We all want muscle, we all want tone, we all want results. However, because we also live in a world of instant gratifications, it can be all too easy to think that our bodies are able to give us results overnight ...
...Unfortunately, things don't work like that and you may find that if you are trying to build muscle too quickly, you can actually be left with some seriously negative side effects that can be very detrimental to your overall health and could be the reason you are not seeing the results you are looking for!
How Much Training Is Too Much?
Obviously everyone's bodies are different and there are a multitude of factors which determine if you are building overtraining yourself. However, remember that the first rule of fitness is that it isn’t about quick fixes.
Instead of looking for the quick alternatives, our approach at The DVCC is to instead integrate healthy habits into your lifestyle that will help benefit you for the long term and rest of your life. For example, if you haven’t done any exercise for 10 years, it will take more than a month or two to reverse that and training 5 times for hours on end per week will NOT help your body change any quicker. That is why at The DVCC, we recommend trying to get into the habit of doing two or three 50 minute resistance based workouts per week in order to start seeing results.
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you may be overtraining your body or building muscle too quickly for it to handle.
You Are Gaining Fat Instead Of Muscle.
This may seem strange and whilst it is true that you need to consume more calories to build more muscle, the thing that some people forget is that the type of calories you consume is just as important. Many people who try to build muscle quickly have difficulty adapting their diet to suit their lifestyle in a healthy way.
Continued eating of non beneficial foods such as junk foods or convenient snacks will only lead to your body adding extra fat onto your body instead of turning it into toned muscle. You can’t train away a bad diet!
Instead, a far more beneficial approach would be to progressively introduce a healthy balance of cruciferous vegetables, lean protein sources and a small amounts of healthy fats with every meal. This will give you all of the nutrients your body needs to both build muscle without unnecessary fat gain.
To see a simple guide to portion sizes for your meals, click here!
Your Body Is Not Recovering Properly:
For anyone wanting to undergo intense exercise, you need to be aware of your previous health history.
When people try to build muscle too quickly, they typically don’t allow their bodies to recover properly. This can aggravate existing medical conditions or even provoke ones they didn’t have before, certain conditions such as chronic illnesses, joint aches, knotted muscles and stress can all be aggravated by working out too frequently.
Overtraining also runs the risk of you putting too much strain on your muscles, causing them to tear and resulting in a longer recovery time and potential injury, which we assure you, is not the nicest of things to happen! Listen to your body, if the pain you experience during exercise is too intense and the muscle soreness does not go away after a day or two, chances are that your body needs more time to recover.
Muscle Building Supplements
Whilst this isn't technically related to overtraining, the two usually go hand in hand. We’ve all seen horror stories about bodybuilders or athletes who have taken muscle bulking supplements to the extreme to enhance their performance...
...Typically these kinds of pills, powders and liquids all have a number of unwanted side effects and are rarely approved by the Department of Health. Not only are some supplements guilty of causing heart palpitations and insomnia, but when your body’s workload is too much for it to recover, your nervous system can also take a hit, leading to difficulty sleeping and inability to relax.
These kinds of chemicals (also known as anabolic steroids) have a number of side effects. In particular including: High blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, elevated cholesterol levels and mood swings. Steroids can also be highly addictive. So unless prescribed to you by a medical professional for a particular purpose, they are often worth avoiding altogether.
What Is The Solution?
So if you are looking to bulk up or are looking eager to take your training to the next level, remember that fitness is not a race. These things take time and need longer periods in order to grow at a sustainable rate.
Set yourself small, achievable goals, rather than looking for an overnight solution. If you want to add any supplement into your diet, try adding a high quality whey protein, or alternatively speak to a DVCC staff member and they will be able to help you out!
