Am I overtrained?

Fuck no, I am not.  I got a comment the other day from someone regarding my deadlifting.  The gentleman stated the following: "Every time I see you in here, you are deadlifting."  I told him I wanted to get good at the lift and went on my way and hit a PR in my pronated deadlift.  It is now at 345, which is around 83% of my max deadlift. 

Typically, within the past month of implementing the gym movement protocol, my top sets of deadlifts have been in the 75% range and above, in relation to my one rep maximum.  Also note that the hip hinge--the basis of the deadlift--tests well for me five, and on the rare occasion I decide to train for a sixth day, six days a week.   This means that I can swing more, and snatch more, as well as deadlift heavy, all of which will improve my deadlift.  I focus on the deadlift because it will help me not have a delightfully dismal total when I compete in February. 

I can get away with this because I stop when I start to exert myself too much.  When there is misplaced bodily tension--this occurs mostly in the face for many lifters--and I have to exert myself to finish a rep, that is usually a good time to stop, the set, and if there is way too much effort, I terminate the exercise.   A better quality movement will provide more for me than a shitty movement.  Hence the testing.  For an analogy, what will be better quality?  Two slices of toast, with smuckers jam, or a half a pound of fish?  A look at the label would be a clear indicator of quality.  For your body, you test it.  The testing will let you know what you are allowed to do.  For instance, since I started bench pressing again, the day after, overhead pressing does not test well.  Rows, however, test very well, so I do them instead, and press the next day.  In that case, the variations of the press do not test well either, so I do not force myself to do them.  I have also consistently gotten better in pressing the 40kg bell when it tests well for pressing. 

Speaking of quality foods and movements.  This makes me love bacon even more than I did moments ago. 

How do we prevent overtraining?  Well, for starters, this is easy even if you do not test your movements.  You should rarely be sore from training.  A lot of people talk about how sore they are as if it were a badge of honor.  I like being able to move after I train, and the day after, so that I can train more.  If you leave your training session feeling like you got ass raped by a gorilla while his gorilla friends yanked your limbs, you need to reevaluate what you are doing.  Now, obviously you cannot go and start lifting with massive amounts of volume and intensity your first day.  You will feel like you got the fuck  beat out of you, and miss training time.  Ease into it.  My first days back bench pressing were short.  Rightfully so, I haven't benched in over a year.   And my man breasts weren't that sore at all the next day. 

Gratuitous breast picture. 

Interestingly enough, lifting heavier on a continual basis in a similar type of movement pattern is not new to Louie Simmons.   In this interview he states that he does not believe in periodization for training, or for steroid use.  In a max effort lifting day at WSB, the lifter is supposed to hit a PR in a  variant of a lift.  For example, a board press, or a floor press.  With that, there is no reason that the majority of other lifters can't do the same, whether you are on steroids or not.  

In conclusion, don't be fucking stupid in your training, and use some common sense, and don't listen to most people who inhabit your local gym.