On the Nature of Mojo

Tonight, I'm blogging from bed.

I am beat. I woke up at a quarter to five this morning and brought it hard with Cardio Party Mix 3, followed by Abs Core Plus. In life today I gave it my all. By 4pm, I was ready to kick up my feet and unwind. And unwind I did--I came home, walked the dogs, ate, and passed out for I don't know how many hours. Guess what? I'm ready to call it a night. But, before I turn in, I thought I'd reflect on my mojo, which, by the way, is back!

As far as my motivation went in September, it was absolutely blah. I showed up because I'm committed, not because I necessarily felt like bringing it. I went through the motions during my workouts, knowing that I would eventually find my groove. Trust me, I know it's frustrating to work out and not feel the fire. Not feeling your mojo does not mean that you're not getting results though. It's during these times that you really need to have your mind right, because it is precisely during these times that it's easier to skip a workout or cheat a little here and there. So: I stepped it up with my eating and tried my best to focus on my workouts.

Just as I had predicted, my mojo came back. Whereas last month I had to make sure that I got my workout in, these days I find myself looking forward to my next workout. Oh, it feels so good to feel the fire.

In the past, I would have taken this feeling as an invitation to do more. I think I can finally say that I am wiser. Doubles always led me to overtrain, the symptoms of which are not pretty: irritability, sadness, fatigue, and I could swear it's the reason my hair went through a bad falling spell. This time, I'm holding on to my sacred fire (and my hair!).

Bring it!

Barbie, PhD

Are You Overtraining?

Alright, kids, it's time to fess up. I may be on my way to overtraining once again, if I am not already there.

Eager to see even more results, I was ready this morning to step it up with doubles. But, wait, at what cost? The last two times I overtrained--right around the 60-day mark of my previous rounds of P90X--I was out of commission for more than a week. I vowed to not walk down that path again, but, um, I find myself down a very familiar road: I am starting to feel tired, cranky, and am experiencing a loss of appetite. You know there's something wrong when I have to remind myself to eat!

It's time to help myself and help others along the way who may be in a similar situation. I'm turning to the experts for words of wisdom vis a vis overtraining. Normally, I hate to admit it, but I tend to ignore the signs (and warnings from friends) of overtraining. I'm making a commitment right now to listen up and follow through.

Ugh...I really hate being so "wise" sometimes, but I know my body will thank me later.

Bring it!

Barbie, PhD

The following article was taken from www.bodybuilding.com.

By: ISSA

If you think that spending more time in the gym will give you better overall results, think again. Excessive exercising can quickly lead to overtraining, an imbalance between training and recovery. It is common to want to push harder to meet your fitness goals. But be sure that you are doing it correctly. For e.g. lifting heavier weight or adding 15 minutes to your cardio workout, is okay as long as you balance the extra effort with ample rest. Listen to your body.

A common sign of overtraining is lack of motivation. Rather than looking forward to your workouts, you may find it difficult to go to the gym. Other signs include:

• Fatigue
• Muscle soreness
• Stiffness
• Irritability
• Sleep disturbances
• Depression
• Decreased aerobic and strength training performances
• Injury

If you are overtraining, it's best to take some time off. Most avid exercisers are afraid to skip a few days, because they think their performance will decrease, and they will either gain weight or lose muscle mass. But lifting weights everyday won't make you stronger. That is because with strength training, during the workout your muscles actually develop micro tears and it takes them 48 - 72 hours to repair themselves and recover and grow.

Preventing Overtraining In The Gym

Always try to keep your fitness routine at an enjoyable level. When you enjoy your exercise, you will be consistent and benefits will follow. Don't be in a hurry to see results. If it's taken you years to gain weight don't expect to lose it in months. Pushing yourself harder in the gym will only lead to burnout and injury. Weight loss or mass gain will happen in time, which will vary from one person to another. Take your time, and enjoy what you do. Add plenty of cardio variety. Balance your strength training sessions with cardio sessions on the stationary bike, treadmill or the elliptical trainer.

Reduce the volume of your weight workouts. Shorten the amount of time you spend at the gym. That does not mean that you can't vary the intensity while you're there. Variate using more repetitions one week, dropping the weight another week, resting less the next week, so it's never the same. This way you don't have to increase the time or the length of your workout. Whatever change in intensity you make sure you balance it accordingly with ample rest.

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO REST. Rest allows your body, a chance to self-heal, and thereby recover. Proper periodization of your workout is essential. Don't try to do everything everyday, but plan to split your routine according to what is best for you.

It is a common misconception that the fitter you get, the less the time you need to rest. Actually, as your workout gets more advanced, the longer you may need to recover. So set your balance accordingly. Rest combined with proper nutrition and at least 8 hours of sleep per day is an essential guide to recovery. Therapies like massage, etc. can help speed recovery.

Recognizing the signs of overtraining is important. Nothing is insignificant and should not be allowed to go noticed, particularly depression, which can be treated with timely help. 90% of what you can achieve is all in the mind. So don't be afraid to just chill a while and then roar back into your training.

For any questions or comments on this article contact Neesha Maria at fitforlife@rediffmail.com.

Sacred Fire

In the past, being on fire--you know, that feeling you get when you've hit your stride, when your motivation and energy are at an all-time high--has always signaled a green light for me to Really Bring It by increasing my intensity and adding in a few too many extra workouts.

My thinking during these periods has always been: if I do more, I will achieve more, and if I feel the energy, why not just really go for it?

Oh, there's nothing like that feeling of being on! It really is an on-top-of-this-world kind of feeling to really push your body to its limit.

And oh, there's nothing like that feeling of suddenly being struck with the multiple symptoms of overtraining: persistent fatigue, thirst, headaches, insomnia, and depression. Trust me, it ain't pretty...and, as I have learned, it definitely ain't worth it.

Your body just can't keep up with that kind of intensity. Eventually and inevitably, you will burn the house down.

Both times that I have overtrained by doing too many doubles and pushing too hard, I have had to practically drag myself to the finish line of P90X. And both times, my tired body has forced me to take WEEKS off to fully recover.

Make no mistake about it: the period of recovery is not pleasant. Feeling tired, down, irritable, and sore for weeks on end sucks.

It has taken me a while to understand, but overtraining is foolish (foolish on my part because I knew better!) and COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE.

But, after two very unpleasant experiences with overtraining, I finally learned my lesson: I learned to HOLD ON TO THAT SACRED FIRE.

I am finishing up my 4-week rotation of Slim Series strong. I started out slow and while the temptation to do more was present at times, I did not cave in to it.

I will glide to the finish line this Saturday, rest on my laurels by taking a recovery week, and then, I will be ready to start round 3 of P90X.

Brrrrrrrring It!

Barbie