Overtraining is one of the most talked about topics in bodybuilding. The irony being, most of the people talking about it have no idea what it is. These bros are just trying to fool people into thinking them as an authority on the subject.

You’ll mostly see skinny people give the excuse of overtraining for not training hard enough. People use this term as a shelter for taking it easy in the gym. The ones who go to the gym determined to never stop before hitting failure never talk about overtraining.

This was recently established in an interview with Flex Wheeler. Flex is a Mr. Olympia legend who has announced his comeback in this year’s contest following the footsteps of his friend Kevin Levrone. He spoke to Generation Iron in his weekly show Flex On Em’.

Flex Wheeler Talks Overtraining And How To Know If You’re Doing It

Flex brings to light the training and fitness level of speed skaters. He talks about the muscle definition in their legs and how training every day leads them to perform and look better as opposed to being exhausted and overtrained.

How can someone talk about training a single muscle group every day and not talk about prisons? Wheeler then talks about how people in prison train their chest, biceps, and triceps every day. These prisoners still have enormous muscles without any signs of overtraining.

This bodybuilding legend doesn’t believe in the concept of overtraining. He states that your muscles get used to your training type and takes less time to recover and recuperate after every workout if you’re training the same muscle group every day.

Though he does admit people can come to a halt if their nutrition and rest are not as per their workouts. You need proper rest and nutrition to recover from your workouts so your body is ready for your next workout.

Flex also mentions the fact your body doesn’t grow in the gym. You’re breaking down muscle fiber in the gym. You’re actually growing in your sleep while your body is resting. This is also when your body is getting ready for the next workout.

Many athletes have spoken out about overtraining and how people are leaving so much on the table because of it. Celebrity fitness athlete Mike Rashid calls the concept of overtraining BS! He says you need to be going beyond muscle failure and exhaustion to actually make your muscles grow.

Are you overtraining?

Mike claims you’re not building muscle until you have hit failure and take your training beyond it. Your muscles need to be shocked through your training if you want them to grow. You’ll never gain muscle mass if you always stay in your comfort zone.

Signs You’re Overtraining

If you’re still worried you’re overtraining, here are some signs to know the truth:

Weak Immune System

Overtraining can take a toll on your nervous system. If you’ve been overtraining constantly, you’ll constantly find yourself falling sick. Whenever you lift weights you’re putting your CNS under stress. It then needs rest and a healthy diet to recover before you can put some strain on it again.

Poor Recovery

If you have been overtraining, your recovery mechanism will also take a toll. Since you’re not getting enough rest and proper nutrition, you might feel muscle soreness and cramps days after you trained a muscle.

Joint Pain

Overtraining can lead to a complete body malfunction. Chances are you will also see a decline in your joint health. Due to over extensively training and non-recovery, you can be at a risk of joint pains. You might need to supplement with joint support to fight this problem.

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