the weight stack while the other involves pressing on the foot plate to move the backrest. Both variations work the muscle in the same way.

Hack Squat

The hack squat is a variation of the squat. Similar to the front squat, this exercise shifts the weight so that it is not bearing down directly on the spine. This exercise therefore works the quads more than it works the hamstrings and glutes. The user may also move the feet forward in order to work the quad around the knee more.

Dumbbell Lunges

The dumbbell lunge is one of the more complete and diverse leg exercises, working the quads, hams, and glutes in one motion. In order to work all this muscles, a full range of motion must be reached. It is not recommended to touch your knee to the ground unless you are starting off with very light weight. The impact of slamming your knee into the ground can be painful and could risk internal injury. While the dumbbell lunge is most often by stepping forward and then returning to the starting position, this exercise can be varied by walking forward with the weights until the number of reps are completed or until a set distance is reached.

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The most ideal exercise times.

Exercise has had a Goldilocks problem, with experts debating just how much exercise is too little, too much or just the right amount to improve health and longevity. Two new, impressively large-scale studies provide some clarity, suggesting that the ideal dose of exercise for a long life is a bit more than many of us currently believe we should get, but less than many of us might expect. The studies also found that prolonged or intense exercise is unlikely to be harmful and could add years to people’s lives.

No one doubts, of course, that any amount of exercise is better than none. Like medicine, exercise is known to reduce risks for many diseases and premature death.

But unlike medicine, exercise does not come with dosing instructions. The current broad guidelines from governmental and health organizations call for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week to build and maintain health and fitness.

But whether that amount of exercise represents the least amount that someone should do — the minimum recommended dose — or the ideal amount has not been certain.

Scientists also have not known whether there is a safe upper limit on exercise, beyond which its effects become potentially dangerous; and whether some intensities of exercise are more effective than others at prolonging lives.

So the new studies, both of which were published last week in JAMA Internal Medicine, helpfully tackle those questions.

In the broader of the two studies, researchers with the National Cancer Institute, Harvard University and other institutions gathered and pooled data about people’s exercise habits from six large, ongoing health surveys, winding up with information about more than 661,000 adults, most of them middle-aged.

Using this data, the researchers stratified the adults by their weekly exercise time, from those who did not exercise at all to those who worked out for 10 times the current recommendations or more (meaning that they exercised moderately for 25 hours per week or more).

Then they compared 14 years’ worth of death records for the group.

They found that, unsurprisingly, the people who did not exercise at all were at the highest risk of early death.

But those who exercised a little, not meeting the recommendations but doing something, lowered their risk of premature death by 20 percent.

Those who met the guidelines precisely, completing 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, enjoyed greater longevity benefits and 31 percent less risk of dying during the 14-year period compared with those who never exercised.

The sweet spot for exercise benefits, however, came among those who tripled the recommended level of exercise, working out moderately, mostly by walking, for 450 minutes per week, or a little more than an hour per day. Those people were 39 percent less likely to die prematurely than people who never exercised.

At that point, the benefits plateaued, the researchers found, but they never significantly declined. Those few individuals engaging in 10 times or more the recommended exercise dose gained about the same reduction in mortality risk as people who simply met the guidelines. They did not gain significantly more health bang for all of those additional hours spent sweating. But they also did not increase their risk of dying young.

The other new study of exercise and mortality reached a somewhat similar conclusion about intensity. While a few recent studies have intimated that frequent, strenuous exercise might contribute to early mortality, the new study found the reverse.

For this study, Australian researchers closely examined health survey data for more than 200,000 Australian adults, determining how much time each person spent exercising and how much of that exercise qualified as vigorous, such as running instead of walking, or playing competitive singles tennis versus a sociable doubles game.

Then, as with the other study, they checked death statistics. And as in the other study, they found that meeting the exercise guidelines substantially reduced the risk of early death, even if someone’s exercise was moderate, such as walking.

But if someone engaged in even occasional vigorous exercise, he or she gained a small but not unimportant additional reduction in mortality. Those who spent up to 30 percent of their weekly exercise time in vigorous activities were 9 percent less likely to die prematurely than people who exercised for the same amount of time but always moderately, while those who spent more than 30 percent of their exercise time in strenuous activities gained an extra 13 percent reduction in early mortality, compared with people who never broke much of a sweat. The researchers did not note any increase in mortality, even among those few people completing the largest amounts of intense exercise.

Of course, these studies relied on people’s shaky recall of exercise habits and were not randomized experiments, so can’t prove that any exercise dose caused changes in mortality risk, only that exercise and death risks were associated.

Still, the associations were strong and consistent and the takeaway message seems straightforward, according to the researchers.

Anyone who is physically capable of activity should try to “reach at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week and have around 20 to 30 minutes of that be vigorous activity,” says Klaus Gebel, a senior research fellow at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, who led the second study. And a larger dose, for those who are so inclined, does not seem to be unsafe, he said.

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Tricks to run six miles

Racing

Whether you're running for fitness, competition or a combination of both, signing up for a 10K race may help motivate you to reach your six-mile goal. At 6.2 miles, the 10K provides a new challenge to runners who have finished one or more 5K races, but also makes a realistic goal for race newbies who have at least eight weeks to invest in a training program and already have experience running two- to three-mile distances.

Training Options

Even if racing isn't your thing, following a 10K training program can help you increase the distance of your long runs to six miles. If you are an established runner and can easily log two to three miles during your long run, start with a 10K program. If not, follow an eight-week 5K training program first and then progress to training for 6.2 miles, recommends JeffGalloway.com, the website of running coach, author and former Olympian Jeff Galloway.

Mileage Goals

No matter where you start mileage-wise, it's important to gradually build distance and intensity into your workouts. The American Council on Exercise recommends adding no more than 10 percent to your mileage per week. Take walking breaks if you need them, and alternate between running and walking intervals if it helps you meet your weekly mileage target. Once you cover a new distance for the first time, you can always shorten your walking intervals in subsequent runs until you're able to run the entire distance.

Considerations

Schedule three to four runs per week to help program your body for regular runs and cardiovascular efficiency. However, limit long runs to once a week. Stick with two- to three-mile distances during your other running workouts. Take a day off from running the day after your long run, using that day as a rest day or focusing on strength training or flexibility. Check with your doctor before changing your fitness routine, particularly if you have a history of heart or orthopedic problems.

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Abs Workout: The Fastest Way to Lose Belly Fat

We all want a toned, flat stomach. No surprise there. But since many women are still relying on crunches to get it, we want to make one thing clear: Crunching is not the most effective abs workout. "Crunches work only the muscles on the front and sides of your abdomen, but it's important to target all the muscles of the core to get more defined abs—including lower back, hips, and upper thighs," says Lou Schuler, co-author of The New Rules of Lifting for Abs.
To lose belly fat and uncover amazing, Schuler recommends a series of core stabilization exercises based on a training program devised by co-author and personal trainer Alwyn Cosgrove. "Core exercises like the plank help train muscles to stabilize the spine and pelvis so you can avoid back pain and improve posture, Schuler says. "They also burn more calories than crunches because they work more muscles."

Trade crunches for these three super-effective abs exercises from The New Rules of Lifting for Abs and you’ll be on your way to a perfectly toned, flatter tummy.
The Best Abs Exercises: Side Plank
Why it works: This abs exercise is more challenging than a traditional plank because you're supporting your entire body weight on two points of contact instead of four. As a result, you must work your core harder to stay stabilized.
How to do it:
A. Lie on your left side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and legs stacked. Place your right hand on your left shoulder or on your right hip.
B. Brace your abs and lift your hips off the floor until you're balancing on your forearm and feet so that your body forms a diagonal line. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds. If you can’t hold that long, stay up as long as you can and then repeat until you’ve held for 30 seconds total. Switch sides and repeat.

More great stabilization moves: The standard plank and the anti-rotation hold.

The Best Abs Exercises: Walkout from Pushup Position
Why it works: This abs exercise involves full-body movement, such as using the arms and legs, while incorporating resistance to strengthen your entire core.
How to do it:
A. Start in pushup position with hands two inches wider than your shoulders.
B. Walk hands out as far as possible, then walk back. Do 10-12 reps.
Make it harder: Lift one leg before you walk your hands out and back.

The Best Abs Exercises: Alligator Drag
Why it works: This abs exercise uses your entire core to keep your body stabilized and burns additional calories by adding movement (dragging yourself along the floor). It mixes cardio, stability, and strength training to get you fast results.
How to do it:
A. Find a stretch of floor that allows you to go forward 10 to 20 yards, and grab anything that will slide over the surface with minimal friction. Dinner plates or plastic bags work on a carpeted floor, while towels work on wood or tile.
B. Start in pushup position with your feet on the slides, towels, or plates.
C. Walk yourself forward with your hands to the end of your runway (aim for at least 10 yards). Rest for 60 to 90 seconds (or as long as you need to recover) and repeat the alligator walk back to where you started. That’s one set. Repeat one more time.











 


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The Dumbbell Workout

Who’s it for?

This is for you if you only have access to dumbbells (e.g. at your home or hotel gym) or simply prefer to do a dumbbell only routine.

What do I need?

You will need a set of dumbbells, a pull up bar (get one cheap on Amazon here), and a weight bench (if you don’t have one, I offer modifications below).

The Routine

– The routine consists of two workouts (A and B), you will alternate between the two
– Perform the routine every other day (e.g. Monday do A, Wednesday do B, Friday do A, Sunday do B, etc.)
– Missing a day here and there is okay, don’t stress it
– Perform 3 sets of each exercise
– Select your starting weights by picking a weight you know you can perform 10 reps with good form
– The first day you do each exercise, perform 8 reps with that weight for all 3 sets
– If you can successfully do 8 reps for all 3 sets, move up to 9 reps the next day you do that workout
– Repeat the same process, and move up to 10 reps if you succeed at 9 (continue up until 12 reps)
– If you successfully do 3 sets of 12 reps, up the weight by 5 lb. and start again at 8 reps the next day you do that workout
– If you fail to get the target reps for all 3 sets anywhere along the way – go back to 8 reps (if you fail at 8 reps – drop the weight by 5 lbs.)

Day A

1. Goblet Squat
2. Dumbbell Bench Press (if no bench, do it on the floor – or  do a Push Up)
3. One Arm Dumbbell Row (if no bench, use a chair)
4. Dumbbell Skull Crusher (if no bench, do them lying on the floor)
5. Lateral Side Raise
6. Plank (ignore the regular progression and go for 30-60 seconds)

Day B

1. Reverse Lunge
2. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press (if no bench, do them standing)
3. Pull Up (there are no weights involved, so ignore the regular progression and do 1 rep less than failure)
4. Dumbbell Curl
5. Lying Rear Delt Raise (if no bench, simply lean forward at the hips, keeping your chest up)
6. Hanging Leg Raise (ignore the regular progression and do as many reps as you can, raise your legs with knees bent if straight legs is too challenging)

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Home Workout Plan For Teenagers

Here is a home workout plan for teenagers that want to get fit, build some muscle and work out at home. This plan requires little to no equipment, so if you don’t have much money that won’t be a problem! This teenage workout program for beginners should work for you!

Workout Equipment

You don’t need to buy any equipment for this workout, not even a pull-up bar, even though you will have to do pull-ups.
What you need is a place where you can do pull-ups. That doesn’t have to be a real pull-up bar; Here are tons of suggestions where pull-ups can be done if you can’t afford or install a bar. If you do want to buy one, this one seems like a good deal to me.

Beginner Exercise Principle

When you start you need compound exercises (those that work many muscles at once) and whole body training programs to build your basic strength. If you move to specialized workouts with many isolations (exercises that target just one specific muscle) too soon, it’s like you try to construct a house and put in the furniture before you are finished building the basement.

Before You Get Into It

It is a good idea to get a check-up by your doctor, to make sure everything is a-ok and you are ready to expose your body to this form of stress.
Also keep in mind to ease into working out and to not expect wonders, if you never worked out before. Be cool, be patient, be dedicated and the results will come.

The Teenage Workout Plan

Body Part	Exercise	Comment
Chest / Triceps	3 sets of push-ups, as many as you can do, with 60 seconds rest between sets	The exercise is explained in this video, which also contains pointers on what to do when you can’t do a full push-up yet.
Back / Biceps	3 sets of pull-ups, as many as you can do, with 60 seconds rest between sets	If you don’t have a pull-up bar, this article has very many suggestions for possible substitutes.If you can’t do a full pull-up yet, this video will guide you from negative chin-ups to your first full pull-up and beyond.
Legs	Three sets of get-ups, 8 – 15 repetitions per set, with 60 seconds rest between sets.	The exercise is explained in this video. Start with the hand on the chair and three sets of 8 reps. Slowly work your way to 3×15 and then start over at 8 with your hand just hovering above the chair’s back.
Abs	Three sets of crunches, 8-15 repetitions, with 60 seconds rest between sets	The exercise is explained right here. Note that the hands do not pull on the head; fixate a spot right above you when you do the movement.

Every exercise is done slowly and with controlled form. For push-ups this means you go 2 seconds up and 2 seconds down. For pull-ups it means no swinging or kicking. There are no extra arm exercises because when you do push-ups and pull-ups you do exercise your arms.

Weekly Workout Schedule

Do this home schedule 2-3 times a week, remembering that more doesn’t make you big faster, but will just lead to overtraining.

What About Cardio?

Cardio is as important to a fit body as lifting weights is! Do whatever you like to get your heart beat up, but my recommendation would be a team sport you enjoy. Soccer, basketball, volleyball and football are some examples for that, but you can also do dancing, cycling, skateboarding and many more. Just make sure you enjoy it and will keep it up.
If you already have a weekly activity that can be classified as cardio, build the above plan around it, otherwise decide on one which fulfills the above criteria and which you’ll enjoy and keep doing. Some tips on how you should start doing cardio are in this article.

Beyond Beginner Workouts

Stay with this plan until you are able to do 30 consecutive push-ups and 7 consecutive pull-ups, which is my personal rule for dividing between beginning and intermediate trainees.
Reaching these two milestones should take about six months. After that you are able to switch to more evolved fitness plans, that target different muscle groups separately. Here is a suitable intermediate exercise plan.

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