I often train 7 days a week and yes i count the 45-47 minutes on my rowing machine at MAF (heart rate controlled) as an training day. I have been close to overtraining more then a few times so i am real careful with what i do. When i finish my weight training i certainly feel like i worked out hard some of my exercises go to faillure or close to it. I know my body so well that i train near my limits (not every exercise).

I don't think i don't do enough, i do like HIIT as it is a good way to improve stamina fast. But i won';t do it if it hurts other training goals.

I often train 7 days a week and yes i count the 45-47 minutes on my rowing machine at MAF (heart rate controlled) as an training day. I have been close to overtraining more then a few times so i am real careful with what i do. When i finish my weight training i certainly feel like i worked out hard some of my exercises go to faillure or close to it. I know my body so well that i train near my limits (not every exercise).

I don't think i don't do enough, i do like HIIT as it is a good way to improve stamina fast. But i won';t do it if it hurts other training goals.

I'd say you always overtrain. I didn't realise how overtrained I was last year until I started my every other day program. Sleeping better, getting stronger - everything feels better....looking better too. Even more energy after my training sessions.

Of course last year, as you are, I was concentrating on getting as much fat off as possible. My goal now is to build muscle.

You might be right, not sure yet it all depends if you count the rowing too as a hard workout. But im not saying it is not true the jury is still out on this anyway will see how it goes when i start building. I will keep rowing but maybe a bit less.

You might be right, not sure yet it all depends if you count the rowing too as a hard workout. But im not saying it is not true the jury is still out on this anyway will see how it goes when i start building. I will keep rowing but maybe a bit less.

Just to explain my apprehension about rowing right now. I'm doing high volume squats and deadlifts and weighted back raises in a 6 day cycle. It's quite hard to recover from that training even without rowing. Squats and dead lifts are very difficult to incorporate successfully in any cycle because one can really affect the other. I want 4 full days to recover from my deadlifts before I hit squats again. Even so I've only got 2 days between squats and deadlifts which is pushing it. My lower back probably doesn't recover as fast as yours due to our age difference. I'm trying to improve on both, so recovery is key to this program. The addition of rowing could put my progress in jeopardy and even result in an injury.

I don't do any unsupported rowing in this program. No bent over rows, no cable rows, no one-arm DB rows - nothing that stresses my lower back other than the 3 exercises I mentioned above. When I row I use the supported Life Fitness rowing machine - which is one of the best rowing machines I've ever come across. I also need to keep my back strong for standing barbell presses. This program is very core intensive.

When you start your building cycle and start to squat and dead lift heavy again you'll need to reassess the rowing too. Of course your recovery ability probably eclipses mine and you don't have the same joint issues.