How much exercise is too much?

I'm posing this question to see how often a person works out is obsessive.

It goes in cycles. My hubby will eat compulsively for 5 months out of the year, gain 30 lbs, and then he will go on work out binges for 6 months or so. He started almost a month ago. He is riding the recumbant bike on the hardest setting, for 30 min each night, and he is up to 13 miles in 30 min. Then he is on the stair stepper for 30 min. Then he does situps for an hour and a half each night. He's just added weight lifting to the mix.

He spent 2 hours at the gym tonight, came home and is doing the 30 minute 13 mile bike ride and will do the 30 min. stair stepper.

That's a total of 3 hours per night that he exercises. Seven days aweek.

Does that seem a little excessive?

[edit on 9-3-2009 by Schleprock]

reply to post by Schleprock


Its all relative really. Olympic athletes train like this all the time, longer and higher intensity.

I have been training for 14 years and learned if I stress my body too much physically, I can get sick and feel it coming with fever and extreme body aches.

My advice, stay hydrated during all that cardio.

I don't know much but I'd say he has to ease into the work outs steadily - jumping in after 5 or so months of very little could be very dangerous.

I suppose once your into the swing of things that level of exercise is okay, definatly putting me to shame! - I might crank out 10 chin ups once a week and a combined 40 miles of walking places on a very good week (and I smoke and drink like it's going out of fashion - love my food! - never keep a routine... In fact you should be more worried about me )

As a weight lifter/dancer/hiker...

Exercising until you puke is bad. Exercising until your muscles hurt is okay but don't overdue it, don't rip anything, don't do it until you pass out, and if it hurts for more than two or three days after then don't do it as much next time.

Originally posted by Schleprock
I'm posing this question to see how often a person works out is obsessive.

It goes in cycles. My hubby will eat compulsively for 5 months out of the year, gain 30 lbs, and then he will go on work out binges for 6 months or so. He started almost a month ago. He is riding the recumbant bike on the hardest setting, for 30 min each night, and he is up to 13 miles in 30 min. Then he is on the stair stepper for 30 min. Then he does situps for an hour and a half each night. He's just added weight lifting to the mix.

He spent 2 hours at the gym tonight, came home and is doing the 30 minute 13 mile bike ride and will do the 30 min. stair stepper.

That's a total of 3 hours per night that he exercises. Seven days aweek.

Does that seem a little excessive?

[edit on 9-3-2009 by Schleprock]

Thats totally ridiculous. If he has any muscle at all, simply reactivating it and keeping it continually stressed will be enough to not only gain muscle and tone, but also shred fat as your body starts to raise its Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) to compensate for the extra muscle. More muscle is like a bigger engine, you need more fuel!

Unless your husband is doing steroids, I have some great news for him. He is wasting a lot of time, and after this can shorten his workouts.

Working out for an hour up to 4 times a week is ideal, for almost anyone. You never want to work a muscle that is already sore, most people make the mistake of overworking a muscle, it is not only not beneficial but can also be detrimental as well.

Pure cardio is almost never recommended, not if you're going for the toned look. Alot of people have programs out based on the founding belief that you need zero cardio for fat loss, and believe that a workout of strength training is the most effective weight loss method, in both short and long terms. You can google that if you want re: no cardio diet. (I think) ..

The trick for your husband is finding weights that he can lift a maximum of 8 times and be exhausted. Then try for 6 reps, then 3-4. That is perfect. Also, make sure he does all exercises properly, its better to do two proper reps, than 2 hundred improper reps as it's a waste of time and injury could slow progess as well.

Also it sounds like he is really trying to get those abs crackin, keep in mind that it does not matter if you do 10000 situps, if you have a layer of fat over them they'll never show. Reducing overall body fat percentage is how abs are revealed. Alot of professionals agree that abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym. Almost everyone has great abs hiding out under that beer gut they lug around.

Spend 1 day working each major section, for instance legs one day, core and back next, then arms shoulders etc. If your husband is a cardio fan he could try that on his 4th day. Alot of very reputable names of true workout and health programs, all agree unanimously that rest is absolutely essential to any program no matter what your goal. And that overworking is not beneficial. Essentially, working each muscle group every in two day cycles is practically always ideal. Monday, wed, friday, sunday, tuesday etc.... in a constant rotation is perfect.

As with abs, any kind of overall benefit he hopes to gain will be based in large part on nutrition. A good, well balanced meal of both carbs and protein is essential after working. He should also be eating his body weight in grams of protein. I.E. 160 pound man should consume 160g of protein. Nutrition really is half the battle. Also little things like making sure to eat breakfast and consuming a proper multivitamin will go a long way for him to achieve his goals.

Its also recommended that at most you work out 5-6hours a week, and even that is the HIGH end. Regardless, 3 hours a night is 1000% overkill, waste of time and fundamentally dangerous for his muscles.


It's funny, most people dread working out so much, but the ironic part is for anyone who is experienced, most often your eating and resting and not actually working. Additionally, any form of exercise releases endorphins so it can lift your spirits

[edit on 9-3-2009 by king9072]

There is no right answer every human on earth is different one may tolerate more than another and so fourth.

To say any amount is wrong because your not looking at the individual and what health problems that may or may not have, there size, there age, there weight without looking into all things that could alter the results tell a person this amount is good for you could be a death wish

Originally posted by Schleprock
I'm posing this question to see how often a person works out is obsessive.

It goes in cycles. My hubby will eat compulsively for 5 months out of the year, gain 30 lbs, and then he will go on work out binges for 6 months or so. He started almost a month ago. He is riding the recumbant bike on the hardest setting, for 30 min each night, and he is up to 13 miles in 30 min. Then he is on the stair stepper for 30 min. Then he does situps for an hour and a half each night. He's just added weight lifting to the mix.

He spent 2 hours at the gym tonight, came home and is doing the 30 minute 13 mile bike ride and will do the 30 min. stair stepper.

That's a total of 3 hours per night that he exercises. Seven days aweek.

Does that seem a little excessive?

[edit on 9-3-2009 by Schleprock]

Speaking as someone who has regularly worked out for over the past Year-and-a-Half, allow me to give you some of my advice.

First of all, I am young, so I definitely have the ability to still push myself hard. I have no idea of the age at which your Husband currently resides, but I doubt it is any younger than myself.

Now, with that being said, I stayed going to the Gym every other day, which amounted to roughly 4 Times a Week. I went religiously for One Solid Year, and in that time frame I learned A LOT from experienced individuals who have been "In The Game" per say for anywhere from 5 to 12 Years.

I pushed myself so hard however, that I have, in the last 9 Months or so, been through Injuries of nearly every joint in my Arm and Leg. I have injured both Elbows Twice, both Shoulders numerous times, and Both Knees countless times.

What did I learn?

I was dumb. I am mentally not a quitter, and I can withstand AMAZING amounts of Heavy Endurance and, well, essentially I am very stubborn lol.

I used braces for the longest time to heal my injured areas, but the conclusion which I achieved in the end emanated from a piece of advice which Experienced Individuals emphasized to me OVER, and OVER again, and that is: "Weight and Amount DO NOT MATTER, CONSISTENCY is what TRULY Counts".

In other words, you can push yourself extremely hard, especially for the First Year of Working out or so, but eventually you will end up Tearing yourself apart in the Process. It is similar to attempting to Run a 26 Mile Marathon. Do you Sprint from the Starting Line, or do you Pace Yourself? Which will allow you to finish ahead, and achieve your goal, as opposed to which form will wipe you out and leave you dropping shortly after starting? The Answer is clear, Consistency combined with gradual Increases in Time, Speed, Resistance, and Weight, are the way to go if you want to truly Achieve your Goals.

Now as for me, I used to be able to do 3 Straight Hours of Weights, and then I could run 3-5 Miles the Next Day. That was My Off and On Routine for a Long Time. Mind you, it took me a Good Month or Two to make it up to that Distance in Running, and it was NOT easy for me. I really worked hard to achieve that goal in my life.

I will definitely say this: Your Husband can most likely push himself hard at that rate for a Couple of Months without Serious Injury, but if he keeps it up for too long, he can end up with Serious Problems Later in Life. He needs to focus on Weights One Day, and Cardio the Next. He also needs to Increase his Protein Intake, which usually involves a Shake or Bar within 30 Minutes of finishing his Weights. Every so often as well, have him take at least Two Days in a Row off, COMPLETELY.

I have no doubt that everyone has different Body Chemistry, and some might be capable of Exceeding my Abilities without similar Injuries. I really hate to think however, that your Husband might be as stubborn as myself, and it may very well result in Permanent Injuries which might cripple him later in life. He needs to be VERY Careful in regards to his Knees when he is doing so much Cardio, and I cannot stress this enough. Squats, Stair Stepping, Leg Presses, and any combined type of Exercises which impact that region need to be especially taken into Moderation in terms of Duration and Amount. Knees are typically the greatest impacted Region of the Body aside from the Lower Back, and they are typically the Most Difficult of Injury Types to Heal Properly, seeing as we place stress upon them EVERYDAY whenever we get up and move around.

BTW, working out too often will not allow enough time for your muscles to recover, unless of course you are taking Steroids (Which I am in NO WAY accusing your Husband of doing). Steroids allow for some individuals to work out with Heavy Weights Twice a Day, but in the end the Tendons do not develop Properly, and it is all essentially Fake Strength anyways. I have NEVER touched that garbage, and NEVER will. Again, Consistency, Enough to Eat, and Enough Rest are the true Essentials towards Gaining Strength and Endurance.

If you want any specific answers which I have not covered, feel free to let me know. This is a Topic which I know all too well.

I guess I was wondering if a person could have an obsession of working out. My husband does have obsessive compulsive tendencies. He has been working out most of our 25 yrs of marriage.

I misspoke with his workouts. He rides the bike and does the stairstepper 2 days on, 1 day off. He lifts weights every other day. He does the sit ups every other day. He still works out about 3 hours a day.

He does the bike and the stepper because he has a drop foot which has become very atrophied. He's trying to build up some muscle in his leg. He's not doing this for cardio. He can't run anymore because of his leg, but he can ride the bike. He started out at 6 miles/30 min and within 2 weeks, he worked up to 13 mile/30 min.

I think the reason he spends so much time working out is obsessive. He's 45 yrs old. I asked for opinions because I wanted to try to get him to work out less, because, really, it's not like he's competing in any event or anything. Yea, he used to do triathalons, marathons, etc, but he hasn't in years. There's nothing he needs to get in tip top shape for. Exercise is good, but too much is just too darn much. Besides, you all know what happens when men do situps....lol... he farts every other one.


Oh, he's never done steriods, and he has run many 20+ mile marathons.





[edit on 10-3-2009 by Schleprock]

I would say that exercise is healty for him. It must be difficult for him to have been so active when he was younger. Now that he is older and has an injury, I imagine that he is trying to stay in as good a shape as possible. I don't believe that he is exercising too much. Medically speaking... One has exercised too much when he/she shows signs of Rhabdomyolysis.

Rhabdomyolysis

This condition can occur when an individual has exercised to excess (there are also many disease conditions that can cause this affliction, but we are focusing on too much exercise right now). Hope that this helps a bit.

Originally posted by Amniodarone
I would say that exercise is healty for him. It must be difficult for him to have been so active when he was younger. Now that he is older and has an injury, I imagine that he is trying to stay in as good a shape as possible. I don't believe that he is exercising too much. Medically speaking... One has exercised too much when he/she shows signs of Rhabdomyolysis.

Rhabdomyolysis

This condition can occur when an individual has exercised to excess (there are also many disease conditions that can cause this affliction, but we are focusing on too much exercise right now). Hope that this helps a bit.

Yes I was a victim of Rhabdomyolysis, I worked out WAY (football workout) to hard after being sedentary for 2 years. Rhabdo is not something you want to go through, it was the most pain I think i've ever been in. I couldn't bend my arms or twist my torso, I couldn't feed myself because i couldn't touch my mouth due to not being able to bend my arms. You can seriously destroy your kidney's if you have it as well.

What happens is your muscle tissue begins to break down and it releases toxins into your bloodstream at alarming rates which is then filtered out by your kidneys. Not pretty.

Originally posted by Schleprock
I guess I was wondering if a person could have an obsession of working out. My husband does have obsessive compulsive tendencies. He has been working out most of our 25 yrs of marriage.

I'm gonna come at this from a different direction from most people so far.

I would say that yes, absolutely it is possible for working out to become obsessive. And any obsession can be unhealthy – in my non-professional opinion it may be unhealthy if it interferes with your functioning in other areas of your life.

Since I've never been married and you've got 25 years under your belt, you undoubtedly know a heck of a lot more about the subject than me It sounds to me as though your husband's obsessive exercise is causing strain in your marriage – a bad sign. On the other hand, marriages require compromise in many areas, so you may have to accept his exercising as one of those things.

I think if I was you I would ask myself questions like, does he seem happier now than before he started the extreme workout routines. Are they correlated in any way with a change in your sex life. Could they be related to a fear of middle age or stagnation. If so, is there anything the two of you could do to face those fears together.

Just some thoughts, not necessarily to be answered but to help you decide whether the exercise obsession is a problem or not, and if it is a problem, whether it's yours or his

reply to post by Schleprock


Short answer,
TOO MUCH!!
KING9072 is totally correct.

One thing I will add though,more to do with the 'cycles' your hubby has got himself into.

It is unhealthy to be overweight.
It is unhealthy to overtrain..

But it is disastrous for your heart to run in swings of weight gains and loss..That needs to be addressed first.
:shk:

Is he 'burning out' from too much gym leading to fatigue,lack of maintaining fitness?
Or is it just habitual?

Weight train no more than 45mins. 3 times week.. some cardio stuck in too for good measure as a pick me up in the mornings also 3-4 times a week..
That level will keep him trim,prevent burn out/boredom..but he has GOT to stop the weight swinging cycles.

[edit on 14-3-2009 by AGENT_T]

This is awesome post about the fat loss
Some good diets for weight loss are:Grapefruit juice,Vegetables soups,Fresh fruits,and Raw green vegetables.

reply to post by Schleprock


Thats way too much. He needs to cut it back or he will end up doing himself an injury.

EDIT: Posted for all future viewers who are curious. I think this is a timeless issue and so this advice will be good for years to come.


You should tell him to quit with the sit ups. If he is trying to loose weight then sit ups are not going to do anything for him.

He should break the 30 mins on the bike into 5 sets of 5 minutes going as hard as he can with a minute break in between to maximize his fat burning.

As for going to the gym for 2 hours, is he actually lifting the whole time or is there plenty of rest.

The best tested method for getting in shape is HIT, High Intensity Training, cycles. He should also cut it down to 3-4 days a week at the gym. He can do the bike every day though.

I used to train for a professional athletic career and associate with many who train for a living. What he is doing is going to break him down rather than build him up and he will end up in worse shape.


Remind him that it is QUALITY NOT QUANTITY.