If you’ve been serious about working out for any period of time, you’ve probably been given the sage advice…“just listen to your body and you’ll know when you need a break”.
While this is true to some degree, for me it seems to be much more complicated than that. As a full-time working mother of two children, both under the age of two I always feel run down. Does that mean I should just give up my training for fear of over doing it?
I don’t think so!
In fact, despite my constant state of exhaustion, I find that as soon as I start skipping workouts, I feel even worse.
Honestly, I suspect that the majority of you multi-tasking fitness buffs have the same battle with fatigue that I do. Yet the experts say that fatigue is a sign of over training.
So, what’s the real deal?
In a perfect world, where we all get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep and our diets are clean and consistent – never disrupted by marathon meetings or grid locked traffic – then a little fatigue may be a key indicator of over training. But we all live in the real world where fatigue is just a part of life.
So, to determine whether you’re over training or just plain tired from sleepless nights with a crying baby or from burning the mid-night oil for a boss who clearly doesn’t sympathize with your need for rest, you need to look at the big picture.
Are You Sleeping Well?
If you find that your normal sleep cycle, no matter what it may be, suddenly changes for no apparent reason, you may consider over training as a culprit.
Over training can cause fatigue, but it can also cause restless sleep cycles, where you find yourself waking up every hour or two without a reason. On the other hand, if you normally feel pretty good after 6 hours of sleep and you suddenly find yourself waking up feeling like you need about 6 more hours.
You may also look at taking a couple of days off.
Are Your Recovery Periods Changing?
Another key indicator of over training is extended recovery periods and excessive soreness.
If it normally takes you 72 hours to recover from a leg workout and this week you’re still hobbling around a full 5 days later, you should consider decreasing your intensity during your next leg workout.
However, if you’ve recently made significant alterations to your routine, your sudden marathon recovery period may just be your body adjusting. So again, look at the big picture, not just your symptoms in a vacuum.
Are You Dreading Your Workouts?
Okay, if you hate working out and you’re only doing it to look good or live longer, then please disregard this little section altogether. But, if you actually enjoy working out and all of a sudden it seems like your gym time is a punishment instead of a reward, you may be on the verge of burn out.
In this situation it’s good to keep doing light workouts or reduce you number of workouts for a week.
It’s been my experience that if I start feeling burned out and I take time off altogether, I have a very difficult time getting my butt back into the gym once I’m rested. So, I always recommend that you first try reducing intensity or frequency of your workouts. Then, if you still feel burned out take an extra day or two to relax.
Are You Getting Weaker?
Are you pushing yourself to your limits in the gym only to find that you suddenly seem to be losing strength instead of gaining it? This is a classic sign of over training, particularly among beginning bodybuilders. Many people believe that more is better in the gym. This is simply not true. Your muscles can only respond to a certain threshold of stimulation. Anything beyond that results in negative results.
If you’re shaking your head right now because you’re one of these people, take a week and lighten up your workouts slightly. Then, maintain your lighter pace for an additional week. Once you begin to feel your strength coming back, gradually increase intensity. You’ll be thrilled with the results you’ll see in strength and muscle size.
Okay, I could go on forever about potential indicators of over training. The fact is that everybody’s different and every body responds differently to given stimuli. As a result, an over training indicator for one person may mean nothing to someone else. It is important to listen to your body, but it’s also important to consider all of the factors that are having a physical impact on you everyday.
You may not need to ease up on your training if you make an adjustment to your diet or get an extra hour of sleep at night. Just keep it all in perspective and you’ll figure out what your body needs to keep running strong.
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