Signs Of Overtraining And Tips On How To Avoid It
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What are the signs of overtraining? Because of too much exercise, I made a closer brush with overtraining than was good for me, but you can learn from my mistakes.
The Workout Terminatrix
After working out for so many years I definitely learned about and experienced a lot of different mistakes in training. When we are young, but also many of those who are complete beginners, we tend to think that the more we work out, the better results we’re gonna get. We push ourselves to our limits, and even when we cross those limits, we just don’t listen to our bodies. We always assume that maybe we are just lazy and we need to push our selves a little harder.
I surely was exactly like that. I worked out like a machine and I refused to take breaks. I felt like if I took a break, I might be getting out of touch with myself. But too much exercise can happen. Because, one day, my body decided to take a break for me: I got injured so badly that I was out of working out for over a year. My body had tried sending me signals and warning signs, but I ignored all of them and ended up paying for it with a hernia in my back.
And, oh boy, was I sorry. I remember laying on the floor in so much pain, just thinking about how stupid and ignorant I was. This was when I realized that if I had just paid attention to my overtraining symptoms, I could have avoided the whole thing. But it was too late.
It became my mission to create a training approach that would prevent people from injuring themselves, that would give you results without sacrificing your health. So let us look at what I learned and share some tips on how you can spot if you are overtraining and how to avoid it.
First Symptom – Lack Of Motivation
You know how when you first start training you feel really hyped up and exited to workout? This is a feeling that you should always have if you are training the right way. It should feel exiting and you should feel energized after your workouts. If you all of a sudden having a really hard time or have to force your self to workout, it’s your first sign you are doing too much. Our mind is connected to our body and if your mind tells you ” Oh my I wish I didn’t ‘have to do this” or you are dragging barely through every rep, right there is a very clear sign of overtraining. Don’t even waste your time in trying to fool your mind otherwise, you are not lazy, your body just needs a break. Lack of motivates is always the first sign.
Second Symptom – Low Energy
Working out, no matter how intense it is, should always give you plenty of energy afterwards. Yes, you will be tired when you finish, but as soon as you take your shower you should feel like an energizer bunny, not only physically but mentally as well. If you feel drained and tired all the time, this is another clear sign of overtraining.
Third Symptom – Twitching Muscles
The twitching muscles symptom is a sign that your body has been giving you many other signs and now’s it’s taking it a step further. I usually get the twitching muscles either in my eye, or in my lower back. But everyone is different, it can also be in your legs or arms or anywhere else. If you are getting this symptom it’s time to take a break and reorganize your training.
How To Prevent Overtraining
- Practice proper exercise form – it is the number one tip not only to build muscle fast, but also to prevent you from injury.
- When building your workout program make sure you take plenty of time off for recovery. This is exactly why I don’t recommend to do strength training more than 4 days a week.
- Use a split routine method, do your lower body workout on a separate day from your upper body.
- Take a day off every 2 training days, this will help your body recover better. On your day off make sure you are taking it off completely. You can stay active, just don’t do any exercise.
- Every 6 weeks of your training cycle take 5 full days off
- Listen to your body and the listed above symptoms. If you are experiencing any of them, take a few days off completely.
Don’t Take It Lightly!
Overtraining is definitely not something that should be taken lightl and we need to learn how to prevent our bodies and minds from such stress and possible long-term injury. I learned the hard way, and I am happy that I can share my experience and hopefully prevent this from happening to others. Take care of yourself, train the right way and your body will thank you over and over again with great health!
Picture courtesy of “lululemon“.
26 Comments
After every 6 weeks of training I should STOP for 5 full days. Do I hear you right ? Not even CARDIO ?
Yes you did hear me right. Off means off completely for rest, you can do a bit of stretching and stay active by walking, but nothing else. The body needs to rest, and after the 5 days you will actually see more muscle definition and increase in strength.
True Overtraining is also a hard achieve unless you’re eating badly or sleeping little. You’ve just had entered overreaching (read Lyle McDonald’s series on that).
I for instance train almost daily (3 times with 2 session in day (lower/upper)) with volume that would scare legions of skinny warriors and I’ve never felt as good as before. Oh and I often do hours of hard manual labor.
The distinction in most cases is moot. I also doubt that the high volume you subject yourself to is useful, as you can’t keep intensity high and don’t leave time to recover.
Well,
Depending on your age, but I can tell you from personal experience that what you’re doing is quite dangerous for your nervous system. Things usually begin to fall apart all at once.
Guys don’t make me laugh. Consider that many old school strongmen (before steroids) were training much harder than me. It’s all in adapting yourself slowly to the volume. Beside guys like Bret Contreras recommend things like daily Squatting. Also google Jamie Lewis or Chaos and Pain blog. Read Baddest Motherfuckers Ever Born series or google Deszo Ban (that guy (he doesn’t run the blog) recommended 5-6 days of training for natural guys).
The more frequently you practice the exercise the better you get at it, e.g. Gymnasts or Olympic Lifters.
I can attest that my arms and back responded nicely to high volume.
Please tell construction workers or any other physical worker that they are doing all wrong.
Human body is a much tougher machine than you expect.
Sorry I can’t agree with you here, my husband is a professional acrobat at cirque du soleil, and as much as all of them are working all the time, they get injured all the time as well. The older you get, more injuries are becoming more known. A lot of them have to retire because they get injured and can’t perform at the same level as before. That’s what happened to me, I trained for years at high volume then my back gave in.
Maybe your are right with your concept, it works for you but it might not work for others. But still “Over Training” do exist. Cheers!
^ that is my reply to : pargustak.
sorry for double post.
Why don’t you post a picture of you now and another in one year? You should be a monster by then 🙂
Sarcasam I guess. Mass gain isn’t that fast as strength gain.
I suppose you haven’t trained for very long, as only up to a certain point strength gains will be faster. But once you are seasoned, you can only increase in strength if you gain in size.
As Tat said, if all this works for you, fine. But I do suggest you read Wolf’s article about training variables, especially intensity:
https://evilcyber.com/fitness/training-variables-application-in-training-design/
@Tatianna
Yeah, comparing a professional to a fitness enthusiast. Of course injuries happen, but with clever programming and rehab stuff they can be avoided for most time. I for instance use heavy and light days. Listen to your body and let it adapt to new workload.
Read about John Grimek.
http://chaosandpain.blogspot.com/2010/04/baddest-motherfuckers-ever-john-grimek.html?zx=bafa1affe485409d
@dmitry
It does, but it’s a lot harder to achieve than people believe. I suggest you start reading Chaos and Pain (the man who runs it is about to set a new record for squat in his weight class), Lift Run Bang and Tight Slacks of Deszo Ban (hundreds of articles from past eras).
When I released myself from the fear everything went better.
I’ve seen plenty of enthusiasts get injured on a regular basis as well. So many people who come to learn aerial tissue and trapeze for fun get injured the same way the professionals do. There is no such thing as ” Clever Programming “, I’ve seen the best trainers in the world train athletes, cause Cirque people get only the best, and that’s the first time I hear ” Clever Programing ” term.
I’ve seen it all, but what I haven’t seen is someone training for years as you said and don’t get injured, that I have yet to see.
When you do too much your body responds, unless you are a robot, then it’s a different story.
Then you should start reading more about old school strongman like Marvin Eder or Paul Anderson who didn’t got injured to my knowledge, trained much more and were stronger than anybody in their time.
Laying off by a little (reducing volume) would’ve helped them. Anyway I’m referring to weightlifting and calisthenics.
I myself have been doing heavy labor for hours several days a week for several years and I never sustained an injury even when lifting with rounded back from floor.
Training daily is possible, the worst problem that has given it a bad reputation is that people just jump into it.
Read this.
http://bretcontreras.com/2011/07/daily-training/
Anyway I could post articles from past era and I’m sure that you would just brush them off. I bet you didn’t even read about John Grimek.
Thank you for the articles, I will definitely check it out, I always do keep my mind open.
If working out this way works for you, that’s great, it didn’t work for me, everyone who I know trained this way always felt tired all the time. To each their own, everyone should do what works for them.
Thank you again for the articles, I will read through them later on today.
Well you’re right. Not everyone is prepared for that. Many people fail mentally, e.g. Squat heavy every day.
I’m always full of energy + massive eating makes me love me routine even more.
I just love practicing my pet exercises: thick bar pullups/chinups and handstand pushups (or any kind of vertical press).
@evilcyber
Thanks for correcting me. Yes I was wrong about them.
Anyway I’ve said mine and I’m out of this discussion. Each to his own. I hope your training works for you as it did for me.
Check youtube for Hannibal interview, that guy trains everyday if I’m correct with no rest days using calisthenics (the way I train).
You have no idea what you are talking about. Especially early in his career, Paul Anderson had many injuries. And Marvin Eder never trained as you claim:
“At the beginning I trained every other day. Then as I advanced I would do split training: upper body one day, legs and mid section the next day. Then as I advanced beyond that I started to do Olympic lifting along with the training and at that time it went to four times a week where I would work out Monday and Tuesday, rest Wednesday, workout Thursday and Friday and rest the weekends because the training was exceptionally heavy. That was the last type of training that I did.”
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson304.htm
My hubby was a natural body builder for 15 years. He was one of the guys who used commonsense (no steroid,and no lifting to death).Most of his fellow competitors and so called hard knockers from that period are now suffering from back, knee and every other joint pain. You mentioned with good rehab suff out there most injuries can be avoided, who wants to pay or have money for a bunch of rehab so they can keep banging themselve up over and over again. The professionals don’t do that after they retire once the team sport therapist, masseur and doctors are not avaliable to them. If you’re able to keep your current level of training for 10 years then kuddos to you. Who wants to pop advil everyday.
You’ve read my mind!
I was a tree planter for 5 years. Yes, I woke up every morning sore and went to bed sore every night. Would I volunteer to do that again, hell no. I did it because I needed to eat and pay my bills.
How often do you have these twitching that you would call it one of the symptoms?
It depends,
When I am really overtrained I my eye would twitch every 20-40 minutes throughout the day. If I am only a little overtrained I would get twitches 4-5 times a day all together. It can be any muscle in your body, with me it just happened to be my eye, sometimes it can be in your leg or arm or anywhere else on the body.
What do you do if you have been over-training for 30 years?
If I only knew you when I needed to!
Can I take the rest of my life off? lol!
Well Dr. J,
You have been very naughty!
I know when I am overtrained: my joints and muscles are in pain and i can’t fall asleep. It’s a sign I need to rest.