Baraka_Guru

Signs of overtraining include crankiness, general fatigue, prone to getting colds or flu, a lack of desire to do your workout, and things such as that. You can avoid overtraining by following this guideline: Rest a muscle group at least 48 hours before training it again. It might require up to 72 hours before it is ready for another go. People are different, so you'll need to find your limits. Another way to avoid overtraining is to take a complete week off of weightlifting every 1.5 to 2 months. This week of rest will ensure your muscles have the opportunity to fully recover and to take a bit of a break. This will avoid long-term risks of wearing yourself down. Overtraining can be a common problem, whereas undertraining isn't an issue if you understand muscular failure and weekly cycles of recovery.

Consider the change. One thing to keep in mind is that you don't get stronger when you work out; you get stronger when you rest. Inadequate rest and nutrition will make your workouts a waste of time.

You will have a good idea after the initial 48-hour period. If your muscles feel a bit tight, or sore, even, then you probably need a bit more recovery time. Especially once you boost up your load, your muscles will go through a bit more of a shock than they're used to. Whenever you up your routine, pay careful attention to your recovery rate. When in doubt, give yourself an extra day's rest. Just work harder to make up for it.

A good way to gauge your progress is to start with a heavier weight where you can do around 3 sets of 6 reps, the final rep to failure. Progress week to week by trying to up the reps until you can do 3 sets of 12 reps, the final rep to failure. This process is one of the best ways of measuring your increasing strength. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing you can lift a particular weight twice as much as you could just a few weeks ago. If, however, you find yourself stagnating, it could indicate that you aren't giving yourself enough recovery time or you are overtraining. You should be able to increase the number of reps gradually week to week. If you find you cannot, you might be doing something wrong.

Genetics plays a huge role. Recovery is based on metabolism, level of protein synthesis, blood cells, carriers, etc. There is a lot going on in your body. While genetics dictates the efficiency of these things, diet and rest are major contributing factors as well. You will recover faster with adequate levels of protein, carbohydrates, fats, (calories in general). Just be sure to balance them out properly and to consume quality nutrients.

Your recovery is also largely dependent on the amount of sleep you get. Remember, you don't grow stronger in the gym; by far, most of your strength will come to you in your sleep, when your body does most of its cell growth and recovery. You should aim for at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night. Some people benefit from more, especially heavy trainers. In these cases, 8 or 8.5 might be optimal. We are all different; experiment for yourself. Some can get by with 5 or 6 hours, and some need up to 10 hours. But very few people can get by optimally with less than 7.5 hours each night.

Hey, I'm glad to help you out. I wouldn't want you to waste your time and efforts needlessly. There are many myths and misconceptions out there about these things, and I've done lots of reading and have personal experience. I feel I should share the wealth.

Feel free to ask about anything, but also don't hesitate to do your own research to confirm what I've (or anyone else) suggested. You are your own advocate for personal health.

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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot