Are You Overtraining?

What is an over-trainer? Over-trainers work out at very high intensity or high volume. Is there anything wrong with this type of training? Not necessarily . . . unless you spend long periods training at this pace. This can lead to inadequate recovery, potential injury, or even be counterproductive to your fitness goals. Overtraining for too long can cause an athlete to become fatigued, ill, or completely crash. So what does overtraining look like and what should you do if you get there?

Overtraining occurs:

• Lack of recovery time between gym sessions
• High-intensity training for too long
• Drastic increases in length or intensity of training
• High volumes of endurance training
• No vacations or breaks
• Inadequate nutrition
• Insufficient sleep
• High amounts of stress

Common signs:

• Excessive fatigue
• Loss of motivation, drive
• Loss of sex drive
• Increased stress
• Sleep problems
• Poor concentration
• Weight change
• Loss of appetite
• Sore or weak muscles
• Falling ill or becoming injured more frequently
• Higher resting heart rate, higher blood pressure

Several of these symptoms combined could be a strong indication that you are overtraining and need to take the necessary steps to overcome it.

What you should do:

• Rest . . . Stop training and take a few days up to a few weeks for all the body and mind to recover.
• Reduce intensity. Limit the number of sets, reps, length of time training, etc. until the symptoms rebound
• Relieve tension: Meditation, massage, hot baths, yoga, breathing exercises.
• Identify nutrition deficiencies in your diet. Examine your macros. Are you getting enough protein, carbs, and fats? What about vitamin and mineral intake?
• Listen to your body. If your muscles are sore avoid training that part . . . Allow your body enough time to recover before training again. Be smart with your training.

There is that sang, that more is better . . . This is not always true, especially with strength training. Overtraining gradually occurs. Pushing ourselves harder to try and reach our goals can spark overtraining and hinder you from hitting your goals even more so. You need to allow your body to rest. Regeneration will allow you to see better results, avoid injury, and remain optimal in your training program.