Athletes and recreational fitness enthusiasts, and people recovering from illness have many common goals (Fleck & Kraemer, 2014). For the athlete, the goals are generally driven by performance outcomes and for the fitness enthusiast health and wellness. However, what is clear many of the goals overlap. Depending on the individual’s training status and level of conditioning various training parameters will be appropriate for the benefits desired (Fleck & Kraemer, 2014; McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2015). Variables such as length of training period is important to desired results as initial training adaptation during the first four to six weeks is probably due to voluntary activation and not significant changes in muscle…
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Doing This Can Maintain Strength and Mass After a Period of Intense Training
An all too common problem for novice and seasoned weight lifters is overtraining syndrome. Overtraining syndrome occurs if sufficient rest is not provided during training and it can manifest in a kaleidoscope of symptoms including emotional, behavioral, and physical problems. For many, the confusion comes with the balance of hard work and recovery and fear of losing gains made with training. People often assume it is the “hard” training where the gains are made — when actually the recovery period is the time in which the critical changes happen that improve strength and mass, and ultimately fitness.
