Overtraining with Exercise Can Lead to Injury Instead of Results
Yesterday I walked into the gym and passed by "Joe", a regular member, who was visibly pretty sweaty from some kind of exercise. We started chatting and come to find out he had been out for a long run and was now coming in to lift weights. He reasoned that since lifting weights was more fun than running, he would leave the fun part for last. Joe was training for a physically demanding role at work and was told he needed to get in shape for it. The last time Joe was "in shape" was when he played lacrosse in high school and this style of training was all he knew.
Does this sound familiar to you? If so, then consider this:
Back-to-back training sessions are oftentimes unnecessary and can, in fact, be detrimental to the very goal you are trying to achieve.
The Sequence of your Workout Should Support your Overall Goal.
Joe was following a familiar training program, but not necessarily the best program. Unless you are an endurance athlete and your training involves light weights for a large repetition range, you shouldn't be lifting after a run. The fatigue you are experiencing from your run 1) leaves you less gas in the tank to really push yourself and fully benefit from the strength workout and 2) makes you vulnerable to an injury. If your goal is to build muscle and get stronger, then your workout will involve heavy weights and full-body exercises. Lifting weights is a complex task and not safe or effective when you are fatigued.
Understand your Goals.
If this is something you're doing, then you'll want to ask yourself what do you want to accomplish? Is it getting stronger? Improving your 5k time? Losing weight? Putting on muscle? Your goal will determine the kind of exercise you perform and the order in which you do it, as well as the amount of time that you train. This becomes your fitness program, not just a bunch of different workouts. This is your path to success.
Some goals align nicely with other goals and you can effectively work on them together, i.e. increasing lean muscle and losing weight. Some goals don't work very well together, such as increasing lean muscle and training for a 5k race. If your goal is losing weight then that's typically a multi-faceted approach that will depend on your individual circumstances, including how much weight you want to lose, your fitness level, and how many days a week you can commit to working out. After you've determined your goal, decide what your weekly workout schedule will look like. For instance, how many days a week you will do a cardio workout or a strength workout? A fitness professional can help you create a plan.
Maximize your Effort in Each Training Session.
Once you have committed to a goal and a schedule then you'll want to properly train for it. Generally the amount of effort you put into something will dictate your results and exercise is no exception. Only you will truly know if you are giving maximum effort.
For example, HIIT (short, very intense bursts of fast paced movement designed to rapidly increase heart rate followed by short rest periods) is incredibly effective at burning calories if you really commit and give your best effort. If you are holding back during your workout this is not an efficient use of time and it will take longer for you to see and feel results. The same goes for strength training, if you continue to lift the same amount of weight every time you workout you will never get stronger. You'll need to constantly evaluate if you are pushing yourself or settling for what's comfortable.
Speaking of level of effort, this brings me to another thought, which is if you're planning to complete another workout after your HIIT workout, you'll intuitively hold back so you have enough energy for both. Now, you've just completed your cardio conditioning with less than 100% effort and not received the maximum benefit from that workout. The same can be said for back to back workouts that include strength training. If you're tired from your cardio conditioning, how will you truly be able to lift as heavy as possible and make progress in strength and gain lean muscle? Pick one workout to focus on that day and give it everything you've got. Back-to-back workouts will decrease the energy level you can devote to your training and that leads to limited success.
Always Remember Form Comes First
Proper form is imperative when it comes to strength training. If you're lifting weights after another workout you're putting yourself at risk for injury, perhaps pulling a muscle or tendon. Recovering from an injury is slow and frustrating, especially when you've been working so hard to achieve progress. Why not save the second workout for another day when you can give it your best effort? Allowing your body time to rest and recover from your workout will deliver optimal results and help protect you from injury.
Workout Smarter With the Right Program
How could we transform Joe's workout to fit in a program designed to meet his goals? I happen to know that Joe is interested in hypertrophy (increasing muscle size) and knowing that I would advise him to switch up the order of exercise. He would begin with a brief, but adequate warm-up, lift heavy weights, and then finish with running. This would allow him plenty of energy to perform the strength portion safely and with 100% effort. Following the strength workout, it would then be appropriate to fit in some aerobic conditioning and continue to burn calories with a run.
The reason running works as a cardio finisher is because it is a repetitive movement pattern that doesn't involve much brain power or coordination. So, even if you are zapped from lifting weights, your brain and muscles will still be able to communicate with each other while avoiding injury and getting the job done. Other activities that would be a good fit are biking, rowing, climbing the Jacob's Ladder, or a battling ropes circuit.
Challenge One Body System at a Time
One exception to the rule against two workouts in a day would be completing your metabolic conditioning and strength workout at separate times, allowing your body some time to rest. However, optimal rest between workouts is 24 -48 hours so this would be a strategy only if truly needed, but not something to practice on a regular basis. The rule of thumb is to challenge one energy system of the body (i.e. strength OR cardiovascular) at a time. Determine what's most important to you and develop your weekly workout schedule (i.e two cardio training sessions and three strength training sessions). Perform each training session with 100% effort and allow yourself the proper rest. You will maximize not only your time, have the best chance of avoiding an injury, and the results will speak for themselves.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes!