Be careful of these….
5 Signs of Overtraining
….And how to deal with them!
Whether it is good or bad, anything taken to its extreme will lead to issues. Exercising is no exception. This habit that supposedly curbs all your negative mannerisms can become a source of suffering if you overdo it.
Reasons why we over-exercise generally stem from unrestricted excitement that comes from seeing consistent results in our performance at any sport or changes in our physique when trying to look better.
Also, it comes from being desperate to see rapid changes in our well-being after neglecting our health for a great deal of time. Or because of our competitive nature to strive to be the best and on top of the food chain.
Lastly, continuous comparison to others and aiming to be as good as our counterparts. Whatever the reason may be, overtraining will surely do you more harm than good.
In this article, I will be sharing 5 signs of overtraining and providing you with solutions for each.
#1: Chronic Fatigue
This one is obvious. If you are constantly feeling tired and lethargic, then chances are that you are overdoing it at the gym. Although training helps in overcoming lethargy, but when taken to its extreme, your body will get into power-saving mode and demand a recharge.
So what do you do about it? You back off from training and rest!
Take a day off, get some sleep, and most importantly design a training schedule that fits your lifestyle.
If you are a busy man then train at a time when you see fit and at a day where you can squeeze in your training to avoid burnout. If you can train 3 times a week then go for that! No need to train more.
Rest is key to seeing results at the gym. This applies to resting between sets and after you are done training. Regardless of your situation, overtraining is a thing and it stunts your progress if you do not factor in the fatigue component.
#2: Elevated Stress levels
Whenever you are overwhelmed by tasks and chores of any kind, you will experience high levels of stress and you feel that work will never end and face burnouts. Well, the same thing happens when you are training too much.
Overtraining can lead to burnouts and elevated stress levels if you are not careful. Training too much will cause severe muscle damage which in turn causes central fatigue.
Your central nervous system won’t be able to respond to higher-volume workouts and is unable to activate muscles adequately which leads to a dip in performance. And when you do not rest properly, stress will rise.
And with elevated stress, your hunger will increase, you become more jittery and anxious, and your training will become a torture session. In other words, you will be in constant fight-response mode.
To avoid all that, you need to take your training lightly, focus on gradual progress, maintain good technique and mind-muscle connection, and refrain from very high-intensity training.
Also, getting proper rest is crucial, and getting your hours of sleep is vital for your muscles to grow since muscle synthesis happens when you are sleeping and not during your training session. So do less and rest more.
#3: Demotivation
We can easily overdo it at the gym because of the rush of dopamine we get when we hit new PRs or complete a hard set. And being so reward-driven, we aim to repeat that experience to feel this rush again.
Just as with good food, good company, and good movies, good training can make you chase these fleeting moments. But when it is done too frequently, your body and mind will suffer the consequences.
When you train too much to see faster results, your fatigue and stress levels will elevate. And with that, your body’s inability to cater to your physical needs will not help you realize your full potential.
And how do you feel when your performance is subpar? Demotivated. And soon after, you start skimping on your training and end up hating it. What was once a source of joy, became a source of resentment.
That is why, take things slowly. Stop and smell the roses. Do not rush the process and aim to harness your skillset once you are getting more and more proficient at the gym. Learn from mistakes, and keep going.
Do not turn a seemingly good habit into a chore. Train because you want to and you love to not because you have to. So keep calm, train hard, eat right, sleep well, and repeat.
#4: Plateaus and Decline in Performance
In the world of Fitness, the term Plateau is used to refer to a moment where progress seems to have stalled and results come to a halt. You are no longer hitting PRs and your strength levels are stagnant.
Overtraining can be a cause of your strength plateaus and overall decline in performance at the gym. Therefore, you need to take this matter seriously if you want to bust through this plateau and start seeing gains again.
As mentioned above, physical and muscle damage can hamper your central nervous system from connecting with your muscles properly to lift weights better and endure a tough bout.
Solutions? Rest well, back off from training if necessary, take a deload week where you lift lighter than usual before lifting heavier again, train shy of muscular failure, and ditch the unnecessary cardio and high training volume.
When you apply these solutions, you will see your performance getting again, and you will be able to stick with the process smoothly without the plateau annoyances and grievances.
#5: Pain and Injuries
Of course, how can we forget the pain and injuries that are caused by overtraining and poor post-workout cooldown routines?
Although regular physical training can circumvent body aches in the long run but when you exceed the dose of your training, then what was once an ally will sooner or later turn into an enemy.
To avoid experiencing chronic pain and getting yourself checked at a sports rehab clinic, the first thing you should do is to know your limitations. You can perform up to a certain limit, do not get too confident and try to exceed your capacity at the risk of injuring yourself.
Use the “No Pain, No Gain” mantra cautiously. That is, induce adequate muscle damage for your body to repair itself and add another layer of tissue (while taking into consideration proper rest and technique).
Also, make sure to stretch after you train to avoid stiffness and maximize recovery, get in around 7–9 hours of sleep, and perform some mobility drills often especially if you tend to engage in compound movements frequently like squats, deadlifts, Olympic lifts, and so on…
Conclusion
Everyone can get carried away (myself included) when trying to achieve goals and improve. And the fitness world is no exception. It is the perfect example of when our overconfidence gets us nowhere.
Overtraining can be a result of life’s stressors. Responsibilities and duties can stifle our progress at the gym, but that doesn’t mean you cannot train effectively and see results despite your circumstances.
If you program your training well, then you can still enjoy your workout and savor the fruits of your labor. But be careful not to overdo it even if you lead a stress-free or harbor a happy-go-lucky attitude.
In anything you engage in, you need to know not to overstep your limits and be content with the results that you are getting. Comparison won’t help you become the best version of yourself. Use others as sources of inspiration, but strive to be an inspiration to yourself then others later.
In the end, leave that ego out the door and focus on gradual progress. Enjoy the journey by learning from your mistakes and capitalizing on your successes. Train hard, rest well, be wise, and your body will thank you for it.
Wish you Strength and Wisdom ✌️
