doing one workout twice in a row

In the upper body workout I am currently at:

HBP PE2 5x9r

RC PE1 4x9r

sPL PE2 5x36s

9 Push ups with good form are very hard, I just on the edge of being able to do it. With Incline Row often the grip strength is the limiting factor for me.

I am on this since quite some time (which is no problem for me, I like the exercises). So the last 3 weeks I experimented with something:

After doing this workout, taking a short rest (2-5 minutes), I either do the same workout again or I do 3x6r of it.

Interestingly this is no problem for me. I don't feel much more exhausted than if I would only do the workout once (also the days after), I even feel quite good doing it. Also I subjectively think that I do the exercises with better quality than before, at least not loosing it. I didn't film me yet so I can only go be feeling here.

This second workout, if I do the smaller variant (3x6r) I tend to do it very slowly.

I will try to experiment a little more, seeing what happens over some weeks, just because I am curious. Anyways I wanted to have your opinion on this and maybe you have an explanation how it can be that it is better/feels better than the first workout.

My guess is that maybe my specific warmup is not good enough, and thus the actual exercises only start to tell my body whats 'coming'.

Hi @Michael Vetter,

2-5min is enough for your nervous system to recover for a next set.  In your case, resting and lowering your reps will definitively help you on keeping your form. You dropped the volume afterall.  That's probably an underload volume.

Now, is it good or bad? It depends on what you got after this and when you're doing it again in the week.  I think that, even if the second time is less stressing on the body, you could fall in overtraining over time.  Sometimes, doing too much is like not enough. But, even if it doesn't schedule your trainings to recover well.

I would be interested on what coaches have to say.

Hi @Étienne Lajeunesse,

like stated above most of the time I do the same set/reps.

Is overtraining a state that one can feel (exhaustion, longer recovery times), or is it a term that means: from now on your sets/reps doing give you anything extra so you could have stopped at repetition X.

28 minutes ago, Michael Vetter said:

Hi @Étienne Lajeunesse,

like stated above most of the time I do the same set/reps.

 

Is overtraining a state that one can feel (exhaustion, longer recovery times), or is it a term that means: from now on your sets/reps doing give you anything extra so you could have stopped at repetition X.

Then, we'll have to see your forms in your second round

By overtraining, I mean exhaustion of your body by doing too much.

1 hour ago, Michael Vetter said:

Hi @Étienne Lajeunesse,

like stated above most of the time I do the same set/reps.

 

Is overtraining a state that one can feel (exhaustion, longer recovery times), or is it a term that means: from now on your sets/reps doing give you anything extra so you could have stopped at repetition X.

Longer recovery times is the key. You can do one set every hour from 8 am to 10 pm at your maximum, which means 15 sets in total and you probably won t feel exhausted but you are certainly over training. Also over training varies depending on your level, that s why there s not a number for over training. Soreness, muscle feeling, tightness and pain is the indicator for over training. If i over strecht my hamstrings i feel them sore for 2-3 days and for all this duration i can t strecht them again because is painful (tightness) and sometimes i may even regress, so it s clear that i over did it.

Doing the same workout twice the same day i think it s unnecesary at our beginner level (f1 level) and is much more appropiate to do i twice a week. If one trains high volume then only once a week would be better, like some bodybuilding approaches, which i believe also not the best way to gain mass and strenght. 5 good, hard sets are enough, maximum 6. You shouldn t feel any soreness most of the times, always able to train again and not tightening more your muscles with high volume. Just my point. I think we are not strong enough for that and we won t get ant benefit from that and more probably an injury.

The nervous system and muscles take care of themselves. If you try this without a long buildup - at least two months - you're at high risk of giving yourself a nasty tendonopathy because the OTHER soft tissues (tendon, ligament, cartilage) have not yet had time to adapt.

You need to think of exercise as a total dosage per week. Reps x sets x resistance x workouts = dosage.

9 hours ago, Nick Murray said:

The nervous system and muscles take care of themselves. If you try this without a long buildup - at least two months - you're at high risk of giving yourself a nasty tendonopathy because the OTHER soft tissues (tendon, ligament, cartilage) have not yet had time to adapt.

Started January 2017 with F1. Now after one year, being at HBP PE2 maybe gave me enough months.

9 hours ago, Nick Murray said:

You need to think of exercise as a total dosage per week. Reps x sets x resistance x workouts = dosage.

This is very helpful!!