YAET: Overtraining

[BigPoppa]

Ok, so a little about me first:

22 years old, male, 5'10" 310lb. I carry the weight well, but I'm still what everyone would consider obese. The last time I got truly regular exercise would be Sophmore year of highschool when I played football.

My first step towards losing weight was changing my eating habits, and I've pretty much got my eating to where it should be. Pretty much no beef or pork. Meat in the form of chicken, turkey, and tuna. Eggs (if boiled, I'll only eat ~1/2 the yolks, don't really like em in the first place). Better carb intake through whole wheat bread and pasta and brown rice (God I love Alton Brown). Leafy greens, broccoli, etc. I try to eat smaller meals more often, its difficult with my school + work schedule, but I make it happen.

Ok, so the past few days I've been doing 30 mins straight of stationary bike at 65% of my max heart rate for my age (65% is 130bpm). Everything i've read says this is a great area to be in to burn fat. I'm not winded at all while doing this and always feel great (absolutely no pain, legs might get a little sore an hour or so later, and I mean little) when I'm done.

Is it OK to do this everyday? I'm really not overexerting myself by any means so far, just wanna be safe for the long run.

 

[leftyman]

At your weight I would check with my doctor before starting any excercise program.

 

[BigPoppa]

Originally posted by: leftyman
At your weight I would check with my doctor before starting any excercise program.

I actually had a physical recently and he was concerned about my weight, definately, but didn't disuade me from any physical activity.

 

[shortspanishguy]

65% is a good target. You should look into resistance training as well.

Also do you have a thyroid problem? Have you recently consulted a Doc?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: BigPoppa
Ok, so a little about me first:

22 years old, male, 5'10" 310lb. I carry the weight well, but I'm still what everyone would consider obese. The last time I got truly regular exercise would be Sophmore year of highschool when I played football.

My first step towards losing weight was changing my eating habits, and I've pretty much got my eating to where it should be. Pretty much no beef or pork. Meat in the form of chicken, turkey, and tuna. Eggs (if boiled, I'll only eat ~1/2 the yolks, don't really like em in the first place). Better carb intake through whole wheat bread and pasta and brown rice (God I love Alton Brown). Leafy greens, broccoli, etc. I try to eat smaller meals more often, its difficult with my school + work schedule, but I make it happen.

Ok, so the past few days I've been doing 30 mins straight of stationary bike at 65% of my max heart rate for my age (65% is 130bpm). Everything i've read says this is a great area to be in to burn fat. I'm not winded at all while doing this and always feel great (absolutely no pain, legs might get a little sore an hour or so later, and I mean little) when I'm done.

Is it OK to do this everyday? I'm really not overexerting myself by any means so far, just wanna be safe for the long run.

You probably want to take a day or a couple of days where you push it, and you probably want to make the day after that a rest day. Your body does need some time to recover throughout the week. If you're not winded at all or anything, I'd say push it a little bit more. If your body doesn't feel sore / isn't trying, your results will come more slowly or you might be disappointed by them. If you have any questions at all, give me a holler, I'm an Exercise Biology major at UC Davis

+Brent

 

[irishScott]

If your feeling fine, shouldn't be a problem IMO.

As for the fat burning, it'll burn leg fat, but if you're not getting winded then IMO you need to set the resistance higher (otherwise it'll be almost pure cardio). I personally recommend rowing. Takes more effort, but exercises most of the muscles in the body while providing cardio.

 

[vi edit]

The nice thing is that you are on a bike and you'll more than likely hit a mental burnout before a physical one. Bikes are pretty low impact and so long as you are on a recumbant it's low stress on your back and joints.

That being said, you want to ease yourself into it. At this point in the game the simple fact that you are even trying is the biggest hurdle. I wouldn't concentrate as much on heart rate or distances, just simply on time.

Every exercise bike should have an RPM readout on it. Focus on keeping the RPM's up above 90 and keep the resistance comfortable. Keep your workouts in the 30 minute range 2-3 days a week and toss in a longer one in the 45 minute range. Take at least two days off just to give your body and mind a break.

You can increase resistance/intensity as you go along.

First work on getting into the habit of exercising, then slowly work your way onto improving.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: irishScott
If your feeling fine, shouldn't be a problem IMO.

As for the fat burning, it'll burn leg fat, but if you're not getting winded then IMO you need to set the resistance higher (otherwise it'll be almost pure cardio). I personally recommend rowing. Takes more effort, but exercises most of the muscles in the body while providing cardio.

First of all you can't spot reduce so it will burn off fat from all over. Secondly with his weight the amount of exercise he is doing will deliver good results. As he looses weight though he should change it up because the weight will start coming off slower and after about 50 LBS he should start up with resisitence training to build muscles which in turn will burn more calories enabling him to burn more fat and change his physique.

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: irishScott
If your feeling fine, shouldn't be a problem IMO.

As for the fat burning, it'll burn leg fat, but if you're not getting winded then IMO you need to set the resistance higher (otherwise it'll be almost pure cardio). I personally recommend rowing. Takes more effort, but exercises most of the muscles in the body while providing cardio.

It'll only burn leg fat? WTF?

 

[Vic]

65% for 30 minutes should be fine for a daily regimen. Remember your stretching exercises beforehand, along a 5 minute warm-up followed by a 5 minute cool-down. Those are crucial. It's alright to skip a single day here or there if you ever feel really sore. You might even want to make it a 5 day-a-week routine to be safe against overtraining if you're concerned (my own routine is cardio 5 times a week and lifting 3 times a week).
As for weight loss, you're on the right track with watching what you eat, but don't forget to watch your total intake as well. To lose weight, you need to eat less calories than you consume. Period.
Lastly, (and you might already know this, but I think it's important) remember that this is not a diet you're embarking on. This is a lifestyle change. You can't ever go back.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
First of all you can't spot reduce so it will burn off fat from all over. Secondly with his weight the amount of exercise he is doing will deliver good results. As he looses weight though he should change it up because the weight will start coming off slower and after about 50 LBS he should start up with resisitence training to build muscles which in turn will burn more calories enabling him to burn more fat and change his physique.

Great advice here. I would also advise that the OP stick with the bike (but at increasing resistance) until his weight is down a bit and his leg muscles have developed enough to prevent the possibility of joint damage. In other words, he shouldn't start jogging on the treadmill for a few months.

 

[purbeast0]

congrats on the change OP :thumbsup:

i too would say to stick it out on the bike for quite some time. if by the end you aren't tired, keep on going until you are! you won't be overtraining yourself if you aren't getting tired, not on the bike atleast.

if you want to try something harder, and i'm not sure how this would be on your joints at your weight, you could try the eliptical machine. it works out a good portion of your body and you aren't putting any real stress on your joints to my knowledge since you aren't lifting your feet off of the floor.

maybe you could try that out after you do your bike for 30 mins.

 

[vi edit]

Another good "changeup", assuming you have one available, is a pool workout.

Simply treading water for 20 minutes or doggy paddling laps back and forth for a similar time is a great way to workout your whole body without risking injury.

But pools can be very cost prohibitive and/or overcrowded.

 

[amicold]

Originally posted by: irishScott
If your feeling fine, shouldn't be a problem IMO.

As for the fat burning, it'll burn leg fat, but if you're not getting winded then IMO you need to set the resistance higher (otherwise it'll be almost pure cardio). I personally recommend rowing. Takes more effort, but exercises most of the muscles in the body while providing cardio.

You can't spot reduce fat, it won't just burn 'leg fat'. It will burn all over. He's doing it for the cardio benefit not to build his legs.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

switch it up with some incline walking on the treadmill ........3.8 mph at incline 12 for 30 minutes should have you pretty tired.

 

[BigPoppa]

Originally posted by: Vic
65% for 30 minutes should be fine for a daily regimen. Remember your stretching exercises beforehand, along a 5 minute warm-up followed by a 5 minute cool-down. Those are crucial. It's alright to skip a single day here or there if you ever feel really sore. You might even want to make it a 5 day-a-week routine to be safe against overtraining if you're concerned (my own routine is cardio 5 times a week and lifting 3 times a week).
As for weight loss, you're on the right track with watching what you eat, but don't forget to watch your total intake as well. To lose weight, you need to eat less calories than you consume. Period.
Lastly, (and you might already know this, but I think it's important) remember that this is not a diet you're embarking on. This is a lifestyle change. You can't ever go back.

I should've mentioned eating less in there also. I don't keep a hard count, but I do keep a good mental count of my caloric intake everyday. As for the lifestyle change, absolutely. The most positive part has been that I really don't feel like I'm missing out on anything which is great for a long term change.

I'm going to be doing cardio-only until, as Red Dawn suggested, I lose a bit of weight, and his 50lb area is about where I want to be (250ish) when I start weight training. I do have a good bit of muscle on me, have always been a strong guy, family genetics/habits help there, but they also contributed to me becoming overweight at the same time.

All advice and encouragement is appreciated, thanks all.

 

[jiggahertz]

Overtraining is a term related to resistance training (lifting), where you're not giving your muscles adequate time to recover. This isn't really an issue with cardio. The days off would be much more beneficial to your mental drive to keep going and not burn out than to you physically. Also, caloric intake plays a much greater role than cardio in fat loss. I'd keep a hard count of your caloric/macro totals for a couple weeks. If you're loosing at your target rate keep it there, if not, adjust accordingly. If you find yourself plateauing and want to up your cardio, you may want to look into HIT.

 

[jiggahertz]

Also, fitday.com is a great way to track your caloric intake.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: jiggahertz
Overtraining is a term related to resistance training (lifting), where you're not giving your muscles adequate time to recover. This isn't really an issue with cardio. The days off would be much more beneficial to your mental drive to keep going and not burn out than to you physically. Also, caloric intake plays a much greater role than cardio in fat loss. I'd keep a hard count of your caloric/macro totals for a couple weeks. If you're loosing at your target rate keep it there, if not, adjust accordingly. If you find yourself plateauing and want to up your cardio, you may want to look into HIT.

Caloric intake plays a greater role in weight loss, not fat loss. Eating 500 calories a day makes you lose weight, ala both fat and muscle. That's why people who diet end up being fatter when they go off the diet and back up to their original weight.

Yes, you need to reduce your calorie intake, but excercise plays just as great of a role.

 

[jiggahertz]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: jiggahertz
Overtraining is a term related to resistance training (lifting), where you're not giving your muscles adequate time to recover. This isn't really an issue with cardio. The days off would be much more beneficial to your mental drive to keep going and not burn out than to you physically. Also, caloric intake plays a much greater role than cardio in fat loss. I'd keep a hard count of your caloric/macro totals for a couple weeks. If you're loosing at your target rate keep it there, if not, adjust accordingly. If you find yourself plateauing and want to up your cardio, you may want to look into HIT.

Caloric intake plays a greater role in weight loss, not fat loss. Eating 500 calories a day makes you lose weight, ala both fat and muscle. That's why people who diet end up being fatter when they go off the diet and back up to their original weight.

Yes, you need to reduce your calorie intake, but excercise plays just as great of a role.

This is called crash dieting and I don't think it has been recommended anywhere in this thread. Fat loss is caused by being in a caloric deficit, which is primarily achieved through decreasing intake. Cardio certainly has it's benefits, fat loss not being primary.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: jiggahertz

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: jiggahertz
Overtraining is a term related to resistance training (lifting), where you're not giving your muscles adequate time to recover. This isn't really an issue with cardio. The days off would be much more beneficial to your mental drive to keep going and not burn out than to you physically. Also, caloric intake plays a much greater role than cardio in fat loss. I'd keep a hard count of your caloric/macro totals for a couple weeks. If you're loosing at your target rate keep it there, if not, adjust accordingly. If you find yourself plateauing and want to up your cardio, you may want to look into HIT.

Caloric intake plays a greater role in weight loss, not fat loss. Eating 500 calories a day makes you lose weight, ala both fat and muscle. That's why people who diet end up being fatter when they go off the diet and back up to their original weight.

Yes, you need to reduce your calorie intake, but excercise plays just as great of a role.

This is called crash dieting and I don't think it has been recommended anywhere in this thread. Fat loss is caused by being in a caloric deficit, which is primarily achieved through decreasing intake. Cardio certainly has it's benefits, fat loss not being primary.

Actually you're right, I'm not too sure what I originally meant. (I know about the whole 3500 calories = 1lb of fat) nm.

 

[SludgeFactory]

Originally posted by: BigPoppa
I'm going to be doing cardio-only until, as Red Dawn suggested, I lose a bit of weight, and his 50lb area is about where I want to be (250ish) when I start weight training.

Why wait? Lifting weights burns a lot of calories. The popular notion is that simply carrying muscle on your frame significantly raises your metabolism. But it's the use of that muscle through resistive exercise that chews up calories and gives you an extended, multi-hour "metabolic boost," whatever that means.

As a former athlete, I'm guessing you'd have some muscle memory working in your favor as well if you'd start hitting the weights again. But it's up to you. At 300+ lbs, if your diet is realistic and consistent, you're going to lose a big chunk of weight regardless of what exercise you do.

And you can do 30 min cardio every day quite easily. You could do an hour. I'd just caution you to be sure that the seat of the bike doesn't leave your junk numb if riding for long durations. That's not good.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

overtraining really hurts to watch.

i saw some one i trained with for swimming become really fatigued with training, granted she did bomb loads of training, were talking 2 hours in the pool on a morning, and 2 on a night, for most of the week and with land training. she probably wasnt eating liek she should of been either so she was getting really worn down.

but what happens is you actually try to train more because your performance is dwindling....and you just go round and round in a circle. its like it takes immense will power to actually stop....and rest.

 

[edro]

Weight lifting...Weight lifting...Weight lifting...

The bike routine sounds good though.

Don't worry about overtraining. Overtraining is something lazy people use as an excuse not to workout.

There is mental overtraining, where you get burned out by working out so much. Just watch out for that.

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: irishScott
If your feeling fine, shouldn't be a problem IMO.

As for the fat burning, it'll burn leg fat, but if you're not getting winded then IMO you need to set the resistance higher (otherwise it'll be almost pure cardio). I personally recommend rowing. Takes more effort, but exercises most of the muscles in the body while providing cardio.

Oh man, please don't ever give any workout/exercise advice ever again ok?