Bodybuilding Style Workout and Changing up Your Training to Avoid Burnout

I'm not going to lie, today I definitely did not feel like working out. I woke up tired, and thought, "maybe I could just skip today's session." The whole time through my first class I was debating on whether or not I should lift, finally I realized I had to.

My motivation was low, so my discipline stepped in. 

When you start experiencing signs of burnout, it's important to act quickly to avoid getting stuck in it. Burnout can lead to many physiological and psychological issues such as, depression, extreme-soreness, sleeplessness, and many other. Changing up your training, taking a day off, and re-evaluating your goals can be good ways to avoid and counter the early signs of overtraining and burnout.

I think I'm starting to experience a bit of burnout, so today I decided to do a, "throw-back" lift. I trained how I used to train when I competed in bodybuilding, and it was great! It kept me interested, and made me start to enjoy my workout again.

It's been a while since I did a bodybuilding, high volume type workout and I forgot how much fun they are. This style of training means pushing the body part you're training to failure on nearly every set, trying to pump as much blood into the muscle as possible. Less circuits, and more sets of one exercise at a time. Lately, I have been training for my upcoming Spartan Race in December, so it has been more strength and full body training. This was a good way to mix up my training and keep me interested.

Overtraining and burnout can be a serious issue in all aspects of your life. Keep an eye out for it in your work, personal life, and workouts. Many people use lifting as a release and the last thing you would want to do is ruin your way of expelling stress or frustration. If you're getting bored with your training, it might be time to mix it up. Change the style, try lifting with a friend, or find whatever way will keep you interested, so you can keep getting stronger!

Thanks for reading!

-Nick

So you want to start, but don't know where to begin.

We have all been there. You get this fantastic idea you're going to change your eating habits and exercise more, you get super excited and motivated, and then you realize you don't know where to begin.

THIS IS OKAY AND NORMAL. 

Most people don't know where to begin when it comes to exercise. There are so many different diets and exercise programs, not even the best professional could name them all. High intensity, low intensity, lifting, cardio, metabolic conditioning, low carb, high carb, low fat, no fat, the list of ways people have tried to lose weight and get stronger could go on forever! Thankfully, there is a method that will always get you past this confusion: do something.

Doing something is always better than doing nothing. Start with the simplest form of diet and exercise, walking and cut out fast food and processed food. If you are coming from a completely sedentary lifestyle, trying to jump into a big diet and exercise program all at once can lead to confusion and frustration. Start with the basics and work your way up. Investing the time in your health is the best and most sound investment you can make.

Once you have begun with the basics, you can move on up to bodyweight exercises such as: squats, push ups, plank variations, and reverse rows. Demonstrations of these exercises can easily be found online. These can all be done at home, with no equipment. At this point, you may be thinking about joining a gym, make sure you have it set in your mind, YOU WILL USE THE GYM. There is no point in wasting your time and money on a membership that you won't use. Try getting an outside person to hold you accountable. A knowledgable strength coach or personal training that truly cares about you reaching your goals is a great way to advance safely and faster than you would on your own. They can hold you accountable to get in the gym, and make sure you are consistently progressing towards your goals.

You will always come up with reasons why now is a bad time to start a new health program. Time and money will be the two biggest that pop in your head, but remember your body is the only thing you truly own forever. It is the safest investment you can make, the more work and commitment you put in the more positive results you will see. Life should not be a struggle of up and down with your health and weight. It should be about finding a balance of healthy eating, movement, and exercise. If you are just beginning, remember, start with the absolute basics, find a knowledgeable coach, and just begin.

You owe it to yourself to be the strongest person you can be.

Thanks for reading,

Nick Guzek

Brick by Brick Fitness
facebook.com/bbybfitness