Jeff Seid Midweek Update

San Francisco 49'ers Patrick Willis Workout

Watch Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49'ers middle linebacker show you his homegrown workout. We could learn a little.

Overtraining

Overtraining is an unavoidable problem which can really stunt your muscle growth.  We all want to go to the gym and tear our muscles apart.  However, if you work your muscles out too hard or if you do not give yourself enough rest, you will actually lose muscle mass rather that gain it.

What is overtraining?

When you work out, you are actually putting so much stress on your muscle, that tiny tears begin to occur in your muscle.  While you are recovering, your body will create more muscle fibers to replace the damaged ones; resulting in an increase in muscle size.  However, your muscles need to rest in order for this growth to occur.

Overtraining occurs when you do not give your muscles enough time to rest.  Therefore you are putting more stress on your already damaged muscle fibers.  If you push too hard you can cause enough damage to your muscle that it will regress in size.  Not giving yourself enough rest can also result in serious injury which can keep you out of the gym for long periods of time.

How can I recognize overtraining?

The most obvious result of overtraining is that you will not see visible improvement in your muscles and physique.  You also will feel as if you are in plateau because you will not go up in weight during your workouts.  You might even start having to do less weight.

Another symptom of overtraining is that you will feel fatigued while you are not working out.  Obviously you are going to be a little tired after going to the gym but if you notice yourself constantly tired, this can be a result of overtraining.

Another telltale sign of overtraining is injury.  Injuries occur at the gym.  However, if you notice yourself pulling a muscle or injuring a joint every other week, you are probably overtraining.

How can I avoid overtraining?

The good thing about overtraining is that it is easily avoidable.  To avoid overtraining, make sure you give your muscles ample rest.  After a workout, a muscle must rest for a MINIMUM of two days.  Doing chest two days in a row is a sure way to hurt yourself.

Another important way to avoid overtraining is to know how many reps you should be doing per week for each body part.  This link gives you a good range for the number of reps you should be doing for each body part: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/optimal-workout-volume/.  Of course, each person is different so you must get to know your body before being able to truly know your limit.

An easy way to avoid overtraining is to give yourself periods of time away for the gym.  Although you want to be in the gym every day, giving yourself a week off every two or three months will allow your body to fully heal itself and prepare for the next week of workouts.

Healthy Snack Alternatives

Many people say it is so difficult to eat healthy, but it really isn't! The ones who usually say this generally do not have enough dietary knowledge. There are plenty of healthy alternatives but they just don't know what the are. This post is to provide you with a few healthy snack alternatives so you don't go starving throughout the day.




1) Greek yogurt with some fruit (maybe a little granola)
2) Trail-mix (nuts and fruit)
3) Protein shake
4) Hummus
5) Whole wheat pretzels or fresh popcorn (no microwave)
6) Granola bar
7) Grilled chicken
8) Bowl of oatmeal
9) Egg white omelet
10) Peanut butter on whole wheat bread

That's only a few choices but there are alternatives.

Top 5 Pre-Workouts

Our top five pre-workout picks are listed below based on effectiveness, taste and price.

#1 Nitraflex by GAT (Taste Great, Effective Instantly, Strong Beta Alanine, Extreme Focus, No Crash)


















#2 C4 by Cellucor (Cost Efficient, Effective, Taste Great In Multiple Flavors, No Crash)

 #3 Assault by Muscle Pharm (A Little Pricey, Effective, Taste Okay, Big Scoops A Little Heavy For A pre-Workout, No Crash)


#4 NO Shotgun by VPX (Not Best Taste, Foamy After Mixing, Good Price, Effective, No Jitters, No Crash)


#5 NO Xplode By BSN (Taste Great, Kinda Weak, Good Starter Pre-Workout, No Crash)

Motivational Monday- Bar Brothers

The following information was taken from Novic YouTube Channel. Bar Brothers is calisthenic workout team that performs creative body weight exercises to obtain strength. These types of workouts are efficient, fun, and the cheapest way to get a great body! Our goal is to inspire you to get in shape and MOTIVATE you to reach your goals!

Check out their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/LazarNovovic

Great Nutrition Video

Came across this great video about nutrition. Check it out!