Don't forget to over train

Overtraining is a funny one, and the internet is awash with believers and non believers. I am a believer and for good reason. The point at which you get stronger is the period following a training session, not the training session itself. If has been designed properly and you approach it with correct attitude, the training session should make you much weaker.
 
Here's why:
 
Say for argument's sake you can maximally produce 100 units of force for 1 rep. Your coach gives you 70 units of weight and tells you to start moving the weight up and down smoothly and maintaining tension.

After each rep your maximum potential force decreases slightly as you fatigue. Your muscle begins by recruiting the less powerful more endurance based motor units and as they become exhausted it begins to recruit the more powerful units. Eventually all of the motor units within the available motor pool have been recruited, they fatigue and your ability drops below 70 units of power.

The weight is going nowhere.

You are weaker than when you started and the muscles which you have worked have been trained to their maximum.

That is all the stimulus you need for growth, 1 set to failure per muscle group, the next few days should be focused on good nutrition and recovery.

But if you did this over and over again then would you be over training? Or would you be creating a greater stimulus?



Planned overtraining is not a new idea. Drop sets are a great example, where you achieve failure, reduce the weight and go all over again.

Other examples include spending two weeks battering yourself so hard that you can barely force a smile and then taking a week off eating yourself to a stand still. The effects are well documented but only anecdotally. 'Over training' is a good plan but only if you're sensible about it and give yourself adequate recovery time afterwards, but then it isn't really overtraining, is it?

The idea is to actively weaken yourself, until really low weights are your maximum.

So what are the effects of this kind of programme?

If you really kill yourself, supplement intelligently, eat well and sleep enough then the effects can be spectacular. You will put on a huge amount of muscle and strength in a very short period of time.

The question is though do you have the motivation to actually do it?