HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS NECESSARY?

For most people, if they are in condition, the proper amount of exercise is one HIT (High Intensity Training) workout every 4 days to every 2 weeks, or even less. This includes recovering from the workout itself, and the desired process effect called supercompensation (the actual adaptation to the workout). Many factors affect the supercompensation cycle including diet, sleep, stress management, genetics, and the intensity of the actual workout, just to name a few.

But one thing is for sure, as the person gets progressively more fit and their workouts get increasingly more intense (i.e., more weight is lifted, more reps are performed and a stronger mind-muscle connection is attained, all leading to harder muscular contractions and deeper levels of fatigue), the need for increased recovery time becomes apparent. Poor work performance and mental acuity, elevated HR, anxiety, diminished libido, stagnant or diminishing workout performance, and emotional instability are just a few of the signs and symptoms that "overtraining" has set in. Something must be done to counteract this very negative process.

To reiterate: To compensate for the increased workout intensity/stress as the individual reaches higher and higher levels of fitness, inserting increasingly lengthier periods of rest in-between workouts will become necessary.

So as you can see, there are no fixed amount of sessions in a given period of time, because the process of choosing when to work out is dynamic (ever-changing) to the unique individual. But for simplicity's sake, I begin most people with a once or twice-a-week protocol, and then adjust the workout frequency accordingly, depending on their unique recovery cycle.

"Never fear undertraining and always fear overtraining, as it is overtraining, that is your worst enemy." M.Stillman

"Exercise your free will, exercise your self-control, but whatever you do, do not exercise in the gym any more than what is absolutely necessary. For to do so is a negative with a capital N, and will only serve to hinder your progress."

Mike Mentzer, Heavy Duty 2

EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE:

1. For people who are rank beginners and/or very young, and those who lack the initial coordination and/or mind-muscle connection necessary to trigger the adaption response, a prerequisite learning period is in order. These individuals might need to have an additional session each week for several weeks to several months, until they are able to elicit an appropriate adaption response. This adjustment period, if the person is focused on the workouts when they are doing them, should not take long.

In rare instances, there are some individuals who may never be able to train intensely enough to trigger the adaption response. But I have found, in my vast experience, that these individuals were usually unable to maintain proper focus on their workouts. The many reasons for being distracted during workouts might include: (believe it or not) overtraining and overzealousness for their workouts (they are burned out), poor nutritional habits, sleeping disorders, unrealistic expectations leading to boredom, and anxiety.

2. People with injuries or chronic disorders: I have trained many people with injuries and chronic disorders over the years. Unfortunately for them, their limitations prevented them from working out as intensely as they needed to. They simply were unable attain the desired adaption response. Nevertheless, with my very safe form, I can usually find exercises that don't exacerbate their condition and can marginally or greatly improve their daily performance and accelerate weight loss, if that happens to be their goal. With these special clients an extended session, 45 minutes to an hour, is necessary to do an appropriate workout, as the fast and intense pace of ART will be too much for them.

Heavy Duty 2: "Quite simply the best book ever written on the subject of productive exercise. Ever!!!"

M. Stillman

"From time to time when I would lose my way, or forget the proper application of productive exercise, I would review Mike's book. I must have read it at least a dozen times!"