A lot of people are heading on the gym to get their body all-buffed and physically appealing. This is a good thing; exercise doesn't only give you a more contoured body frame, it also helps in keeping you fit and healthy.
As in any other things, physical training needs proper procedure. There are a lot of people who go into the gym and overtrain themselves thinking that it may be the faster way a achieve that centerfold-magazine body. Some people are just the opposite and undertrain. A good physical training should always have the right balance between overtraining and undertraining to attain his or her desired physique.
Overtraining
Overtraining happens when your training goes beyond what your body can actually take. You either exceed your limits in terms of a workout's volume, intensity of frequency. For example, in weight training, if you try to carry more load than what your muscles can, your muscles tend to be stressed and overworked. Chances are, you will end up losing some strength that you need to get on to the next workout. Keep in mind that muscles need time to recover. It is when they are in the recovery period that they grow and develop.
There are lots of perils when you overtrain. It can pose some serious health risks that include muscle soreness and fatigue. It can even lead to an increased heart rate and insomnia. It also has some psychological effect on a person. It can cause irritability, depression, and ultimately - frustration.
To stop yourself from overtraining, first you should be aware that you are overtraining. You would realize that you are overtraining if you are physically going beyond what your body can take. If you are feeling stressed out during workouts, then that's the first sign of overtraining. Muscles may ache after a training session. This is acceptable as they have been under strain and are growing. However, they should not ache for more than two days. Muscle damage is a common result from overtraining.
Take time to have a break and allow your muscles to recover after each workout. Only do a program that you know your body can physically achieve. To avoid overtraining, set a specific schedule in which you would do your training program. Other people even go for a self-massage, cryptherapy, thermotherapy and contrast theraphy to cure affected muscles caused by overtraining.
Give yourself a minimum of 48hours rest between exercising the same muscles. This is sufficient time to allow your body to recover.
Undertraining
Undertraining is the exact opposite of overtraining. Undertraining is not doing your program as often as it should be nor as intense as it should be. Most people who undertrains have the thinking that by doing modest exercises everyday they would achieve their desired body frame over time. This is not exactly the case. Undertraining makes you believe that you are achieving a steady progress when in fact you're body is just gradually adapting to your everyday 'training program'. If your body becomes accustomed to your 'workouts' because it doesn't recognize enough effort and power in the exercise that you do, then this wouldn't cause your body to improve. If you are unhappy with the results of your training you are most probably undertraining.
Achieving a Balance
The only way that you can have a perfect balance between undertraining and overtraining is to know your body's limits and capacity. Personalizing your fitness training is the most sensible thing to do. Remember that each person is different from one another. A program that's effective to one person may not be as effective to another. Keep in mind that the key in making training effective is to have proper recovery time. Of course, training wouldn't be effective without proper diet. With enough patience and a truckload of self-discipline, getting that body you always dream off is just a few workouts away.