Am I Overtrained? While the title sounds a little like Russle Crowe in Gladiator, Are you not entertained!, we all know that Overtraining Syndrome is a real problem that is certainly not entertaining. This often stems from doing too much exercise on too little sleep under excessive life stress and inadequate nutrition. Too much work can be too much volume (sets x reps), too high a % of 1RM or intensity in the form of too short of rest periods for the given volume or % 1RM. This typically takes a little time to occur if someone is starting out lifting, but there is no standard time, volume, intensity etc as this is very person specific. Inadequate rest is a big problem here, especially with our on-the-go lifestyle. If you aren’t getting adequate - quality rest (sleeping soundly) then this certainly could be a contributor. It’s hard to put a number of hours of sleep, as some can do better with less than others, but the general thought is at least 8 hours. It’s also been said that every hour before midnight is worth 2 hours of sleep. I would certainly say that going to bed by 10pm is advisable. Life stress can absolutely be an issue. I have found in my life that when monitoring Heart Rate Variability (HRV training) that emotional stress plays at least as big a role in overtraining as physical stress. New job, financial issues, marital stresses, moving, issues with children, school etc can all lead to life stressors that can be subtle issues, but play a major role in decreasing performance in the gym and negatively impacting body composition (increased bodyfat). Inadequate nutrition is another common mistake. So you want to reduce bodyfat, naturally you think the ticket is eat less and exercise more, while this can be an effective strategy, you are typically already in a caloric deficit state where you are more susceptible to overtraining. What frequently happens here is as soon as progress is stalled, you think “I’m not losing bodyfat anymore, so I need to exercise yet more and continue to eat even less” and maybe specifically less carbohydrates because you heart low carb is the bomb. You are just asking for overtraining to hit and progress to stall. I want to reiterate, when you don’t see the progress you want, the key is re-evaluate what you are doing, DO NOT just blindly think that you need to work harder-do more, sweat more, extra sets, extra reps, extra cardio. As it’s been said at museum work SMARTER NOT HARDER, or if you remember Lee Haney, stimulate don’t annihilate. The key to avoiding this issue is utilizing a well thought out weight training and nutrition program (these MUST be designed to work together), commit to getting adequate rest, minimizing life stressors to the best of your ability and using foam rolling/message therapy etc to provide a restorative function. It is advisable to program a deload week in every 3-4 weeks where volume is reduced. Any missed lifts should make you take note that progress is stalling and components of your program may need to be adjusted. This is general information but below you will see that if you feel like you are in an overtrained state, taking a week totally off, followed by a reduced volume re-introduction to training over the course of several weeks along with improved nutrition may be just what the doctor ordered. You can read about the 12 signs of overtraining below and see if you have one or more of these signs. 1) Halted Progress Has your body stopped changing in spite of your best efforts? If so, you may be overtraining. As LaCerte points out, “when you’re overtraining your body is kind of going in the opposite direction” of growth because what’s happening is that “your muscles are torn and all you’re doing is re-tearing them again.” Don’t risk possibly entering into a muscle-burning phase. Remember: Muscles need a chance to repair and that’s only possible when your body is given the proper time to rest and recover before being forced into more exercise. 2) Lowered Self-Esteem For many guys, it’s natural to experience a sense of accomplishment following an intense workout. However, Cardiello, explains that “many fitness enthusiasts and professional athletes become obsessed with training” and some even “subscribe to the fictitious statement that ‘more is better.’” With this mindset, they begin overtraining and lowered self-esteem often follows. Cardiello explains this feeling “is related to the bodies nervous system” as overtraining “affects an athlete’s level of ‘happiness’ to train, depression, insomnia, and irritability.” He also cautions overtraining can be heightened by such things as, “lack of proper nutrition (hydration), proper sleep, and personal/work stressors.” 3) Decreased Motivation It’s not unusual to occasionally want to skip the gym. But, if you generally live, breathe, and sleep the gym life, then suddenly become disinterested, you’re probably overexerting yourself. Instead of going to the gym and possibly risking injury by going through the motions and improperly performing an exercise, Trink recommends “taking a full week off, then being sure to reduce training volume when you do return.” He also recommends getting “quality sleep (7-9 hours per night as a generalization), proper nutrition – particularly in the pre to post-workout window – smart supplementation, and planned deloads.” 4) Injury Increase Getting injured more often? In particular, are you re-aggravating old injuries? If so, you may be overtraining. Why? Duffy, explains, when you overtrain, your body doesn’t get enough time to recuperate between workouts meaning that at some point you begin “training in a weakened state.” He adds that if you “do this too often” you likely “increase your chance of injuries.” To prevent yourself from overtraining, he suggests introducing “forced rest periods into your routine,” as well as “changing training intensities” or enjoying “active recuperation” sports that are “low intensity and completely different from weights and cardio.” 5) Loss of Concentration Focus is critical. LaCerte says, “when you go into the gym you have a job” to do. Unfortunately, he says sometimes people “bring other stressors into the gym or it [becomes] social hour” and your gym time expands considerably because “you’re doing a set over here, [then] you’re talking for 12 minutes, and then you’re going back and doing another set.” LaCerte indicates that’s counterproductive because “it’s not how the body works when we’re trying to build muscle and lose fat,” and it “can definitely lead to overtraining or ineffective training altogether.” 6) Often Sick Feeling ill isn’t part of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, sometimes it’s your body’s way of telling you that your immune system is suffering from overtraining. Cardiello explains the process of overtraining means your body is in a “continual catabolic state,” which lowers immunity and increases “chances of becoming ill.” If you’re overtraining, Cardiello advises you get rest, and “reduce training.” He also suggests “adjusting diet, nutritional and supplement” intake and “possibly implementing vitamins A and E, as well as glutamine” although data on this is limited. And, if you’re an athlete, as much as 40-60% of the athletic diet” should come in the form of carbohydrates. 7) Personality Changes Has your gym partner been noticeably absent lately? It may be he’s legitimately busy, or he could be keeping his distance from you. While Trink says overtraining is actually a “pretty rare” occurrence for most guys who train three to five hours per week, he says it’s possible for there to be an “intensification of personality traits” for guys prone to being “aggressive, irritable, or depressed.” However, he cautions that these changes aren’t always the result of overtraining, as there are “other factors that can overly stress the nervous system.” Listen to your body and react accordingly. 8) Depression When you think of working out, you don’t typically associate it with depression. But, if you’re overtraining, it’s a possible outcome. Personal trainer and strength coach, Lee Boyce, says that people who overtrain tend “to view exercise as something that it’s not – namely, a challenge, a conquest, or a space-filler.” He adds they may also suffer from “body image issues” and the belief that “the more they train, the better theyll look.” To avoid overtraining, he says, “it’s important to know the real motives behind training.” Set realistic short and long-term goals, create a plan, and stick to it. 9) Insomnia Is your gym time increasing, while at the same time you’re having difficulty sleeping? As personal trainer and holistic nutrition consultant, Mike Duffy, says it’s “most likely a result of a combination of nervous system and or hormonal system overload.” He suggests “to focus more on getting your 10 pm to 2 am sleep” because “this is the part of your sleeping pattern where physical restoration occurs.” He stresses, “your body grows while resting, not training,” and advises people who might be overtraining to “eat a lot of clean food and take a week off of training all together.” 10) Muscle Soreness It’s normal to have muscle soreness for a day or two following a workout. However, if you’re still sore past the 72-hour mark, be sure to schedule a break and rest. This type of extended soreness is a sign your muscles aren’t recovering and negatively impacts on your muscle-building efforts. 11) Insatiable Thirst Do you frequently have an unquenchable thirst? Are you starting to believe that no matter what you drink, you’ll still crave more? If this happens to be coinciding with a period of increased gym-time activity, there’s an excellent chance that you’re overtraining, which causes the body to be in a catabolic state. Why? As personal trainer and nutrition expert, Jay Cardiello, points out, “being in a catabolic state naturally causes dehydration,” and “thirst is one of the first signs of dehydration.” To combat this overtraining symptom, Cardiello suggests you need to be “getting adequate water” intake, as well as rest. 12) Altered Resting Heart Rate Have you noticed those heart rate monitors some guys wear at the gym? Believe it or not, they can help you determine if you’re overtraining. As personal trainer and strength coach, Dan Trink, explains, “altered resting heart rate is the result of an increased metabolic rate to meet the imposed demand of the training.” However, you don’t need to rush out and buy one of those heart rate devices. Instead, Trink advises you “simply monitor your morning heart rate” by measuring before you stand up to get out of bed and begin your day. The 12 Signs are adapted from James De Medeiros M&F
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 22:44:05 +0000
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