How to avoid overtraining and learn the symptoms of overtraining
It happens to the best of us. We get so caught up in our weight training routines that we forget about overtraining. Avoiding overtraining and learning the symptoms of overtraining will keep your weight training workouts on track and allow you to make continued gains. So what exactly is overtraining I hear you ask. Overtraining is a term usually associated with athletes and bodybuilders. It refers to a type of condition/state where the body no longer has the ability to fully recover due to the continuous amount of stressed that is placed upon it.
Overtraining can be relatively easy to spot although some hardcore athletes still believe in the no pain no gain motto. In theory when you feel direct pain you should stop. On the other hand many people mistake pain as coming out of the comfort zone. Coming out of your comfort zone and giving your training 100% is without a doubt the best way to train but you should not train if you are feeling direct pain. Pain is usually encountered as a result of an injury and injuries mostly occur when overtraining.
How to avoid overtraining
To avoid overtraining you should keep a close eye on both your workouts and your progress. In order to do this I would recommend you keep a training log. A training log or journal should be used to note down the following things; what exercises you are doing, the number of sets you are doing for these exercises, the number of reps you complete during each set/exercise and any other information you find useful such as your body weight at the start of the week or how you feel coming into the workout. Are you coming into your workout with a lack of energy or are you feeling focused and enthusiastic about it. Whatever it is note it down and see if it has an impact on your results and performance. The weight training journal will show you the progress you are making in your workouts and will allow you to see when you need to change things around or need a break. If you have been unable to progress on your lifts for a fair few weeks, your training journal will tell you this and you can then make a decision on changing your workouts or to take a break due to the risk of overtraining.
Stick to a split routine to avoid overtraining
Another way to avoid overtraining is by sticking to a split routine and working each muscle group hard only once a week. The split routine requires you to workout separate muscle groups on different days. A simple yet effective workout split may look like the following:
Monday: Chest + Triceps
Tuesday: Biceps + Back
Thursday: Shoulders + Abs
Friday: Legs
A split routine will help prevent overtraining your muscles but you should keep in mind that a week’s rest is always needed after about 2-3 months of continuously lifting heavy.
Reduce training intensity and frequency every so often to avoid overtraining
When your beginning to feel the strain on your muscles from the heavy beatings they take week in and week out try cutting back on the intensity and frequency of your workouts. Do this for a few weeks until you’re feeling fully energized to hit the weights hard again. Instead of doing 4 or 5sets of each exercise cut it down to 2 or 3. If you’re benching 200lbs try benching 20lbs less with proper form. This is also known as deloading and simply means using less weight to perform your regular workouts. Say you deload and take off 15lbs. Perform your usual rep range for this weight and stop. Even though your able to lift the weight for more reps dont. The following week you add on 5 pounds and lift in the same rep range. Work your way back up to your original weight and then try and progress as usual. Give yourself a break once in a while when you realise your not progressing anymore and drop the weight down. Your body will thank you for it eventually and you will come back even stronger.
Get more sleep to avoid overtraining
This may sound like a simple yet obvious way of avoiding overtraining but think about it for a minute. How many of you actually get the recommended 7+ hours of sleep a night? Getting enough sleep is very important to an athlete as muscles only grow when they are resting, not when they are being worked. During the stages of deep sleep your body releases a hormone known as the growth hormone. The growth hormone is responsible for the growth of bodily tissues such as muscle and is also involved in the turnover of muscle tissue. Larger amounts of the growth hormone are released in younger individuals as opposed to older people so take advantage of it while you can. A good night’s sleep will help aid in recovery time as well as muscle gains so make sure your getting a good night’s sleep whenever possible.
Eat more calories to avoid overtraining
When training to get stronger and put on muscle your body needs additional calories. An increase in strength is usually met with an increase in muscle mass and your body will require extra calories to do this. Taking in too few calories will restrict your body's ability to recover from vigorous workouts. If your not fully recovered from your workouts before heading straight into another one theres no way your body and muscles can progress. Avoid overtraining by taking in more calories, ideally at least 300 calories above your maintenance level. Dont rely on this number however as a lot of people put on weight very easily whereas others find it a lot harder. Experiment with your calorie intake and increase it if you are not seeing the results you want.
Up your protein intake to avoid overtraining
Are you getting in enough protein each day? a lack of protein can hinder muscle recovery and eventually lead to overtraining. Take another close look at your diet and make sure your getting in enough protein rich foods such as chicken/turkey breasts, eggs, milk, cottage cheese and tuna. If your struggling with your protein intake or just need a more convenient way of adding protein to your diet buy yourself a protein supplement in the form of whey or casein. These are extremely convenient and can be mixed in a matter of minutes and consumed at the same rate. Make sure your getting in at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight every day and you wont go far wrong.
What are the symptoms of overtraining?
As mentioned earlier, the symptoms of overtraining can be easily indentified although to a lot of athletes, they often neglect these symptoms and ignore how their bodies are feeling. Let’s run over a few of the most common symptoms of overtraining:
Symptoms of overtraining - A lack of progress
This is probably the most common symptom of overtraining. Seeing a lack of progress in your desired sport such as weight lifting can often mean that you are overtraining and should take a break to let your muscles fully recover. The reason for a lack of progress is because you are working your muscles hard (which is fine) but are not giving them adequate rest between workouts to recover. If this goes on for a prolonged period of time your progress will begin to go backwards.
Symptoms of overtraining – A lack of motivation
A lack of motivation is another common symptom of overtraining. The reason being is that when you overtrain, your body finds it harder and harder to complete each workout. This automatically lowers the enjoyment level of your workouts and as a result will also lower your motivation levels.
Symptoms of overtraining – Depression
Depression is another. You will often become depressed, irritable, moody and show more signs of anger when overtraining. Again this is because your body is working too hard and basically just needs a rest to help relax both your mind and muscles. Symptoms of overtraining – Constantly feeling tired, drained or have a lack of energy When over-trained you will likely feel constantly tired, drained and have a lack of energy to do anything. You’ve been working your body too hard and its practically telling you it needs a good rest. Always listen to your body.
Symptoms of overtraining – A decreased appetite
Losing your appetite when overtraining is not only bad for your general health but will also wreck havoc on your muscles. Overtraining and not being able to eat sufficient calories to help your muscles partially recover will probably cause your body to breakdown your muscle and in turn make you weaker.
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