Plateau Breaking - Part 2 - Overtraining and Recovery

"The goal is certainly not to avoid stress - stress is a part of life. It is a natural by-product of all our activities...But in order to express yourself fully, you must first find your optimum stress level and then use your adaptation energy at a rate and in a direction adjusted to the innate structure of your mind and body. It is not easy... it takes much practice and almost constant self-analysis."- Hans Selye, 1956

 
Before we get into the technical BS, lets review for those that arent well-versed in these topics:

• Overtraining is NOT proven as a condition, BUT we know SOME detrimental changes occur in MOST people when stresses of training + life are greater in summation than the recovery capability is at that time (in simple terms: you're doing too much and not resting enough, aka burning the candle at both ends)
• There are several models of overtraining, but for the purposes of this article we simply will term them alpha- and beta-overtraining models. These terms actually are borrowed from Dr. Mel Siff's excellent text, Supertraining.
• Alpha-model overtraining is mostly encountered with endurance sports, and shows very few easily detectable signs; with that said a performance decrement is the main identifier. This is also associated with diminshed activity of the adrenal glands (adrenal fatigue/insufficiency/burnout), and mimics Addison's Disease.
• Beta-model overtraining is mostly encountered in power sports (if you're reading this here's a sign to pay attention) and is identified with all the common symptoms of overtraining. This model mimics Basedow's disease, and is associated with thyroid hyperactivity.
  
• There are also two types of overtraining, local and systemic. Systemic affects the entire body and results in a performance decrement, including but not limited to coordination disturbance. Local is fairly easy to identify since the overused muscle/groups are particularly stiff/sore and dont improve in condition after a few days' rest.
• The total stressors (internal + external) on a person make up the stress load, and this stress load vs. recovery capability is a constant battle to avoid overtraining. The stress load encompasses EVERYTHING that generates any amount of stress upon the biological organism, no matter how small or large the stress is.

That should cover a very basic knowledge of overtraining as we know it.
Recovery, on the opposite end of the spectrum, is not nearly as understood in this country as it should be. We should take advantage of all recovery methods, with exception of those that compromise your morals.
Recovery is:

• The process of repairing/remodeling damaged/overworked tissues.
• There are two types of recovery: active and passive. Passive recovery is something we know about quite well. "Rest and it will get better" is the motto of this approach. To be honest passive recovery is a lazy approach and can be improved upon greatly by serious athletes.
•  Active recovery is just that, moving and actually doing work to speed up recovery. This includes, but is not limited to: Foam rolling, contrast therapy, traction work, etc.
•  There are MANY methods of recovery that may not suit you. Hot Pine Baths, for example, are popular in the Russian States for recovery. So is the contrast method. In some sports here in America, we have anabolic (drug-aided) recovery, and this goes on in almost every professional sport you can think of, behind the shadows, silently helping athletes enhance performance. For the true drug-free athlete, this is not an option, at least not in the sense of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids. However, there are plenty of anabolic substances that are perfectly legal and improve performance greatly. These are: food (especially high-quality, clean foods - food is the most anabolic substance on the planet), ginger (megadosing), lemons (eat a wedge of one at every meal and see), and plenty of others. In fact there are methods to increase the performance (ie absorption) of your food!

Not literally, but close.

• There are three modes to recovery: Ongoing, Rapid, and Delayed Recovery
• Ongoing Recovery is just that; it takes place during the activity. Enhancing this type of recovery is accomplished by increasing your conditioning (cardiovascular).
• Rapid Recovery occurs immediately after exercise, and can be enhanced by active recovery methods performed immediately following training (contrast showers, sauna alternated with mobility work, etc.)
• Delayed Recovery is just that, and can surpass the initial level if training volume/intensity loads are not excessive. Enhancing this recovery method is accomplished by active recovery methods performed 3 (or 6) hours after training. one must keep in mind the rule of Rapid/Delayed Recovery: You can't have both! Pick one recovery method based on your needs. If you are training 2x a day, following the first session one would be wise to enhance Rapid Recovery, to facilitate optimal performance for the following training session later in the day. On the other side, if you are training today, and then tomorrow or the next day, Delayed Recovery would be your best choice. Active recovery methods performed 6 hrs after training yield the greatest supercompensation effect.
• Timing of delayed recovery methods are covered in a previous article: self-myofascial-release-therapy

 If you are SERIOUS about pushing the limits of human performance (or even just your limits) you should be following a concept called "no days off," which was coined by Kelly Starret. What this means is that on days you aren't training/practicing, you are opening/mobilizing your hips/hip capsule, performing mobility work, eliminating trigger points, foam rolling to improve circulation and remove soreness, and get the boat turned back around, so that you are even MORE recovered before the next training session. This yields to not better, but FASTER performance increases due to a greater training effect from each training session.

Now that we have covered a base primer of knowledge, lets go break some rules:

• Overtraining + Adequate Recovery = Supercompensation

• Supercompensation is where you surpass the previous level that you were at. This is the goal of training. 

*This CAN be called overreaching, but for your understanding, overreaching is a usually-intentional near-overtraining state that can be recovered from quicker than actual overtraining, and still can produce supercompensation if the necessary recovery is in place.

• Pines and Firs (evergreen trees) release quite a bit of beneficial 'pinenes,' and there are several studies that these pinene chemicals can act as structural secretaragogues, or GH-releasing/producing agents.

• High-quality meats can significantly increase testosterone levels. So can cold showers.

• For most efficient recovery, combine active and passive methods. Get plenty of quality rest, don't stay up till 2am watching Dexter, be sure to have conditioning as a staple of your training program (training one energy system has cross-system beneficial effects to other energy systems), be sure to foam roll, stretch, mobilize, and correct.

So how can you determine if you are overtrained?
Increases in blood pressure
Decreases in coordination
Colds/minor infections (these are a dead giveaway, overtraining kills the immune system)
Irritability beyond normal levels
Lack of appetite
Moodiness
Poor-quality sleep
Inability to get to sleep easily
Sweating easier/more than normal
Breathing harder than normal
Lack of endurance
Lack of aggression
Elevated muscle soreness

     ALL of these are symptoms of overtraining. If you experience more than a few of these you need to: 1) Rest more/better, 2) Increase the quality/quantity of food, 3)Be sure to massage/foam roll/eliminate trigger points often, 4) Do activity you dont often do: if you mainly lift weights, take a day off and go for a walk or a hike, a swim, or something not very taxing, but effective enough to move blood throughout the body.
   The importance of nutrition (ie food) in relation to overtraining can not be overstated. Simply not supplying enough nutritional fuel can make or break the overtraining barrier, and for sports where weight classes are competitive, this is the difference between winning or not even showing up to the fight. I found this quote from a knowledgeable man quite apt: "can we assume that the stresses of improper diet and lack of appropriate supplementation can also cause overtraining? Absolutely! In fact, probably faster than training can!" - Fred Hatfield, Ph.D., also known as Dr. Squat, and the first person to squat over a grand. This is a link to more info he wrote on the interaction of food and overtraining: http://www.timinvermont.com/fitness/1nutover.htm
   Overtraining can take WEEKS to get over if you have pushed yourself for a LONG time. A systematic, built-in deload every 4 weeks allows for one to avoid CNS burnout and overtraining. A deload, for clarification, is a reduction in weight and volume, but the movements are still performed, but at half or less intensity. Once you have learned what methods of recovery work best for you, and when they work best, you can determine if a deload every 4 weeks is necessary. Some deload every 3rd week after 2 intense weeks of training, for a supercompensation effect. Others dont need a deload at all. You have to learn your body and what works best for it.
   Here is an example of walking the overtraining knife-edge:
   For over a year straight I made progress, with no deloading whatsoever. In fact, after a while, I was able to decrease the time in between training sessions. And I still made progress. It was harder-earned progress, but I was still able to handle the intensity. Then suddenly classes are back in session, I have a relationship that isn't what it was a few months ago, and things got very, very busy. This additional stress pushed me over the edge into overtraining, and shot my immune system to hell. I came down with mono, and was bed ridden for more than 2 months (zero training). I figured my strength was in the toilet at this time. Several weeks after, I was able to start some of my normal activities again, and I wanted to see where my squat strength stood. I was amazed that after zero training, I set a PR by nearly 90 lbs! The only explanation I have for this is that the time I spent recovering from mono was the optimal time for recovery from the year + of heavy training with no time off. This was an EXTREME example of supercompensation due to optimal recovery, but this was most certainly not planned, and nor would I EVER recommend anyone try. But I know recovery time is important. Hell, I will even argue that proper recovery is more important that the strength training program you are following! I cant remember who said it at this time, but it was said that "The best strength training program is the one youre not currently on." There are NO MAGIC BULLETS, no oddball special Russian training program, no super-effective supplements, and NO SHORTCUTS. There is no 'perfect' training program. They are all effective if they are adhered to. Period.

Research for yourself this List of Recovery Methods:
Classical Massage
PNF
Myofascial Trigger point massage/therapy
Acupressure/Shiatsu/Reiki
Hydrotherapy
Stretching/Mobilization Techniques
Flotation (excellent for decompression)
Aromatherapy
Therapeutic Touch
Electronic Technology (including brain wave generators, which you can download for your PC)
Laser Therapy
Vibromassage (including those massage chairs)
Barotherapy (pressure)
Physical activity
Milder recreational sport
Dance
Play
Postural Realignment (includes Chiropractic care)
Breathing Regimens
Progressive Relaxation
Tai Chi & Yoga
Meditation
 
   To summarize a overworded article, overtraining and lack of sufficient recovery can keep you from progressing. Lack of progression = reaching a plateau. To break through this plateau, correct the cause. Attend to your lack of active recovery work. Make sure you get enough sleep. Eat lots of clean foods. Increase the time in between training sessions if needed. And be sure to keep your stress levels comfortable!

Plateau Breaking - Part 1 - Mental Training

"To continue to do the same actions again and again, while expecting different results, is the definition of INSANITY."    - Albert Einstein

"See much, study much, suffer much is the path to wisdom." - Celtic Proverb

Plateau breaking 
   There are many varying methods of breaking plateaus. These articles will specifically refer to those chasing the iron game, however this will work for weight loss/gain, breaking/creating habits, bettering yourself, thinking more effective, clearer, and sharper, improving problem solving skills, playing chess or Brazilian JiuJitsu at a higher level, or simply washing your dirty laundry instead of being a damn bum, you name it.
   Many, MANY methodologies will be covered to break plateaus, some you may be familiar with but think is bullshit (mental training), some will be unheard-of (periodization, or abandoning one goal temporarily to pursue another, secondary goal that will allow one to surpass the first), and some will be common.
1) MENTAL METHODS
   To break a plateau in many things, the most effective way of doing so it by changing the mind. The mind exerts control over what we do; getting the results you expect to get is the premise of feedback (and inhibition) from the logical portion of the brain. Changing your mind will, at the most fundamental level, change the results you get.
   How many times have you heard someone say "Its all mental"? This is a common saying because it happens to be unequivocally correct, regardless of what activity is being pursued. How often do you ACTUALLY exercise your brain? It is the strongest method of control in the body, yet most Americans have the weakest minds.
A Brief List of the Nine Mental Skills
Successful Athletes:

1. Choose and maintain a positive attitude.
2. Maintain a high level of self-motivation.
3. Set high, realistic goals.
4. Deal effectively with people.
5. Use positive self-talk.
6. Use positive mental imagery.
7. Manage anxiety effectively.
8. Manage their emotions effectively.
9. Maintain concentration.

             (For a more detailed description of these: http://www.sportpsych.org/nine-mental-skills-overview )
   Personally, I think most people can choose to adopt the first eight listed above. However, I think the last one is where most everyone falls to pieces. 
   Try this:

• #1) Take 5 minutes, and sit somewhere without distractions or interference. Empty your mind. As thoughts come, do not dwell on them or let them take attention from your mind. Allow them to drift away as they came, unimpeded and unfocused. If you are honest with yourself, this will be VERY VERY hard. To NOT think of thoughts that present themselves in your mind is backwards thinking, but this is exercise for the brain.    If you discover yourself thinking about the thoughts that spontaneously come, start over. If you discover that you are thinking about not thinking, start over. If you discover that you have thoughts that you cant get out of your head, start over. These instances are all 'proofs' that your concentration, to put it bluntly, sucks.

This is also known as "silencing/stilling the mind."
   If that was a pleasant distraction (or if it was ridiculously difficult), try this next mental exercise:

• #2) Mentally, silently count from one to ten, focusing on nothing but the number you are currently on. If ANY thought slips in, even for a split second, you have to start over. Shoot for a 5-10 count on each number before advancing to the next. If you are honest here (AND IT WILL PAY BIGTIME IF YOU ARE) you can expect to make it to 3 or 4 the first couple times you try this. Youre gonna be thinking 'ONE, ONE, ONE, ONE, OH HOW MANY TIMES WAS THAT OH SHIT FML I HAVE TO START OVER.'

   Try that one for a few weeks. You should surprise yourself after that time by how far you can get, due to your mind being quieted. These mental workout methods were taught to me by the late Dr. Glenn Morris, and as he put it, you want your mind functioning like a smoothly running cadillac, not a jumpy, stacky race car motor. He also wisely said "if you dont control it, something else does!" Do you want that statement to apply to your MIND?
For a bio on Dr. Glenn Morris, click here

For a quick impression of the man's stunning intellect, look at the list of his Educational Background entries.

I know, you are most likely thinking "what in the HELL does this have to do with lifting weights?"
Go here:

Study at Univ. of Texas on importance of mental strength in athletes

Mental Discipline at its best!

   Have you ever seen a professional athlete play their sport? Have you ever watched them in the spine-tingling focus they summon to be able to perform? This is what we are attempting to develop, although that level can take years. Consider a maximal effort bench press. Think about how psyched up you need to be. And then remember the form/saftey cues that you need (lower bar under control but not too fast or slow, tuck elbows slightly near bottom, keep upper back tight, etc.). Now think about your spotter. Is he ready? Eff, you just lost your train of thought. 'Ok, well ill give it a go anyway' you say. If you look at that gym cutie that walks by as you set up and swing under the bar, you have already failed.

I know she's got a sick body but dont let it distract you until you are done.

   Getting set up for a lift should not be easy, and should require a zen-like focus to attempt (for max effort attempts). Distractions neccesarily need be absent from your mind, and if they arent, how well do you think you will perform? Sloppy set up, lack up body tightness, lack of squeezing grip on the bar (think this one isnt as crucial? Check this out: USC's tailback Johnson), all of these can lead to a missed lift. For more info on the specific technical aspects of the bench that you might be missing, check out this article on proper bench pressing.When striving to break plateaus, there will be plenty of instances when your mental toughness, the refusal to give up, the self-confidence, etc. will be what carries you through.

Those awarded one of THESE can tell you about mental toughness. Think you have that mental edge?

     However, NOT having these in order can lead to a missed lift, as indicated above, but beyond that, one must remember resistance training with free weights is NOT a safe activity. Go outside and find the heaviest thing you can possibly pick up, and then attempt to press it over your head. (DISCLAIMER: THIS IS AN EXAMPLE THAT ATTEMPTS TO MAKE A POINT THROUGH EXTREME EXAMPLES AND SHOCK VALUE. DONT ACTUALLY EVER TRY THIS. EVER.) Think that was safe? Chances are you didnt even consider it. Your brain actually saved you from a stupid injury or death in that case. Take the time to 1) make that brain stronger since it just saved your life and 2) realize that resistance training can be a FATAL activity if you screw it up or lose your focus.
   Have you ever felt 'in the zone' at anything you were doing? What was happening? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has termed this 'in the zone moment' as the Flow. "According to Csíkszentmihályi, flow is completely focused motivation." (Wikipedia) Guess what? The same numbers-counting exercise that you are currently not very good at (#2 above) requires the same 'completely focused motivation!' This is part of breaking plateaus, by focusing motivation appropriately. THE BRAIN is the difference when you are in the 'flow' and when you arent. So start strengthening your grey matter! For even more info on the 'flow' check out this link: http://www.austega.com/education/articles/flow.htm

   Mensa Workout - Question 25 of 30

Continue the following number series with the group of numbers below which best continues the series?
1 10 3 9 5 8 7 7 9 6 ? ?

11 5

10 5

10 4

11 6

   This is from www.mensa.org and if you would like to see the answer see the end of the article.
   A good baby step is crossword puzzles. Hell, even brain-teasers you can play on your phone help when your brain is as shit-shape weak as yours. Thanks to Matt Antonelli for that little idea on keeping your brain sharp. Mental exercise is only one part of the equation to mental strength too. Mental toughness is necessary as well. Think you have the mental toughness? Go stand in a COLD shower for 15 minutes. Or hold your hand over a flame to see how much pain you can handle. There is an EXCELLENT book on the mental side of toughness, pain tolerance, etc. and its called "The Fighter's Mind" by Sam Sheridan. He doesn't teach you how to get that toughness, he talks with people that are ALREADY HAVE IT, on what makes that characteristic show up, what makes tough people tick, etc. The MIND is always what fails first, except in those unnaturally tough, resistant human beings, "those that can take a crowbar to the face and keep on fighting"  - Greg Jackson. Once you give up, you give in, you let the desire slip away, you have lost. And one of the best ways to train that mental tolerance for pain, for toughness, is by experiencing it, by facing it down, whether it is by banging out an extra 5 reps, running that extra half a mile at that ridiculous speed, forcing yourself to do things outside your comfort zone, training for a MMA fight (training is WAY harder than the actual fight), etc. An article on Matt Kroc gives excellent examples on how that gives you an 'edge' in the iron game:
http://www.t-nation.com/testosterone-magazine-628#more-man-than-you
Here is a quick excerpt: "Mental toughness is making your body do something your mind doesn't want to do," he says. That day he learns an important lesson he'll keep with him forever: if you can override your mind, you can do anything.
Another article BY Matt Kroc talks about the importance of confidence, and the mental side of things:
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_confidence_switch
A recent article by Dave Tate on pain, strength, and excellence in sport; superb but short article:
http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/columns/under-the-bar-how-strong-is-your-pain/
Thanks to my good friend Blake Andrews for showing me this article, he has plenty of experience with pain, mental toughness, strength, and hes not too slow either.

SO:    Subject yourself to discomfort. Run hills till things get fuzzy, spinny, or until your lungs burn. Jim Wendler is a HUGE advocate of these and can tell you how the day-to-day shit just isnt nearly as important/bad/grueling after finishing a set of hill sprints, bear crawling up to the top on the last sprint, holding down your vomit until you get to the top. In fact, you should probably check out his 5/3/1 book, its pretty damn simple, yet VERY well thought out, VERY smart training. Traffic aint shit after pushing the prowler and 5 min after your last set you realize you STILL cant breathe fast enough and you are in real danger of suffocating while wide awake cause you cant breathe in enough oxygen. Or you could take half your 1RM for a back squat and attempt to get 20 reps with that weight. Even better, Blake showed me THIS recently too: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/hungarian_oak_leg_blast Here your first session you take roughly 30% of your 1RM for a back squat, and LITERALLY squat that same weight for a 2 minute set. Each subsequent session you add 20 minutes to the time limit! THESE examples are SERIOUS pain tolerance, and will teach you a lot about yourself as well. Going through these will make you mentally tougher, without a doubt. Just remember these are EXTREME examples!

   Mental discipline will make a HUGE difference in breaking through a plateau, which is 99.99% of the time simply a mental construct of your personal limitations. After learning how to quiet your mind, your focus will be like a laser, your technique will be DAMN good, little distractions like "my left arm isnt going up as fast as the right" wont get you out of your groove, and people won't be able to distract you from working towards your goals. After making your MIND tough as nails, you wont mind a little discomfort since you have become accustomed to it, and that OH-SO-HEAVY weight doesnt feel like a dangerous attempt, it feels like a way to test yourself. Those last few reps, those that you could never exceed because of that burn (which is a crock) now feel like you are just warming up those muscles and you blow past that limitation you had set on yourself. That drained feeling that you are used to at the end of a training session, that feels like you have just done a little work, and with a few minutes recovery, you will go back at it and hammer away at a intensity level you previously hadn't been aware you could have. So find ways to test your limits. Mentally, by increasing the disractions to your concentration incrementally so you can build up a tolerance to them (playing mind-puzzles with static in your headphones), as well as increasing the discomfort you can subject yourself to and become accustomed to, so that day-to-day things can't even begin to phase or distract you (hill running 1-2x a week), but TRY to make those mental toughness exercises things that will also take you toward your goals as well, whatever those are!

Answer to mensa workout question 25 - first choice, 11 5.