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Why You May Need to Exercise Less

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Exercise is a major component of a healthy lifestyle, and the benefits of regular physical activity are well established. When adopting a Paleo lifestyle, modifying your fitness routine to include more high intensity exercise can bring great benefits to energy, body composition, and overall fitness.

However, there are many people who take their physique and physical fitness to an extreme level, particularly in the Paleo community. Certain styles of exercise take the participant to a state of physical exhaustion on a regular basis, which may do more harm than good.

While a consistent, high intensity workout routine may provide some benefits for those people looking to lose body fat and increase their strength and fitness, there is a fine line between training hard and overtraining. While running fast and lifting heavy may be major components of an active Paleo lifestyle, engaging in these physically demanding activities too regularly or too intensely can contribute to many different symptoms of overtraining.

Overtraining goes beyond just excessive “chronic cardio” or too many hours spent at the gym. Certain high-intensity exercise routines may push the body’s stress response too far, leading to a cascade of biochemical responses that can cause serious damage to one’s health in both the short and long term.

While short, intense workouts can be great for inducing fat loss, increasing aerobic capacity, and reducing risk for cardiovascular disease, excessively intense exercise can cause a variety of health problems, especially for those dealing with other concurrent stressors such as autoimmune disease, gut dysbiosis, or adrenal fatigue.

Overtraining has been shown to affect blood levels of important neurotransmitters such as glutamine, dopamine and 5-HTP, which can lead to feelings of depression and chronic fatigue. The stress caused by intense, excessive exercise can negatively affect the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, possibly causing conditions such as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is known to cause depression, weight gain, and digestive disfunction along with a variety of other symptoms. As we know, high stress in general can cause symptoms of hypothyroidism, and the stress caused by excessive, intense exercise is no exception.

Another major effect that extreme exercise has on our bodies is an immediate increase in cortisol, the hormone that is released when the body is under stress.

Heavy-resistance exercises are found to stimulate markedly acute cortisol responses, similar to those responses found in marathon running. Chronically high levels of cortisol can increase your risk for a variety of health issues, such as sleep disturbances, digestive issues, depression, weight gain, and memory impairment. Excess cortisol also encourages fat gain, particularly around the abdomen.

When a goal of exercise is to lose weight or improve energy, overtraining can clearly be a major barrier to achieving those goals.

Overtraining can also have harmful effects on the immune system. Research has shown that the cellular damage that occurs during overtraining can lead to nonspecific, general activation of the immune system, including changes in natural killer cell activity and the increased activation of peripheral blood lymphocytes. This hyperactivity of the immune system following intense overtraining can possibly even contribute to the development of autoimmune conditions.

This type of nonspecific immune response is associated with symptoms such as chronic fatigue, weight loss, decreased appetite, and sleep changes. Altered immune status is also known to affect the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, and may be responsible for the hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction and hypothyroidism known to occur in overtrained athletes.

Mark Sisson talks about the different signs of overtraining, which may be more common in endurance training but is nonetheless possible in high intensity training as well.

Feeling ill or rundown, losing muscle mass, gaining fat, and constant exhaustion can all be signs of excessive exercise of any type. Not only is this counterproductive to most people’s fitness and health goals, but it is also a sign of sickness.

In the path to better health, any activity that makes you more fatigued and more prone to infection is definitely something to be avoided.

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So does this mean you should quit CrossFit, or stop pushing towards your weightlifting goals? Not necessarily.

Here are a few techniques to avoid overtraining while still enjoying high intensity exercise:

  1. Reduce the frequency. While pushing yourself hard at the gym is not inherently problematic, doing it too often during the week is overtraining. High intensity, high stress exercise should be limited to two or three times a week, especially for those who are dealing with other health issues such as autoimmune conditions or digestive troubles. Compounding those stressors with extra stress from your exercise routine will not leave you healthier, and can easily cause you to become more sick.
  2. Get adequate rest. I’ve written before about how important sleep quality is for health. Not only is taking breaks from exercise important, but getting adequate sleep to allow recovery from intense exercise is vital to avoiding the overtraining syndrome. Make sure you are getting adequate sleep, particularly on the days you train. Interestingly, one symptom of overtraining is disturbance of sleep, so if you’re feeling restless and having trouble sleeping through the night, you may want to reconsider the intensity of your training schedule.
  3. Mix it up. While high intensity exercise may be ideal for losing body fat and improving lean muscle mass, we know that high levels of cortisol can cause the body to hold onto fat. For this reason, you may consider trying a type of exercise that can help modulate your cortisol levels. Some may knock yoga as being too easy to affect weight loss, but regular yoga practice is shown to reduce cortisol levels, which may help in reaching your weight and fitness goals. Instead of doing a fourth day of CrossFit, try doing a yoga class instead. You may find that this stress reducing exercise helps you recover more quickly from your more intense exercise schedule.
  4. Eat more carbohydrates. While cutting down carbohydrate consumption is often seen as the best way to decrease body fat, a combination of overtraining and low-carb eating can actually raise cortisol significantly and negatively impact immune function. There is also a possibility that very low carbohydrate (VLC) diets suppress thyroid function, a debate thoroughly discussed by Paul Jaminet on his blog. So if you’re regularly doing high intensity training and want to avoid symptoms of overtraining stress, don’t skimp on the carbs!
High intensity exercise can be a great way to improve body composition and enhance your general health, if done the right way.  As with all components of our lifestyle changes, the key is moderation and listening to your body.

If you choose to participate in these high intensity training programs, always use your best judgment and don’t let coaches or fellow athletes push you past your comfort zone.

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356 Comments

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  1. Chris-Nice Post! I wish I had learned about HIIT earlier in my life, but, there’s no time like the present! Ken’s comments about a good, thorough check up are good advice for anyone of any age who, especially if you are new to working out. I used to watch Jack LaLanne, too!

  2. It’s all about finding the right balance for YOU. Everyone is different- different nutritional needs, some recover faster, some slower, and of course all sorts of age and lifestyle factors apply. Are you getting enough sleep? Is your job stressful? Are you eating enough of the right nutrients at the right time? Are you a highly trained athlete or a beginner?

    Personally, I like to listen to my body and train intuitively instead of rigidly following a set program. I have a general program in mind with goals involved, but if Wednesday I’m supposed to work legs and I’m still sore and tired from the 10 mile trail run on Monday, I might just skip Wednesday or do something else like abs or yoga. By allowing myself greater flexibility in my program to allow for better recovery, I have managed to stay pain/injury-free, healthy, and have made far better gains in fitness that I had previously with a more dogmatic approach. This method requires a certain degree of self-awareness in order to avoid UNDER training, as some people may interpret a case of the “blahs” or bad mood as a reason they shouldn’t exercise. So many times I hear people complain about various nagging injuries, but they keep trying to “push” through them. It is especially bad with runners. I knew a woman who had all kinds of bad things going on in both knees from overuse, and she still attempted a marathon without allowing her body to heal thinking she could “push” through the pain and just tape her knees up, etc. Well, not even halfway through, she had to stop and walk, a short while later, she had to quit. Now her injury is worse of course. Or the guy(s) at the gym with an inflamed rotator cuff, yet keeps on bench pressing anyway and then wonders why he his shoulder keeps getting worse 9 months later!
    So, my point is, exercise intensely all you want, just make sure you allow for recovery and eat correctly to support recovery and health.

  3. Hi Chris and all! Thanks so much for everything you do 😀

    I am a personal trainer and listen/read your work daily. I have a secret weapon to help me push my clients to their limit without overtraining them. This is an important secret weapon since most of my clients are severely deconditioned beginners so it doesn’t take much for me to push them over the line.

    Before we start their program, I have them take 2-3 days off in a row. During those rest days, they take their resting heart rate before their feet hit the ground. We average their logged RHRs to come up with their baseline. If their RHR is elevated from their baseline enough (10-15bmp), then I know they need an extra rest day. If ever they come down with a sickness, have a particularly stressful or sleepless time, or if I’ve stepped up their training (especially with HIIT workouts), I make sure they stay on top of taking their RHR first thing in the a.m. This has been so helpful in avoiding overtraining my clients. For example, sometimes clients are ready to get back at it Monday morning following a sickness and are surprised to find their RHR is elevated even though they feel generally much better. They still need an extra day or two of full rest.

    The other thing I’d like to mention here is recovery weeks. For all clients I start them at three weeks on, one week active recovery like 3 days of light aerobic for about 30 min, 3 days of yoga). From there I tweak it for each individual.

    • Andi:
      Are you working with client blood panels? They provide a lot of insight except most blood panels are short form, generally used to highlight a few items with physician orientation toward writing prescriptions for symptoms of bad diet and fitness deficiency disorder.

      Carl Rogers’ main idea in non-directive psychotherapy has influenced how I train persons: client-centered, no magic formula, no cook book recipes, only an eye toward presenting conditions then observation of how they respond. Since my orientation is psychophysical, RHR and blood pressure takes chronic stress into account and for those in need, stress management techniques are worked into training.

      This might sound heretical – we generally are taught to consider progressive resistance training. For me, that’s half the equation: the other half is progressive recuperative development. Some camps treat persons as incredibly fragile. Good information from genomics indicates otherwise. Modern life has produced persons grossly under expressing recuperative capacities nevertheless innate as potentials for development. So beginners may train twice or thrice weekly – whole body, then move into 2 way splits, then three way splits, in time getting to more advanced recuperation expressed as six days/weekly orderly chaos training – varying reps, sets, TUT, rest, etc. Metabolic conditioning, after all, spans about half a dozen varying responses.

      • Ken:
        Thank you so much for your response! I am not working with client blood panels. I don’t feel I am qualified to do so, but I do work in tandem with a local doctor with trouble cases. What kind of thing would I be looking for in the blood panels that would provide such insight? Thanks again!

        I just use their RHR as a cheap, quick way to make the decision about training or not when, for example a client has been sick but seems to be on the mend and could maybe work out for our scheduled day. We will go ahead and keep that appointment set, but they txt me their RHR upon waking that morning and we decide from there. Same with when I start increasing their HIIT so I can be sure I’m not overdoing it for them and actually being counterproductive by placing them under too much stress.

        I’ll look up Carl Roger’s non-directive psychotherapy. Thank you. Even in my little time as a personal trainer, I agree there is no magic formula. I like to start with a general monthly format of, like I mentioned, 3 weeks on, 1 week active recovery, then onto totally new workouts…but it’s just a starting point. Like for myself I actually do best with around 6 weeks on 1 off. On the other hand I have a couple clients who end up under the weather or doggin it on week 3 so I’ve just made that a lighter active recovery week for them so their cycles are shorter and then they bring better energy on their two weeks on. And I TOTALLY agree with the part about stress management techniques. Teaching them to keep tabs on their RHR and report back to me also has helped me decide when we need to spend some extra time focusing on stress management, sleep, nutrition and maybe some basic supplementation suggestions for that bout of whatever is going on in their life. Such a simple, yet great little indicator, that RHR….that’s why I call it my secret weapon. It is crazy simple, but so helpful.

        Cheers to you!

        • Many of those coming to us for training are or should be concerned with preventing, stopping, and reversing chronic degenerative diseases originating in poor diet and inactivity. Blood panels can reflect those items, although after some decades of subtle erosion. Physicians look at cholestrol levels, however elevated cholesterol indicates an immune system struggling with inflammatory markers. A good blood panel will include homocystene and c reactive protein levels, both upstream causal markers for cholestrol. Hemoglobin A1c, the marker for spotting type II diabetes onset is another. For males, total, free, and bound testosterone levels as well as estradiol. So-called ‘low T’ is symptomatic of inactivity leading to sarcopenia. All the Paleo food in the world without stimulation of type II strength fiber only slows down premature aging and disease onset.
          There’s a lot to be said that training certification programs simply do not cover and which equips trainers as wellness consultants with wisdom. May I suggest you read through my blog? There’s a lot there! http://www.transevolutionaryfitness.wordpress.com I’m also on FB.

          I’m approaching 69, training 5-6 days weekly, about a nonstop hour at a time. I thrive on it. But I’ve trained since I was 15! With local examples like Jack LaLanne!

          • Yes, yes I’d love to flow your blog! Thanks for taking the time to give input.

            I’m certainly no expert. I’m 26 and have avidly devoured books on fitness, biology, self-help, wellness etc. since I was in 6th grade! But even being such a green novice I already was having to bite my tongue for passing my certification test (through NASM), memorizing and giving answers I knew they were looking for but that I either flat out disagreed with our was at least unready to accept as gospel. haha I suppose you get used to that kind of dichotomy after a while in this realm of the info-sphere. Any wisdom and guidance is welcome! Thanks again!

  4. For me it seems like the more I exercise both intensity and duration the heavier i become, it’s like my body works opposite to how i would expect. When i get sick or reduce my exercise I store less fat and seem to weigh less (which is always a problem in my brain – the scales). But if I work extra hard I seem to increase in weight and measurement. How do i overcome this??

    • Kath:
      I’m not too clear from what you’re saying. You store less fat when not training as much or not at all? Doesn’t make sense. Is diet constant, or does it fluctuate – for example, do you eat less when not training?
      Heavier can be subjective, and sometimes gender specific interpretation. I’ve noticed for decades many women with round, muscular, beautifully attractive legs interpret their legs as being ‘fat’ since they don’t look like skinny models bearing the appearance of coming from lands of starvation! Just an observation, not an intrusion.
      Scales are meaningless. On an anabolic diet, one can lose fat, gain muscle – both rapidly – so end up weighing more while being more ripped. Use a tight tape for neck, chest, upper arms, belly at navel, hips, upper thigh, and calves. Measure weekly at most. Forget scales. Forget BMI. If you have access to body comp measuring, do it.
      You may be gaining muscle.
      One thing I check with women is how they respond to reps. Some doing low reps, heavier weight gain – especially in the thighs, while others don’t – those other’s tend to gain in thighs with high reps. Find out which camp you’re a metabolic member of.

  5. 13-15gm whey; 40-50 gm glucose, sucrose, maltodextrin, 1-2gm each glutamine & leucine.
    I’ve tweaked it for my needs to 25 gm whey, 25 gm gatorade powder (lacks only maltrodextrin), and 2gms of the aminos. I don’t do his pre- and during workout drink.
    Pre-workout is 4 gms citrulline malate, 4 grams creatine monohydrate, 2gms beta-alanine, 20 mg vanadyl sulfate, 1 teaspoon gatorade powder (for creatine). citrulline malate is far more potent for bio-availability than arginine, especially important for us older folks.
    dosing is not bodyweight dependent.

    • Ken,
      25gm whey is a pretty small amount of protein, though perhaps with the carbs it’s sufficient to just switch off the catabolism? Do you follow that up within a few hours of the workout with a more protein and calorie heavy anabolic meal?

      I don’t take anything pre-workout either. I workout in a fasted state and find it to burn more fat and it gives me more sustained energy during the workout, counter-intuitive though that may be for some. I sorta do a mix of Leangains 16 hour fast on workout days 3 days per week (M,W,F), with heavy calorie eating yet still low-ish carb (though not ketogenic) on the other days, then on Friday night and perhaps part of Saturday I eat very high carb and low fat – this to make sure the glycogen stores are topped off and make sure that things get reset so no detrimental effects from the intermittent fasting.

      • Oh, also just FYI, the only supplements I take are 5gm creatine within a few hours after a workout, and whey mostly just the night and morning following a workout. Maybe there are others I should take, but I figure most I should get from my diet, and I don’t want to waste money on things that have diminishing returns.

        • Ken, are you familiar with Gironda’s “precursor protein drink” of raw eggs and cream? What are your thoughts on that? I’ve been having it regularly for over a month now and have gained about 7lbs perhaps half of which is fat. I’m a “hard gainer” as far as muscle mass beyond where I am now which is prob close to my genetic potential. I am 5’10” and around 175-177lbs right now and the most I have every been was around 183lbs lean and strong at age 20 playing junior college American football.

          I only use “free range” eggs, not the cheap junk. I also try to eat lots of grass fed beef.

            • Oh, age 50. That explains everything: you’re a kid, barely started!!! joking. I’m approach 69 with no interest in slowing down. Work out 5-6 days weekly, thriving on it.

              • Maybe I’m working out too intensely and/or my recovery ability is just low. I can only manage to work each muscle group once a week. More than that and my progress goes backward.

          • Frankly, I like Vince’s dietary ideas since they also taste good. For me, hedonism rules.
            I don’t believe in hard gainers – most every exposition I’ve read of that idea ignores statistical distributions in general, and never has discussion of control groups in experimental design – in fact, it’s more dogma than evidence driven from experimentation. When still in high school I read University of Texas research Roger Williams’ book Biochemical Individuality – so did my buddy Frank Zane at about the same time. Both of us grew up while still kids immune to generalizations which might adversely impact training!
            I’m inclined to believe hard gainer means ‘challenged ectomorph’. Our training ideas about sets and reps have stayed constant for all my life while virtually every other science has progressed. I really recommend you dig into Steve Hollman’s Eat, Train, Grow series in Iron Man Magazine and his x-reps blog. The recent TORC training packs the muscle on – and with a few modifications can keep packing it on within monthly increments.

            I love raw dairy cream and 1/2 & 1/2. In the 70s when Blair’s milk & egg protein was still available I used to get quarts of thick raw dairy cream, organic, from a little dairy in Los Gatos, CA. That combination packed on the muscle. Friends asked if I was on the sauce.

            Raw milk is harder to come by in Texas – I’m looking for a source. Even with protein powder instead of egg you’ve got a winner. Be sure to use betaine HCl with it – as Vince & Blair both advised.

            • I include some avocado, cocoa powder, and Stevia in it. The taste is amazing. Better than any sugar laden milk shake.

        • I think the consensus these days for creatine is pre-workout. The mix I compound are all nutrients put to work while training.
          Citrulline malate is more bioavailable than arginine for NO production, something I deem of importance to us ‘maturing’ guys for peripheral circulation,
          Beta-alanine is one of two amino acid precursors to carnosine production. Athletes tend toward up to almost 25% great carnosine stores. Carnosine buffers lactic acid. Of mammals, whales have the largest deposits to stave off the lactic acid burns with dives. For us humans, it facilitates deeper workouts, upgrading the pump/burn/fatigue threshhold.
          I add gatorade as a catalyst for creatine uptake; vanadyl sulfate helps in that process.

      • Hey Brad:
        The nutrient timing drink post-workout is more of a catalyst for a host of events that training stimulates within skeletal muscle. In fact, so very much occurs that the Danish Center for Inflammation and Metabolism has urged that skeletal muscle be included in the endocrine system. Yep, hormonal events other than HGH, test, IGF-1 occur (not to mention demonized nor-test) – a set of curls produces a cascade of more than 850 separate and distinct mRNA events!.So John’s method isn’t one of macronutrient infusion, instead a kick start for the process to get going.

        He’s noted lab results demonstrate the process can be kept moving along for upwards of 36 hours post-workout – I’m pretty sure that’s in the interview.

        I’m pretty constant for three meals daily, usually one protein drink somewhere between meals, then an infusion of protein before going to bed. The pre-bed one counts as Paleo Heresy since it’s casein and whey. I find no adverse effects to casein, and thrive on it. No doubt I’m dominant in Northern European genes!

        • I am also of Northern Europe ancestors and have no problem with milk proteins or lactose. I used to eat home made Kefir before going to bed. I need to get back to that.

  6. Ken, Read your interview. Two things. One is that a high protein meal will trigger an insulin response so are the carbs needed and then in what quantity? He talks about the importance of post workout carb+protein supplement to spike insulin and increase the turn-on of anabolism but does not say what quantity of carbs and protein – how many grams per pound of body weight?

  7. I eat low carb because I follow Dr. Bernstein and Dr. Rosedale’s advice on eating low carb if you are pre diabetic or worse. Being that my A1C is 5.5, I try to eat “like a diabetic”…no starches!

    So, now I find my TSH to be high and I wonder if the low carb is affecting my thyroid.
    Here is the dilemma…If I eat more carbs and starches, I worry that I will raise my A1C again.

    None of the experts can agree and this is really frustrating and confusing. The low carb guys say if you have low thyroid, get treated (hormones..no thanks). The other guys say to go eat some carbs.

    Anyone have the same problem or any advice?

    • There’s a profound difference between metabolism of those sedentary and active, athletic like folks. Our genome is hardwired for active, athletic living in respect to millions of years of evolutionary development. Half an hour of working out signals DNA to begin healthy protein turnover – including insulin sensitivity.
      I’ve got to believe the low to no carb advocates don’t train, or if they do have minimum hypertrophy benefits. Sarcopenia or muscle wasting/under development is a viscious indicator of metabolic breakdown. What’s more, you’re not going to properly make use of protein without complex carbs.

      We have several centuries of Physical Culture know how to draw from. Many experts exemplifying a living death physical condition are not people I’d advise taking serious advice from unless you wish to look as pathetic as they do.

      Your age and fitness age are part of what should be considered. Increasing evidence of iodine defects corrected through supplementation to heal thyroid conditions should also be addressed.

      Bodybuilders know far more about orchestrating genomic responses for being and looking fit, when to take in sweet potatoes, etc to ensure proper carbo levels.

      • Ken, so are you saying that you have to eat a lot of carbs to grow muscle mass? That is not what Gironda advocated – a “carb up” every 4 or 5 days if you felt weak. I don’t understand why carb’s are supposedly a requirement for building muscle. Granted, I don’t think you can grow much if at all on a consistently ketogenic diet. -Brad-

        • No, Brad, by no means eat a lot of carbs…nor bacon! Unless you’re aiming to look like a superheavy weight power lifter! Small amounts and that’s it. Timing them before workouts is best. I also use John Ivy’s Nutrient Timing idea, a small amount of whey, a few grams of l-leucine (replaced these days by 1 gm HMB), a teaspoon or two of gatorade powder post-workout.

          For detail on the post-workout, either read John’s book Nutrient Timing, or for an intro google on “John Ivy Ken O’Neill” for the lengthy interview I conducted with him as a feature story in Iron Man Magazine, August 2005. John’s chair of Kinesiology & Health Education at University of Texas, Austin, pioneering research scientist in nutrient time for that post workout anabolic window. Reason for a small amount of simple sugars is to promote an initial surge of the most powerful of anabolic peptides, insulin (insulin is now included in pro bodybuilding doping – has been since the Dorian Yates era). L-leucine, better its metabolite HMB, serve for sequencing of mTOR in response to activity – mTOR being the trigger to a cascade of anabolic events/protein turnover in response to training. Vince couldn’t have known anything about this since he died before the genome was much explored & I have serious doubts he could read the literature anyway. Schoenfeld’s publications go into more detail than most of us will ever want to know.

          • Ken, Read your interview. Two things. One is that a high protein meal will trigger an insulin response so are the carbs needed and then in what quantity? He talks about the importance of post workout carb+protein supplement to spike insulin and increase the turn-on of anabolism but does not say what quantity of carbs and protein – how many grams per pound of body weight?

  8. I hear you regarding Crossfit. It has become hugely popular especially in Paleo circles and I can’t understand it. For the general public I think such “ballistic” style of training is very dangerous. Why not just take up Parkour then? At least you’ll have more fun before you get injured.

    • Vince was incredible. As early as just after high school I wrote to him receiving replies in the mail – same with Bill Pearl. Very different than today. Much of my home gym is organized with ideas inspired by The Iron Guru. He and Robert Kennedy a book somewhere in the 80s with “wild physique” in the title, well worth tracking down. On T-Nation, Thibeadeau (sp) did a few Gironda articles some years ago also work reading through for his adaptations.
      Gironda’s right – resistance measured in pounds doesn’t matter. The trick is learning the mind-muscle connection, rather like a meditional mindfulness, all hardwired in the genome as a potential for development.
      It’s refreshing to meet a person with a penetrating mind given to experimenting to learn the truthes of their own body instead of blind reliance on authority!

    • My theory is that as the popular Paleo movement grew, distanced from evolutionary based exercise physiology, both HIT and CrossFit enthusiasts moved in wanting to claim their pet dogmas were Paleo.
      Those of us who’ve been around don’t want to do ballistic movements because we love training with healthy joints! At my age, same applies to one set to failure with heavy poundages. Actually, studies done at McMasters compared 1 set to failure, 8-10 reps with 3 sets to failure 8-10 reps, both 80% 1RM, and a third group of 3×25 reps to failure with 30% 1RM. Both three sets groups exhibited pretty similar hypertrophy, while the one set group drug well behind due to undertraining. The McMaster’s group is a bunch of labs to stay on top of.

      Also highly recommend Steve Hollman’s Eat, Train, Grow series in Iron Man Magazine – Steve’s the editor-in-chief. He’s slowly uncovered a bunch of basic principles of training, a bit more narrow in focus than Brad since he’s aiming at optimal recreational drug-free bodybuilding. His new TORQ approach is awesome. The March issue carried his interview with Doug Brignole, who in his early 50s felt his career in competition was washed up due to age interceding with gains. Doug’s new system has him gaining 2-3 pounds monthly, expected to be up to 240 by next January, then down to a lean competitive 210 by a year from June. One movement per body part in a series of sets: 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 (or 5&5), TUT reps, amazing burns. Steve’s version modifies it. My version starts each set with a 10 second static hold at the half way point to trigger vascular occlusion. The poundages drop like crazy with pumps you’ve never had – in part due to occlusion pooling at a cellular level rather than simply lactic acid induced pump. Hollman’s x-rep.com website is his ongoing training diary with comments, a look into day to day doing, reflection, and refinement of method.
      every few weeks do a HIT or standard training workout to keep contractile hypertrophy alive and well. We thrive on variety since it’s our nature.

      • Ken do you think that following a TORQ, Super TORQ or 4X program is better than heavy weights for someone who is trying to recover from adrenal fatigue? I’ve read so many conflicting opinions but you really seem to know your stuff so figured I’d ask. Jason Ferrugia claims that high reps/light weight are tougher on the CNS than low reps/heavy weight. Others say the opposite. Would appreciate your thoughts!

  9. Ken, thanks for pointing me to Brad Schoenfeld . After reading through various posts of his on T-Nation and his blog, I just bought his book ‘The MAX Muscle Plan’ (Kindle version) and look forward to reading it. He’s obviously very knowledgeable and researched. I like that he prescribes a varied/balanced approach and seems non-dogmatic with regards to training styles/techniques, as apposed to most of the SSTF HIT crowd. I can’t imagine that Brad’s book will not be worth many times the mere $10 price. I have to admit not giving you enough credit some year+ ago (when we were arguing further up this discussion thread). My education has progressed much since then. What made me pay more attention to your “ramblings” was when I re-read some of them and saw your mention of Vince Gironda, mainly because of late, I had been sucking up all I can learn about his teachings from years/decades past, and due to other lifters’ opinions that I trusted that used some of VG’s techniques. What I liked best about VG was his all natural approach, and all the things that he prescribed that was unpopular at the time – like a low carb diet (which I do sorta CKD), and fairly unique exercises like Neck Presses, Sternum Chins, Sissy Squats, etc., versus the normal “squat/dead heavy” thing that everyone is always parroting. Also, was the fact that Gironda claimed that the resistance doesn’t matter that much and his volume heavy routing like 8×8 (similar to the German volume training 10×10).

    cheers, -Brad-

  10. Brad:
    You’ll probably like Brad’s book. I don’t know how to be a fair judge of it since by the time the book was published I’d read and re-read his peer reviewed work which serves as the in-depth science backing up the book – he sure doesn’t take the average reader through a thicket of fascinating state of the art science – science unfolding, in dispute, conjectures and refutations, an unfolding detective story not a fixed conclusion. So what else is new? A higher level, synoptic, all-inclusive work such as Brad’s opens the door to experimentation in the laboratory of your life. With 55 yeas of training experience, I came to the same conclusions calling my approach Orderly Chaos Training in honor of the rich & varied potentials for expression embodied in the genome that gives me life.

    Personal training certification programs seem to me to be akin to a GED program loosely like health & hygeine, physical eduction, and exercise physiology. Only two of them strike me as solid foundations. Note: solid foundations. Extended the GED analogy, high school is a major institution of socialization in culture, social skills, interpersonal relationships, etc. Reading an abstract book on training just doesn’t come close to an apprenticeship under a competent mentor working with real people. When I got my certification, I had more than 45 years real time experience, tons of reading in all kinds of related fields (e.g., body therapies, biomechanics, neurolochemistry, somatic therapies) plus the benefits of having training with world class athletes and knowing many more. Of them, the biggest influences remain John Grimek (The Glow), Bill Pearl, and Vince Gironda in terms of being generalists with open minds and big hearts to match. The game has changed, with today’s big names more remote than used to be the case; nevertheless, at the private dedication of the Weider Museum at the Stark Center in July 2011, some 150 of us gathered with marked collegiality, no big egos, a tribe of life long iron game athletes. That’s the iron game I love and know, not one with little tin gods, people helping people. Bill Pearl has said personal trainers became important only when gym owners quit doing their jobs.

    The worse image coming to mind is that iconography of a personal trainer in someone’s face scrutinizing a simple movement with stationary bikes, big screen tvs, treadmills and machines all around, Vince used to say if you wanna ride a bike, ride one to and from the gym! Gyms today are big boxes catering to manufactured images based on fitness industry marketing of crap equipment totally useless for densely intense training. That includes trainers who know only how to use such stuff. Or like CrossFit conduct injury producing training (iatrogenic training)! Where’s the sanity?

  11. Brad:
    Your point concerning a widely sold book by no means validates its contents, no more than the incredibly successful Tim Ferris also drawing on HIT, the ‘Colorado Experiment’ fraud, etc. does. I read BBS at first with interest, then was astonished by the charade of research cherry picking the precious few research publications that might shed some credibility on an otherwise failed commercial theory of exercise. Jones’ Nautilus machines & HIT training were all the rage in the seventies, a fad long gone but on life support due to a marginal group difficult to distinguish from advocates of the Flat Earth Society. Howe the Paleo community gave credence to BBS evidences only that they do not follow evolutionary based genomic and proteonomic work in exercise physiology. Twice weekly working out for beginners is laughable enough, but then tapering off with progression? Cavalier disregard for our genome in action.
    HIT has its place for emphasis on contractile hypertrophy, not sacroplasmic hypertrophy. Contractile work carried to failure is an excellent strategy for destroying connective tissue as Dorian Yates did.

    Gironda type training is a far better alternative. Higher reps, density, addressing metabolic and mitochrondial stress rather than wrecking joints.
    MAX (mitogen-activated-xtreme) Muscle Plan is by far a breakthrough publication, as are the peer reviewed articles by its author Brad Schoenfeld. Unlike BBS, Schoenfeld’s work is real science – state of the art science. After all, McGuff is a physician, not a research science – something he admitted in his opening remarks at AHS2011. On top of that, Brad’s won drug-free bodybuilding competition, coached for decades, won a number of prestigious awards, published several successful books, and is now finishing up a PhD. His book doesn’t advocate a cast in concrete system; instead, his work brings the full spectrum of training methods to bear, integrating them for periodization from beginner to well beyond that. Progressive recuperation enables training more rather than failing to adapt in an ancestral manner as BBS proposes.

    That BBS has sold a lot of copies merely says its readers know astonishingly less than its authors! As for has your opening line is concerned, it remains laughable. BBS is a wonderful book for first semester research oriented graduate students in their research methods and analysis curriculum as a genuinely shallow example of what popular presses will publish to make a buck at any cost.

    Referencing Mad Mike Mentzer is astonishing. Those of us who knew him remember a loadie.

    • I’ll check out the MAX MP stuff. Thanks for the pointer. But it’s very true that most readers of BBS know astonishingly less… the same is true for most personal trainers working in gyms that are supposedly “teachers”. I read the 4-hour Body as well and thought it was just trash. BBS at least was clearly organized and written.

  12. Body By Science? A great book for those knowing astonishingly less than its two authors, and for those with a cult like adherence to confirmational bias in place of science I guess somebody has to keep failed ideas alive; McGuff and Little have done just that. Notice that Iron Man Magazine cut Little’s pathetic column, too. If you wish to be misled by amateurs dabbling in exercise physiology and appealing to lazy people looking for a rationale to under train, join their scam. Otherwise get Brad Schoenfeld’s The MAX Muscle Plan, a breakthrough publication from a real exercise scientist.

    • Ken, when you have published a book that is widely read, used, and has proven to help thousands of people then maybe you can better criticize. Nobody said BBS/Big-5 was perfect or optimal for all people. But it’s a good place to start and SSTF HIT is safe and effective. Certainly better than crossfit IMO which I don’t think is safe for most people. I have gone through the Big-5 HIT stuff and have moved on after some months of it – I hit a plateau and could not get past. Now I’m doing higher volume Gironda style stuff. I still think that high intensity slow cadence to failure works pretty well for most people at least to start out.

  13. This HPA dysfunction/adrenal insufficiency is going on with me right now. I’m a 33 yo type A personality female. I do everything excessively and obsess about everything. I was overweight my whole life. Diet wasn’t the worst because I’m Greek and ate a typical meditteranean diet, but was still eating grains. Switched from the chronic cardio and lean cuisine eating model to a paleo template and heavy weight training 5 days a week plus sprints at least twice a week. Dropped carbs to further speed up fat loss (dropped from low 70-80 grams/day carbs to very low under 30 grams a day carbs). Throw in breakfast skipping, excessive coffee – to the tune of a pot of coffee a day at times! – ,constant obsessing over food and training, horrible sleep patterns, and financial stress, and you get total system meltdown. About 8 months into this, I lost about 45 pounds – all fat – and on the outside, was in the best shape of my life. And thats when everything started to go wrong. I was already suffering from insomnia, due to my husband’s sleep apnea (due to thyroid issues, now finally resolved), but I was begining to stress out about not being able to sleep to the point that I would be in tears over the thought of not sleeping. Shortly after the “lack of sleep panic attacks” started, I developed gut issues, mainly constipation. This caused additional stress – I was eating a ton to support my crazy training, but only going once a week. That month (august) I had the heaviest menstrual period of my life and thought I would need to go to the hospital due to blood loss. The next month, I quit smoking after a 16 year pack a day habit. Even though it was planned, and not smoking was relatively easy as my mind was made up, the stress levels went up yet again. Another bad menstrual period – in September, and again in October. Everything was level (but not good) for about a month after quitting smoking, but things started getting worse. I had “tried out” training after work for about a month, vs early morning, which I had always done, and didn’t like it. So I thought it would be easy enough to change right back. It didn’t turn out to be so easy and I felt a huge loss of strength that first morning, but kept pushing on anyway. Super regretfully, I also ate gluten goodies a couple times in October – after not eating anything with gluten in over a year. In the first week of November, my period came a week early and stuck around for 2 weeks. From that point forward I started experiencing the following symptoms. Unless otherwise noted, most continued to get worse until mid February, where they leveled off:
    Extreme cold sensitivity
    Hair loss
    dry chapped and cracked skin
    addicted to salt, where I never even had any in my house before
    extreme abdominal bloating (constipation is mostly resolved though)
    extreme fatigue – no matter how much I sleep, I wake up exhausted – I’m a lifelong morning person
    fine hair growth in some spots on my face (where I was pretty hairless before)
    excessive sweating
    I am constantly waking up to pee (but now able to fall right back to sleep)
    my feet, arms, legs – my whole body – is killing me! Everything feels sore and cracky
    went through a horrible acne phase for a couple of months, after having great skin since early adulthood
    horrible memory, and unable to think straight
    Gained 20 pounds since Sept
    And the kicker – amenorhea. have missed 4 cycles.

    Some things I have done to try to help me situation:
    I had reduced training to 3 times a week – max – sometimes, only 2 days. Recently, I stopped training altogether due to exhaustion and weekness. This is the 3rd week (coincidentally, all symptoms stopped getting worse when I stopped training)

    I increased my meal frequency to include breakfast lunch and dinner, along with snacks after lunch and before bed

    I increased my carbs. I am no longer counting anything, but would guess to be at 100 grams a day

    I am able to fall asleep right away now, although I still wake up 2 times. I often have a hard time getting to bed at 10 as recommended – it’s usually 11. working on it.

    I cut all stimulants except for 2 cups of coffee – max and I make them weak. considering decaf if it becomes necessary

    I did a whole 30 in January, which was the strictest I had ever been with my paleo diet, and it pretty much stuck. I no longer eat dairy, and nothing processed. Everything I eat is homemade, from scratch.

    I eat soup everyday for lunch, made from bone broth I make and freeze regularly

    I am eating a wide variety of greens, veggies, and some fruit, and have eliminated my over-consumption of almonds and mac nuts (it was ridiculous)

    I recently had a lot of bloodwork done, and am fortunate to have a doc who practices functional medicine, and is really open to the idea and treatment of adrenal fatigue.

    Most notable on my bloodwork are:
    I have super low (way below the given ranges for any time of the month) estrogen, progesterone, and pregnenalone. I also have an iron deficiency. Testosterone was on the low end of the given range, as was TSH, free T3, and free T4.

    Still waiting on the results of my 24hour saliva test (adrenal panel?)

    and my GYN put me on a ten day progesterone test to see if it would trigger my period. It didn’t.

    Am a missing anything? My follow up is 2 weeks away. Hard to wait so long. Doc just recomended rest and supplementation (adren-align – high levels of vit. a, c, e, b6, b12, pantothenic acid, siberian ginseng, rhodiola rosea, schizandra, ashwaganda root, licorice root), also to keep taking what I already take – vit. d drops, fish oil, zinc, magnesium, and 5htp.

    • You’re not eating enough carbs, you can’t make hormones if your adrenals are exhausted, I’m going through the same exact thing, I am now on Progesterone and Testosterone cream, iron, vitamin D, taking herbal adrenal meds, and most importantly REST and no STRESS…so I’m off work and chilling.. no more workouts, no more work, no more pushing myself to do anything. I am watching TV, eating, napping whenever possible. I finally figured it out. and yes, I have gained 30 lbs in 5 months. but I’m no longer a total wreck, no longer freezing all the time and my hair stopped falling out and my skin finally started producing oil again. quit the rat race and Heal thyself!

      • Anita – what do you eat to get your carbs? I don’t really tolerate rice -I get pretty bloated. One can only eat so much squash/sweet potato/fruit….

        Would be a dream to be able to take time off work right now!

        • Lisa, the reason you felt better during training is because you were raising your cortisol during activity which stayed raised afterwards, but now of course the adrenals are depleted. DONT workout, you will pay for it severely! because you are so young and hormones are so low is because your body is trying to conserve energy. this is classic Adrenal dysfunction. you will definitely help by eating small and frequent meals, with at least 25-30 grams carbs, and 10-2- grams protein. I’m on half-caf now but did go decaff for a year (blech.) I too was severly anemic, and since going gluten free my ferritin DOUBLED in 6 weeks, what does this tell me? that gluten was interfering with absorption of minerals! I have had great success with Proferrin and Ferramax iron supplements. Proferrin is a heme iron one but it did give me gas. the other is a Poly-saccharine iron complex and It worked within 2 weeks, whereas the regular iron preps take several months and cause constipation. taking more than once a day is futile by the eay. one per day is all our body can process. for meals, carb sources are: breakfast I often eat non GMO organic corn grits with my eggs, or a couple of tortillas, sometimes some baked beans or gluten free homemade bread (rice and other gluten free flours, with added chia/flax seeds. or I just eat an apple or half a banana. a couple times a week I do eat a big bowl of cooked gluten free certified large flake oats topped with flax, a handful nuts, some dried fruit mixed in and a big blob of coconut oil – deelish! and dinner, we do all kinds, quinoa, rice, sweet potato, squash, I’m not 100% paleo, I truly believe in my case, and for women in general, our thyroids need the carbs in order to make the hormones t4/t3, too low carb and my thyroid turns off. Also, I am too hypoglycemic right now and that’s because my progesterone is low. Lisa, I am getting good results from using Progesterone cream, not sure if your doc put you on Natural progesterone (you didn’t specify) but unless its Natural, it wont help you. Prometrium is natural but if taken orally you lose 90% of it through your liver. you can split the capsule and apply it to your wrists or use it vaginally for 100% absorption. BTW if rice is bloating you, either you’re eating too large a portion or you need to take some digestive enzymes to help digest carbs. sure hope you start improving soon. BTW I’m 52 had the same job for 24 years and have earned my early retirement:) My hair stopped falling out once my iron ferritin went up. it went from 13 to 26 and that took a year, until I stopped all activity, went gluten free, and now its 57 and climbing:) I am on an Adrenal product called Adrenal L BP from my Naturopath which has helped significantly with my low blood pressure and temperature. its licorice and holy basil and a bunch of other things including rhodiola. good luck!

    • Since things got better when you stopped working out. Give it a rest a while longer then add it back in slowly. You really don’t need more than one short, intense whole body workout per week (eg. Body By Science Big-5 routine) if you are in maintenance mode. It likely is not a problem of carb intake if you are eating at least 100grams depending upon how much exercise volume you are doing each week.

      • Thanks for the replies. I will look into the Body By Science big 5 – Can’t wait till I feel good enough for an actual workout.

  14. Ken, thanx for the tip. I’ll try to order a pair of selenium and zinc shampoos today.

    For several months I’ve tried a concentrated infusion of garlic in refrigerated fish oil, but I haven’t yet observed any benefits. Various forms of garlic have been experimented with in the fish oil: diced, fresh crushed, and powdered.

    I’m just beginning to steep infusions of dried American ginseng in hot filtered water, because that herb is claimed to be an immune system modulatator.

    I still haven’t given up on SIT because the coincidence of its beginning with a psoriasis flare-up doesn’t constitute proof of the connection between the two (although evidence is very strong). The SIT and the psoriasis have been ongoing now since late June of 2012.

    From way back, immediately after the SIT session ends I’ve been having a 25 gram scoop of whey protein with 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1 dried plum to help prevent my body from burning up the protein as fuel. I then wait 2 hrs until I have my brunch (raw almonds, pistachios, grapefruit, kiwi, more cinnamon, and either 2 eggs and guacamole or a small portion of oatmeal with shredded whole lemon).

    Haven’t been getting any protein with brunches of oatmeal. Perhaps I should have a whey protein shake with that?

    My only other meal is supper at 8 PM. I have a large portion of animal based protein and a large portion of veggies, plus 5 fl oz of red wine. No starches (no potatoes, bread, grains, etc.) for supper.

    According to your 2.38 figure, I would need 197 g (7 oz) of protein. Is that the amount needed for the whole day, or is that the amount needed immediately following a SIT or weightlifting workout?

  15. My experiences with psoriasis seem to have more in common with allergy and mold seasons in the Austin, TX area. Right now is cedar fever season; ragweed is also a problem for me. Using digestive enzymes, oregano oil, garlic oil and other anti-inflamatories helps. Tip from a dermatologist helps immensely: switch between zinc and selenium based dandruff shampos every few days.

    I can’t link psoriasis to training levels one bit. Along with allergins and mold, the effect can be debilitating on training and life. No sinus infections this season! one claritan every morning, and appropriate supplements. No beer whatsoever. I’ve also added betaine HCl for ensuring digestion and absorption of minerals since last summer.
    Are you getting adequate protein for cell repair? The standard is 2.38 grams per kilogram of bodyweight for those doing serious anabolic stimulating (protein turnover) training. Anything less is a waste of time.

  16. The most acute flare-up in my life of PSORIASIS coincided with sprint interval training (SIT). A previous bout of psoriasis ceased 7 years earlier when I ceased heavy weight resistance training. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease.

    Quite religiously I had previously been doing 5 days per week of high intensity circuit training from

    spring 2008 until June 2012. My workout sessions were only 25 mins. (not including warmup, cooldown, and stretching). Exercise on each of 4 different machines was interval type, with HR usually peaking at about 92% of true HRmax and average HR usually about 83%. I was in good health (including NO psoriasis) but was unable to lose the final 3″ from my waistline.

    So during mid-June 2012 I replaced two of those circuit training days per week with 100% maximal effort

    SIT, in which I was harnessed to a special motorless treadmill enabling the free swinging motion of my arms. Each sprint interval was “uphill” at a slope of 25% for 20 secs, causing muscles to fatigue with lactic acid burn and legs to slow before interval completion. Exasperating stress on respiratory system. Ten intervals per workout session.

    I began to observe psoriasis lesions on scalp, feet, right forearm, and left shin within days after beginning the SIT.

    If anyone else out there can recall similar episodes of psoriasis ocurring coincidentally with an extremely stressful training regimen, please share your experience with us in this particular forum topic.

    • Any type of stress will cause a psoriasis flare for me. This includes any type of high impact exercise. The bad effects outweigh any type of good result from high impact training, so I stick to low impact. Its just not worth the stress for me.

  17. When I was 15, I decided I wanted to “lose the weight” (I had been holding steady around 150 pounds for awhile with a moderate daily exercise plan of walking and PE class), so I joined the JV girls basketball team, and on top of the 2 hour daily trainings (with windsprints, etc) I would also exercise and shoot hoops and run drills for at least 2 hours afterwards. I eventually, over the course of 9-12 months, lost 10 pounds and went down to a size 8 (the smallest I’ve ever been). I felt pretty good, but my mom is really thin and petite (maybe 100 pounds), and she assured me that I “just needed to lose 10 more pounds” and then I could just maintain. Well, once basketball season ended and summer began, I ramped up my daily exercise to about 6-8 hours a day. I couldn’t keep it up indefinately, though.

    Eventually, I crashed. I developed pneumonia (in the middle of a hot summer!) and almost died from the fluid in my lungs. After that, I had permanent scarring on my lungs and gained back all the weight, plus I think that this must have triggered some kind of hormonal cascading failure because I started to develop the classic markers of PCOS and steady, uncontrollable weight gain, regardless of my exercise or dietary modifications. Doctors tried putting me on reduced calorie diets, I still gained. They put me on hormonal birth control to counter the effects of PCOS. I still gained. In fact, the only time I stopped gaining weight was when I stopped running/going to the gym and just stuck to walking and bicycling.

    Then, I finally got an “official” diagnosis of PCOS, and with the help of metformin therapy and some low GI eating habits, I was able to make my blood panels look great and distributed some of my weight to lean muscle instead of fat (although I did not really lose any weight). I have since maintained my weight while improving my health and blood panels significantly each year. Of course, I was knocked back a bit when, after my pregnancy, I developed Hashimoto’s Disease and it took them maybe 4 months to diagnose it. I didn’t feel normal and gained maybe 20 pounds but I was told that I would be “tired” with a new baby, so I didn’t bring it up until my blood panels came back with the results.

    Since then, my goal is to maintain my weight (I’m a little over 200 pounds) and keep my health panels good. Every time I want to lose weight, regardless of what I do, it only eventually leads to weight re-gain, even when I sustain my behaviors. And the only way I was able to lose a small amount of weight (10 pounds) was through overexercise to the extreme. It just does not seem worth it to me to temporarily lose a small amount of weight only to gain back 50 or even 60 pounds while still monitoring food and exercise. I also get horribly neurotic about food and that leads to the urge (that I generally successfully fight, but it’s still incredibly distracting during the day) to binge on food that I don’t actually WANT to eat. So I tend to eat low-GI with a side of intuitive eating. I’ve found myself eating much fewer foods, having no urges to binge on “forbidden” foods, and overall feeling more mentally and physically happy about my relationship with eating.

    But I still can’t lose weight. That doesn’t mean I will stop my daily exercise (between 1-2 hours of bicycling/walking), because these exercises are sustainable and I can fit them into my daily routine. But I am tired of people insinuating that because I have not shrunk in size, that my health is “bad” or that I am somehow lazy or slovenly. I find it hard to talk to others who exercise or who consider themselves “fit” because my appearance does not jive with the super thin athletic build, and because my obsession is with my health and quality of life, not necessarily shrinking to some optimal pants size.

    • I think you are doing the right thing and ignore the idiots who don’t understand your situation or what you have gone through.

      The only thing you might want to consider – is even the walking/cycling too much for you? Also, you might want to see a nutritionist if you haven’t already done so? I know for myself, giving up gluten and supplementing with iodine helped me with my energy levels. I also try to make sure my food is as clean as possible – I eat almost exclusively organic food, and my animal products are free range – which is also more humane since animals allowed to graze in the fresh air and sunshine are happier and healthier than those locked in pens.

      At any rate, I applaud you for being concerned with your HEALTH vs. your APPEARANCE. You have your priorities straight and good luck and good health to you!

  18. In answer to your question in your first sentence, yes. In response to the rest of your post, although I disagree with it, thanks for your opinion.

  19. James:
    So your position boils down to everything is a matter of opinion? In previous times general education ensured knowing the distinction between fact and opinion; however, today’s standard, one sadly re-enforced by the internet, has become the reign of opinion with the motto noting “everyone has a right to their opinion and all opinions are equal.” Combining the ethos of relativism and solipsism, such a motto serves to strengthen weakness, elevating & insulating laziness from the hard work mandated in gathering and assessing facts.

    We do hear a lot about people hitting a self-diagnosed ‘over trained’ condition. The danger, of course, with self-diagnosis is missing the point. Doing the same routine, the same number of sets and reps, the same old same old is just as likely to bring on psychological staleness, boredom, ennui – who knows.

    The benefits of my Orderly Chaos training include eliminating psychological and physical stress/over training, eliminating under training (a far more serious problem), and working the full range of fiber and metabolic ranges. In that regard, I’ve thrown out the Gregorian seven day calendar week in favor of natural lunation cycles and their attendant biological rhythms.

    Another dimension of over-training is discussed in Frank Forencech’s fun book The Exuberant Animal. Read that book cleared up for me how it is a small portion of the population is prone to over-training or just plain pooping out easily. Thanks to modern life and medicine, they can now survive with weak metabolic and immunity systems. Among prehistoric times, their below average recuperation rendered them what Forenceck describes as stragglers – prey for the large cats always stalking early humanoids and keeping the genetic pool fit by eliminating members of the species would couldn’t keep up. Well, thanks to housing, sanitation, and the triumph of Pasteurian medicine in conquering communicable, infectious disease, the stragglers have grown in number and survived, even breeding to surely weaken the genetic pool. They write books and articles maintaining there are two groups of people: hard gainers and genetically gifted. Right away that shows no understanding of statistical distributions – those hard gainers aren’t the mean, they’re one or two standard deviations to the right of the mean, the weak group – might be good to sterile them to protect the genetic pool! That’s the group HIT works for. Everyone else would do better to re-frame the context of their training to make gains enhancing their recuperative ability/threshold – it’s genomically much higher than normative medicine even knows how to measure.

  20. I’m 52 and have “worked out” with an intensity of a 12 out of a 10 for many years. They ranged from heavy lifts, to Crossfit style, HIT, circuit, long distance running, to mixtures of everything. I gues I was bit by the fitness bug. Well I look great, better than I did in my 20’s, but I have become mentally and physically exhausted. Just getting changed for a workout has become a chore. So obviously it’s time to back off a bit. It’s quite a reality check when you read posts on this blog and other blogs, of so many athletes from many “fitness” disciplines who have become victims of the “over training” syndrome.

    I am sure there are exceptions to the over training rule just as there are exceptions to everything else in life. Ken you are undoubtedly a sponge for the varied “opinions” on the subject but then again they are just that, opinions. As you pointed put in your article about the “experts” at cherynobyl, even the experts are indeed wrong at times. You are, as you pointed out a “generalist” , and your interpretation of the facts are based upon the “experts” that you obviously agree with. This however does not make other opinions moot points or junk science, they are just opinions that don’t necessarily align with yours.

    Everyone is different, different genetics, different training strategies, different stresses and so on, I could go on and on but I will spare everyone with posting the regurgitation of “expert” opinions that align with my beliefs.

    Life isn’t a guarantee and everyone who enters a fitness regime needs to experiment, research and come to their own conclusion has to what works and doesn’t work for them. A cookie cutter approach suggesting that we all have to do things one way in order to realize success is ignorance at best and foolishness at worst.

    This isn’t a dress rehearsal, so be smart, do what works for YOU, and enjoy life.

    Cheers