I've decided that I have been overtraining and have decided to take 4 days off....(is this sufficient)? However i was wondering if doing some light cardio on these days would be ok? Also..... I was thinking of goin light on my lifts when i do return like 3 ets of 10 for various exercises, or do u think iw ould be ok to going back to a heavy routine? I am doing all this because blood tests showed i had low LH and low T and i have been fatigued and i figure that this is overtraining..........
Definitely if you have been overtraining, take a WEEK off training - ALL of it. That way you can REALLY ensure that you get adequate recovery. Light cardio would be ok, but your cardio might not end up being light, and therefore it is better to just do NOTHING and allow your body to REST and RECUPERATE.
As far as what you do when you start training again, that's all dependent on your goals.
You don't need blood tests to know whether or not you have been overtraining. Also, overtraining is a chronic condition, and you could have been simply overreaching - since overTRAINING takes much MORE than a week to recover from; more like month and then some (trust me, I have been there). If you have low hormonal levels, then it would pay to look at your nutrition, training, supplementation, and other factors in your life to figure out what is causing them.
~Team APPNUT