Too much of a good thing
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George Papadakos - Tales in Triathlon
People from all walks of life are told from the day that they can understand, that if you want something in life you have to work hard for it.
If you work more and harder at your job, you usually get that promotion you want, or grow your business into what you want it to be.
Spend lots of quality time with family and friends and you are sure to create long lasting bonds and fulfilling relationships.
Practice longer and more feverishly on that guitar, and you ending up nutting that new Ed Sheeran song.
However, when it comes to exercise, and more importantly a training program that requires individuals to workout more than 4-5 times a week, things change.
Within everyone there is a point where you start doing your body harm, and the training you do becomes counterproductive to the point where you are overtraining.
It's really easy to get caught up in the healthy lifestyle especially if your are new to the game. You're seeing great gains in strength, the mirror in the bathroom is screaming "hello sexy," and the scale in the bathroom has never been happier to see you.
With these gains, the urge to work out more often comes in, and the usual 3-4 workouts a week becomes five or more.
Even though most people are aware overtraining, they have no idea that they are doing it until it stops them in their tracks.
Overtraining is a balance between working out (training) and recovery (days off). I always like to implore that you rest as hard as you train, and take at least two days off a week from whatever it is you do.
There are some signs that can help you slow down a bit though.
If you feel tired before, during and even after a workout, and you can't put your body through the rigours of training with your normal pizazz take a day of rest.
Joint and muscle soreness that lingers on for more than what is normal (probably not going to count the days after a marathon) is also good indicator of overtraining, especially if its coupled with the above symptoms.
Another indicator that you are over doing things a little is that you are not sleeping well. Disturbed sleep patterns will leave you looking at the clock at 3 a.m. because your body is still racing, and it makes it hard to relax when its time for some shut eye.
We've all had the sniffles, or just that general feeling of malaise that there is really no explanation for, and although it's not a full blown cold yet, it definitely feels like it could turn into one.
Being mindful of your body's wants and needs is a great way to ensure that you avoid these pitfalls.
However, if you find yourself overtrained all is not lost and you can get yourself back on track very easily.
First things first, employ a diet that is filled with the proper nutrients to help power you through your workouts, and help you recover and repair muscle tissue damage.
Be mindful of how many hours of sleep you get each night, and try to hit the sack at the same time each night to enforce the routine. Making sleep a priority all the time, will make it just as important as training.
And if the above doesn't get you back at it, take three days to a week off, and you will more than likely come back and look forward to your workouts again.
Until I see you at the starting line, train safe and have fun!