Fitness Training : More is Not Always Better

   Fitness Trainers should already know this.

• Muscles don't grow when you work out!   
• Muscles grow when you sleep!
• Your cardiovascular system doesn't improve while you run, cycle or swim. 
• The cardiovascular system adapts to the imposed workload and improves in efficiency as you rest.  

   This of course is all in accordance with the good old S.A.I.D. principal -  Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands! The adaptation occurs during the rest, rejuvenation, and recovery phase. Positive adaptation doesn't occur if you keep hammering that bodily system.
   During my younger days as a weekend warrior and aspiring athlete, I often disregarded this basic principal. Being the work out fanatic that I was I wanted to believe in the workaholic's credo. More is better ! A hard hour or more of interval running would be immediately followed by a hard hour plus in the weight room. The next day might be a longer but less intense run followed by a hard hour or more in the weight room working on different muscle groups than the previous day.
   Day 1 may have been lower body resistance training while day 2 might have been upper body resistance training. My philosophy at the time was that since I was training different energy systems and different muscle groups every day I would survive to train another day. Even though my calf muscles would be so seized up that I could barely jog I failed to recognize the connection to lack of recovery time.
   What I should have known was that the Central Nervous System and the human body as a complete organism requires up to 48 hours or more to recover from intense overload!
 I was often flirting with illness, injury and fatigue. I was also missing out on the improvement that could have occurred with proper recovery time allowing me to increase the intensity the following workout. I was settling for the mediocrity that comes from over training.
  There is an economic  theory known as 'the Law of Diminishing Returns'. After a certain level any additional increase of one component may cause productivity to stagnate and possibly decrease. There can be a 'Law of Diminishing Returns' in exercise, as well. 
   For the record, I was not a complete fitness hard head. I did have the presence of mind to take two full days off before races, wrestling tournaments or beer league playoff hockey games. I usually had a surge of energy that I likely lacked during workout or practice time. I would have been well served to apply this tactic to my workout schedule. Maybe I could have been a contender - or at least the conqueror of the tier 2 division !
     
   As a Fitness Trainer you will likely have some clients at two opposite ends of the spectrum.

1. Clients who do the minimum. They will do only what you supervise them for during their paid sessions. Despite your cajoling and encouraging, they do little that is active between visits to the Fitness Trainer. Take comfort in the fact that what little exercise they get with you is still better than if they did nothing.
2. Clients who become exercise fanatics. These clients are the subject of this discussion. They may be less common than other types of people that seek your Fitness Training services. Make no mistake - these people do exist.They will do everything that you prescribe for them between sessions. On top of that they may pile on more cardiovascular work and extra weight training sessions. They become the classic example of those who over train.

     Over trainers become convinced that more is better! At first they may attain their fitness goals at an an astounding rate. They then start to believe that adding to your program will keep the fitness party going. However they will invariably hit a plateau and may even start to regress with their fitness gains. Opportunistic ailments such as head colds and flu bouts may become common as the over trainer's immune system gets suppressed by the lack of recovery time. Muscular and joint soreness become the norm. They may start quoting the famous phrase from German philosopher Neitzche "That which does not destroy me - strengthens me!" These are warning signs.
The fitness party can lead to a big time hangover!
 
These clients can be a major challenge. Your job is to convince them that sometimes less is better! Once a client is bitten by the exercise fanatic bug they become a hard sell for moderation!  They essentially become exercise addicts! You can't stop them from doing too much. You may feel like a Dr. Frankenstein that has lost control of the monster that you have created.
   There are some things that you can do to try tame the fitness beast:

• Educate your client. Give them literature to try and sway them from the 'more is better' exercise trap.
• Try and steer them towards off day activities with less impact and wear and tear on the body. If they refuse to slow down at least try and sell them on the merits of activities such as swimming, yoga, thai chi, walking, or recreational cycling.
• Paint them a hypothetical picture of their greater strength and fitness gains if they only stick to your exercise prescription. 
• Use my story as an example and ask if they wouldn't rather be a contender than the king of the consolation round.

   You may run into some super serious situations that could prove to fall beyond a Fitness Trainer's scope of practice. 

1. Anorexia Nervosa can be a dangerous disorder. A person with anorexia thinks that they are overweight even though they may be down to skin and bones. They may even eat and purge or eat hardly at all. Aerobic exercise may be taken far beyond the extreme. They may resort to amphetamine type drugs to keep losing weight. If your client gets to this point it is out of your hands. Refer to a medical professional. Trying to deal with this yourself is a good way to have a client die on you!
2. The opposite of anorexia is Muscle Dysmorphia. This is more common in men but not totally exclusive to them. Think Women's Ms. Olympia bodybuilders. Muscle Dysmorphia sufferers think that they are always too small and must add more muscle. They often live in the weight room and may resort to questionable substances to increase muscle size. Once again, if your client gets to this level you must refer to a medical expert. Otherwise danger lies ahead!
3. Workaholic athletes that believe 'More is Better' at the risk of compromised health and injury. Professional athletes usually have team doctors to keep them in line. Amateurs and weekend warriors may push far beyond their limits. You may be able to reach such clients. If you feel you are losing them.....REFER TO A MEDICAL EXPERT! 

   It may not be easy to sway clients from the path of doing to much. Fitness Training sometimes throws you major challenges. That's why you made this career choice, isn't it?

For the record - as you hit those significant age milestones your required recovery time after intense activity may increase to much more than 48 hours. Listen to this aging sage! I've been there!

Until next time,......keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong 
                                               

Your muscles grow when you rest!
Gadzooks! Look at those guns!
Obviously this aspiring muscle man doesn't miss much sleep.