IS working out 6 days a week overtraining?(plz if u are a bodybuilder answer this question)?

Question

im 18 years old and working out each bodypart twice a week.my workout routine is 3 day workout and 1 day rest.Is it a good routine?

Answer 1

Generally speaking, six days of weight training per week is absolutely too much for an 18 year old.  In fact, six days is too much for the vast majority of trainees.  Overtraining is counterproductive since you have to recuperate in order to rebuild muscle tissue.  I've been training for 33 years and believe that bodybuilder's are some of the LEAST knowledgeable  sources of accurate information concerning training. Many people read different forum's or see a huge guy at the gym and falsely think that they must know what they are talking about. What they don't know is that many times the person either has great genes (i.e. will grow from anything they do in the gym) or they are taking large amounts of drugs, which allow them to recover.

For example, the average 18-21 year old would have more productive results if they trained 4 times per week.  Each body part should be worked 2 times per week, which means that you will have to work more than one body part per day.  For example, Mon-Thur = Chest, shoulders, and triceps.  Tues-Fri = Legs, back, and biceps. In order to train with a split like these one would have to decrease the amount of exercises and total sets drastically. Instead of training your chest like this: Bench press, incline press, fly, pec dec, and a machine bench press etc...completing four sets of each for a total of 20 sets...I would suggest two basic exercises per workout such as bench press and incline press with 3-4 HARD sets of each exercise and that's it. Then you immediately drink a post-workout shake (I suggest whey protein, waximaze, and creatine if you had a hard training session...if light to moderate training, I suggest a 4-1 carb to protein ratio such as Accelerade) and go home and rest (Of course you'd still have to train your shoulders and triceps).

According to the the NSCA "Essentials of Strength and Conditioning," a body part will begin to regress in strength after about 72 hours or so.  Therefore, if you train one part per day, by the time you get back to it too much time has will have passed for maximum results. While many people still see gains with this type of training, it is a question of what is most effective...Correct? In fact, if you ask most bodybuilder's where they get their information and then challenge them on it, you will find that they cannot back up very much of their OPINION. Here is what I tell many of my clients..."Bodybuilding is not a game of who trains the hardest and longest, but instead is a game of who trains the smartest!" Another saying goes like this..."Champions use weights as tools for gaining muscle, not as weights to be heaved up."

A final note...I trained and won the NABBA Mr. USA training 4 times per week with weights.

Dave Barry

Former AAU Mr. America

Former NABBA Mr. USA

Answer 2

In a nutshell, yes, it is a good routine. With proper rest (8 hrs sleep) and plenty of protien it is optimum. I would add that about every 8 weeks you should take a full week off to allow your body to adjust and grow. You will come back after the week off stronger and fresher.