Can You Train TOO Hard? - Q&A #5

Q: Is it possible to overtrain on RPT? 

A: First off, let's say overreach, because this is what people in the fitness and weight training community actually mean they say "overtrain."

Overreaching is prelude to overtraining and comes with most symptoms associated with. Main difference is overreaching takes up to a few weeks to recover from while recovery from overtraining can take years. 

I've worked with a few clients who may have experienced the overtrained state. One resulting from 2 years of middle-distance running combined with under-eating. Now, 5 years later, he appears to have fully recovered his testosterone levels and turned his life around. This guy was in my last client update and is doing very well nowadays. 

Another one, former tryout for the Olympics, still isn't feeling right 3 years after the event. She experiences unexplained bouts of fatigue and persistent muscle aches after weight training with >75% 1RM loads. 

Needless to say, overtraining is serious business and long-lasting. On the other hand, it's not something you run into by chance. Because it takes conscious effort and drive to ignore symptoms of overreaching which present long before overtraining. 

Unless you're a competitive athlete with high ambitions, matching pain tolerance and inattentive coach, forget about overtraining.

Overreaching is a state less alarming but much easier attained. I've overreached twice in the last quarter of training. And contrary to popular opinion, it doesn't take much if you're using certain kind of movements and very high degrees of effort. Sometimes, all it takes is a single set. 

Monday the 13th of November 2017 I performed the most gruelling and exhaustive set of deadlifts ever, 295 kg x 8 (650 lbs). Good, I thought. Panting, blinking through stars and fireworks dancing. 

This meant I was capable of a 340 kg single (750 lbs). Knew this because I could pull 295 kg for 7 when I maxed out 335 kg. My tempo is slower than usual, so 1RM calculators doesn't give accurate estimates. 

Why was all this important? Was set to compete in 3 weeks and wanted to test my limit. The event was called Last One Standing and took place at Fitnessfestivalen, Sweden's one and only fitness expo. 

After the 295-kg set and a 20-minute rest, I reduced the load to 265 kg, did one repetition and decided to call it quits. Noticed before pulling that something was off. 

Imagine your body not following orders and you get the idea. This was literally what happened. I couldn't initiate the pull. (Remember this part)

And when I finally did pull, that 265 kg felt like 340 kg. Under normal circumstances, I would've eeked out 9 reps per the breakdown math presented in The Reverse Pyramid Training Guide. Not this time. 

No big deal right? That's what I thought going home. Satisfied after my new personal best. 

The week after, I was set to have a go at 300 kg. Mentally, wouldn't settle for anything less than 7 reps. Did one. Felt like 340 kg. I was pissed. Did some back extensions and went home. 

Next week, i.e. two weeks after 295 kg x 8, didn't even bother trying anything past my warm-up with 150 kg. Even that felt heavier than it should have been. And the deadlift competition was on Sunday in six days. 

Figured whatever predicament I've gotten myself into wouldn't be helped by deadlifting so close to the event. Called it quits and went home. 

Eventually talked myself out of participating in the competition altogether. Partly because I didn't feel like I could perform very well, partly because the event moved from Saturday to Sunday and I had my flight back Sunday noon. 

This change of plans prompted me to engage in late-night escapades, drinking and mingling with other expo attendees. Naturally, I got talked back into competing. 

Sleep deprived and half-drunk, I arrived late to the event. The set-up was such that every lifter made an attempt at the weight on stage. Failing, he was out, succeeding he qualified for the next weight. 

The starting weight was 180 kg. That's pretty light for me, so figured I might do my warm-up on stage. Pulling 180 kg felt exactly like 180 kg should feel. So did 200, 220, 240, 260, 280, and 300 kg. 

And lastly, 310 kg, my winning lift. Didn't feel great - tore a callous at 280 kg - but it felt like 310 kg should feel after all those other lifts. And it meant I had finally recovered from that dreadful 295-kg x 8-set 3 weeks earlier. 

Now, consider the circumstances and timeline of recovery. 2 weeks into recovery, under perfect conditions, i.e. 8 hours of sleep and a solid pre-workout meal - still couldn't deadlift for shit. 

3 weeks (20 days) into recovery, under horrible conditions, i.e. 3 hours of sleep, inadequate nutrition and alcohol intake the night before - could finally deadlift. 

I find the above quite telling, as it clearly shows how big an impact overreaching has on lifting performance. The negative short-term effects of alcohol, poor sleep and inadequate nutrition pales in comparison to the crippling effects of overreaching. These three things combined doesn't come close. And that's after two weeks of rest!

Next part, I'll provide another example - one that I'm in the middle of right now. I will then connect the dots, explain what happens and how to avoid it. Part two will be released at the end of this week (Saturday or Sunday) or beginning of next. 

Meanwhile, ponder this. Why is the deadlift so hard to recover from? How can it possibly take 3 weeks to recover from one set of deadlifts? The answer is probably not what you think.