Before studying scientific methods on training! Looking back, I was consistently training in a non-functional overreaching state because of negligence. I simply didn’t have the proper knowledge on how to train, causing me to push my body to the point that I created so much fatigue that recovery was hard to achieve and adaptation was non-existent.
Eventually, fatigue will rise enough to compromise your performance, causing your body to enter what we call overreaching.
Overreaching leaves no more room to progressively overload since your body has hit its Maximum Recovery Volume of training and can not be sustainable during workouts.
When an individual overreaches for a short period, you must relieve the fatigue by including a deload week, re-sensitization week, or active rest period.
This strategy slingshots muscle recovery and performance, creating higher levels of performance and adaptation when you start regular lifting again. Scientific research calls this Function Overreaching.
Functional Overreaching
Functional Overreaching is when you push your mind and body just outside your limits for a brief time. Usually 1-3 weeks. This push beyond what your body is capable of is a form of overloading.
Functional Overreaching is a great tool when properly monitored. But make sure this powerful tool doesn’t turn into Non-Functional Overreaching.
A return to normal fatigue levels after overreaching can often cause an increase in fitness performance.
Functional Overreaching is a technique we have calculated for you in our Rookie Camp! Of course, everyone is different. But the calculations we have come up with will start as your baseline and can be customized to individual skill levels.
As you become more of an advanced lifter, seeing progress becomes harder. Including Functional Overreaching into your workout program will help boost through these slower results that intermediate and advanced athletes experience.
Non-Functional Overreaching
Non-Functional Overreaching happens to someone who isn’t following a workout plan and probably complains about always having “hit a plateau” in their workouts.
Determining the difference between functional and non-functional overreaching comes with experience in building a mind-muscle connection. And understanding when your performance is starting to decline due to fatigue.
The longer you stay overreaching, the more noticeable your capabilities will deteriorate. Once recovered from non-functional overreaching, chances are you will return to baseline and see no improvement. In other words, you are working hard but seeing no additional benefits.
Fatigue accumulation is a normal process that must happen to see the adaptation. But pushing too hard for too long will seize adaptation and could reverse your fitness level.
We have designed this workout plan to simplify overreaching, by pushing your body over the edge just long enough for sustainable workouts over a short period. When exiting the re-sensitization phase, will create a boost in performance going into your next workout cycle.
Technique Training While Overreaching
For the athlete, when training in an overreached state, your fatigue level is higher. Making it difficult to learn new techniques and skills.
Coaches trying to teach new strageties should do so at the beginning of practice virus when fatigue is on the rise at the end of practice. When learning something new, it’s important to be in a low-fatigue environment, keeping the mind fresh and awareness high.
Even if the athlete has perfected the technique, being in a high fatigue state will compromise technique and skill while increasing the chances of injury and lowing levels of immunity related to illness.
Understanding your body’s limits will help regulate high levels of fatigue, and make it known when to add light days, active rest days, or rest days.
Off-season overreaching can last up to three weeks, while in-season overreaching should never exceed one week. Because fatigue management is even more crucial when competing during the season compared to adaptation in the off-season.
Junk Volume
If you have read my article, How Much Should I Train? We discuss the volume landmarks describing how much training is needed to maintain, recover and adapt muscle development.
It’s common for us to be stuck training in between our Maintenance Volume and our Minimum Effect Volume.
This in-between is known as Junk Volume. Where you are doing all the hard work, but will NEVER see improvement.
Research has shown that when wanting to build more muscle and strength. LESS IS BETTER!
About six sets per muscle per session have been proven to maximize your muscle development. Anything above that is just time that could be spent recovering.
Another form of Junk Volume is not lifting heavy enough weight. Whether you are aiming for rep ranges for strength, growth, or endurance. You must reach 2-3 Rep In Reserve.
Reps In Reserve are how many reps do you have left in the tank before failure?
This is not only a great fatigue management tool, but it also helps maximizes muscle development when you lift to your 2-3 RIR.
If you aren’t reaching 5 RIR or less or lifting between 35-85 percent of your one rep max. You are stuck in Junk Volume. Until taking the proper steps to bypass Junk Volume. Plateaus will happen more frequently and adaptation will be lost.
We explain more on Reps In Reserve in your article here!
Rookie Camp
We have done the calculation for you!
Our Rookie Camp is the first online workout program built around RECOVERY strategies so you never experience OTS! Our scientific-based training will slingshot your performance when you need it the most. The Highest amount of adaptation is when our bodies are recovering, and RSF does an amazing job of showing you how.
Our Rookie Camp can customize to suit your personal goals with getting started only 3-Days a week, we slowly increase the intensity and quantity of your workouts. In the duration of this program, you can expect to see improvements in your,
- Muscle Strength
- Muscle Growth
- Muscle Endurance
Our Rookie Camp is designed for all levels, from starting out to someone more advanced. The formula we came up with includes the principles of progressive overload with recovery methods like resensitization phases, light days, and active and nonactive rest days.
Conclusion
Overreaching leaves no more room to progressively overload since your body has hit its Maximum Recovery Volume of training and can not be sustainable during workouts.
When an individual overreaches for a short period, you must relieve the fatigue by including a deload week, re-sensitization week, or active rest period.
Functional Overreaching is a great tool when properly monitored. But make sure this powerful tool doesn’t turn into Non-Functional Overreaching.
Non-Functional Overreaching happens to someone who isn’t following a workout plan and probably complains about always having “hit a plateau” in their workouts.
The longer you stay overreaching, the more noticeable your capabilities will deteriorate. Once recovered from non-functional overreaching, chances are you will return to baseline and see no improvement. In other words, you are working hard but seeing no additional benefits.
Research has shown that when wanting to build more muscle and strength. LESS IS BETTER!
About six sets per muscle per session have been proven to maximize your muscle development. Anything above that is just time that could be spent recovering.