A lot of people want to build muscle and lose weight. Even if you don’t train for a sport or compete in a physique sports, you might still take part in intense workouts that get your heart rate up and challenge your body to perform more than it’s used to. If you’re doing these types of workouts, you may be overtraining.
The relationship between training, recovery and individual results. Yes, you should be pushing yourself hard to make gains. But, just like anything in life, if you push too hard you can end up doing more harm than good.
If you’re anything like most people out there, you’ve probably tried your best to find a fitness routine that works for you. Whether that’s running at a certain pace, lifting weights, or completing an intensive workout, you’ve probably tried them all. Unfortunately, what many people don’t realize is that having a routine doesn’t make you fit. If you’re just doing what you are told to do, you’ll never get the results you desire. It’s not enough to just work hard; you need to be working hard at the right things.
Everyone is fascinated with the most when it comes to health and fitness. More cardio is required. There will be no more calorie counting. There will be no more squats. More time at the gym is required. However, if you’re not cautious, you may end up overtraining, injuring yourself, or becoming sick. You may find out what constitutes excessive activity in this section.
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For over 25 years, I’ve been teaching customers and have seen many of them deal with their bodies as if they were adolescents learning to drive.
Vroom.
It’s all systems go for a fantastic workout! At all times, give it your best! Add extra hour of cardio to your workout!
Ert!
You’ll get injured. Become ill. They are depressed.
Vroom.
Reduce your calorie intake! Everything should be weighed and measured!
Ert!
You’ve lost control. I’m even more depressed now.
With our coaching clients, we see this cycle of accelerating, then braking, then accelerating, then braking.
They will relocate if they so want.
They sacrifice everything – energy, time, and finances – in order to accomplish their weight-loss, strength, or health objectives. Their new workout drug has rejuvenated and energized them.
Have you attempted to train X? They enquire of their colleagues.
It’s amazing to feel my quadriceps!
For a time, this full-throttle strategy seems to succeed.
Until… that is, of course, not the case.
It’s difficult to get out of bed one day. My shoulders and knees were bothering me. You have a little cough and are fatigued.
They regret the mild lift after a week. You will be given an ice bag. That’s OK.
They select their chiropractor or physical therapist’s clinic after a week. Or laying on the sofa with a back spasm the size of a sea urchin’s navel.
What went wrong? What went wrong, and where did it all go wrong?
It’s not the workout or even the intensity that’s the issue.
The issue isn’t a lack of stress-to-recovery balance.
Stress management is a good thing to do.
It takes a lot of effort to do the workout. This is, in general, a positive thing. However, it is always a source of anxiety.
If you exercise excessively and/or often, you are putting more stress on your body, which is already under strain from other areas of your life such as job, relationships, travel, late nights, and so on.
This isn’t always a negative thing. Exercising may be very beneficial in reducing stress.
However, in terms of physical requirements, we must assist our bodies in recovering from all of the stressors we face.
Your allostatic load, or the total degree of stress you are under at any one moment, determines your capacity to recover (and the amount of extra recuperation you may need).
To put it another way, remember those days when you were late for work, your boss screamed at you, you spilt ketchup on your favorite shirt, and you spent the whole night nursing a sick kid – and then went to the gym to attempt to achieve a good result?
It is preferable to factor in a longer recuperation period.
If, on the other hand, you slept well, awoke to sunlight, ate a healthy meal, and felt like a rock star at the gym, your body will likely recover quicker and better.
The appropriate quantity of exercise, at the appropriate intensity, and at the appropriate time:
We’re undergoing training. We’re gaining knowledge. We’ve become healthier and more powerful.
Too much exercise, at too high a level of effort, too frequently:
We’ll give it our all. We’ll give it our all. We’re no longer open. And things start to fall apart.
Our bodies are in charge of flight control.
Overtraining isn’t a sign of weakness or a lack of willpower. Our bodies contain complex feedback loops and exquisite shutdown mechanisms that actively prohibit us from overdoing it.
There are two different systems in use:
- Our central nervous system (CNS) functions similarly to a car’s engine steering. The vehicle’s engine will stall if it runs at too high a pace for too long. The similar thing happens when we overexert ourselves: our brains attempt to preserve our muscles by slowing down nerve signals, which means we can’t (or won’t) move as much. We couldn’t possibly work as hard as they can.
- Your muscles will feel weary, sluggish, and weak as a result of local tiredness caused by depletion of the energy system and/or buildup of metabolic by-products. It’s like running out of gas in our vehicle example.
Stress will never go away if you train too frequently and too hard – again, without prioritizing recuperation.
We never have the opportunity to fill up the gas tank or replace the oil. We bike and ride and ride, putting more and more effort into our pedaling.
When you open the lid, you’ll notice:
- Our connective tissue is cracking and tearing due to a lack of lubrication.
- Radiator was overheated, therefore there was no more irritation.
- The battery is depleted, and brain chemicals that improve mood as well as anabolic (growth) hormones are decreased.
- Cortisol and other catabolic (destructive) chemicals have risen in Rust.
As a consequence, you’ll be able to learn more.
- Blood sugar levels were raised and then dropped.
- Depression, worry, and/or troubling thoughts are all symptoms of depression.
- Having trouble falling asleep or waking up too early.
- Cravings, maybe even problems with eating management.
- Thyroid hormone synthesis is reduced, resulting in a slower metabolism.
- Sex hormone dysregulation (which includes a decrease in mood in general and, in women, irregular or absent menstrual cycles).
This is the situation.
You can’t determine whether or not you need a restoration.
Your body will make the decision for you.
If you don’t include recuperation into your workout routine, your body will ultimately make you do so.
You will pay a higher price in illness, injury, or fatigue if you overtrain. The higher the reward, the longer the training will be interrupted.
This is unfortunate. Your vehicle has now stopped or, worse, reversed. Yuck.
What drives individuals to overwork themselves?
Some of our coaching program participants are worried that recommended exercise and daily routines are insufficient. As a result, individuals increase their activity and reduce their food intake.
What is it that drives them?
1. To feel well, some individuals depend on intense exercise.
You may believe it is for your health or to get the ideal physique.
However, many individuals rely on their excessive activity to make them feel good.
Consider this client’s experience, as recounted by coach Christa Schaus:
On a particular measuring day at the start of the program, the client’s weight rose by several pounds. I was cautious.
I was on the phone with her when I heard a treadmill in the background. What are you up to right now?
She had been hospitalized in her 40th week of life, it turned out. After a day of guilt measuring, a tiny exercise was in order.
Get off the treadmill, now!!! I screamed.
We made a commitment to ourselves at that point: no more additional effort. Only the PN training program is available.
She was scared of gaining weight if she ate more and did less. She dropped 3 pounds during the first week of eating more and exercising less.
(She had done everything correctly up to that point and yet hadn’t dropped a pound.)
She dropped ten kg and 6% of her body fat in only a few months. She was thin, healthy, and stunning. People wanted to know what his secret was.
These strenuous, time-consuming exercises may be enjoyable. It’s almost too nice.
Intense activity produces painkilling chemicals that make us happy for a short time…. make us happy for a short time.
These chemicals are also produced when your body believes you are in grave danger and are about to die. In evolution, their goal is to have us float in a blissful, pain-free haze while a saber-toothed tiger eats our fingers. They are, in a way, stress hormones.
These drugs are a success for some individuals.
Working hard and pushing his body to its limits became his drug of choice.
2. Intensive training allows you to feel in command of your body and your life.
That’s how the popular media gets into people’s heads: go to the gym if you want to define your physique (and do it again).
Here’s another client’s experience, as recounted by him:
Over the course of approximately ten years, I completed seven marathons, each time thinking that this training cycle would help me lose weight.
But the more I worked, the more I got irritated. It helped me push myself harder and achieve more miles.
The more I worked out, the more hungry I got. Throughout the day, I was fighting an uphill struggle against my hunger.
I never managed to lose any weight. I used to type a lot.
I was anxious, I was sick with one cold after another, and I was becoming more unhappy with myself.
To drop the remaining 5 to 10 kilograms, I had to quit working out for 1 to 2 hours a day and start working out for shorter and shorter periods of time, giving myself enough time to recuperate.
When my body felt more rested and not continuously pushed to its limitations, it became much simpler to create a modest energy deficit.
The muscles remained and grew in strength. The fat level has dropped.
Overtrainers often strive to accomplish their objectives by giving it their all. They believe they are doing everything correctly.
If certain workouts are beneficial, surely more will be much better?
3. The majority of individuals are unaware that overtraining may harm them.
Overtrained clients are often surprised to learn that they are overtraining. Nobody ever informed them that there is a sweet spot for balancing work and relaxation.
Overtraining dangers are typically discovered the hard way, as one customer in our men’s coaching program discovered:
I injured my ribs and back last week. It wasn’t enough to knock me unconscious, and it wasn’t life-threatening, but it hurt.
Certain postures and movements (such as sneezing) felt like a stab in the back. Some activities (such as push-ups) had to be abandoned, and I couldn’t jump rope or run.
I kept doing the exercises every day, but I had to lower the weights (to approximately 80% of what I usually use) and lower the intensity of the intervals.
Now for the fun part: after the exercise, I felt great, unlike when I usually collapse to the ground exhausted. I had no discomfort the following day.
In fact, I was eagerly anticipating the instruction.
I thought to myself, “Hey, this is a lot of fun!”
But then I had another unpleasant thought: Am I simply a wimp?
In summary, all of this made me wonder why I am working so hard every day. Should I commit suicide?
I’m not in the same league as you. No one knows how fast I run or how many squats I perform.
I’m beginning to believe I should finish each exercise with the thought that if I had to, I could do it all over again right now. It’s what I refer to as training.
On the other hand, you often push yourself to your limits and feel totally tired after a workout. It’s what I refer to as tension.
It seems clear that I won’t be making much progress with training any time soon, but I have to ask myself, “How long can I keep doing my best?”
Here’s something our customer didn’t know before enrolling in the men’s coaching program:
When it comes to design, sometimes less is more.
Cycles of falling and fatigue are far less maintainable than consistent excellent performance over a lengthy period of time.
This client’s consistent efforts paid off: he dropped 20 pounds and 10% of his body fat in six months.
More significantly, he healed, was unhurt, and was able to continue enjoying himself.
Do what is proven to work.
We would urge our customers to pump ad nauseam and torture themselves for hours on the treadmill if it helped.
However, it is ineffective.
That is why we do not participate.
Exercising should make us feel better, look better, work better, and live better, not make us miserable.
Movement should enable us to operate freely, not render us unable to act.
What if you came out of the gym feeling energised rather than exhausted?
What if you could do better instead of doing more?
Overtraining’s cure is restoration.
The first point to remember is that overtraining is not an issue.
Rather, the issue is one of underfunding.
Your body is capable of enduring a great deal of strain… if you recover correctly and fully.
Your stress-recovery strategy should resemble hills: There is a downward movement with every upward movement (training or life load) (recovery).
Exercises that assist your body repair and renew are equally important in each intense workout.
That doesn’t mean you have to lock yourself up in a dark, quiet castle of blankets and have a massage every day, but it does sound nice.
See our suggestions for getting back on your feet below.
Allow your thoughts to be free, and your body will follow.
When you make recuperation a priority in your training, something interesting occurs.
You begin to consider training in a whole different light.
What if you could train in a continuous loop, with each movement counting?
What if you could strike a natural, organic balance between high and low, heavy and light, labor and play?
Here are some suggestions for striking a balance.
An efficient workout regimen contains the following:
- Strengthening your resistance
- Intervals
- Recovery that is active
- Fun
It makes no difference how much time you have available for physical exercise.
This is what coaching balance looks like:
Most of the coach’s most successful customers don’t perform the heaviest and most difficult exercises.
Instead, they make do with what they have when and when they can.
This covers the most recent functional motions, such as. B.:
- To work, you may walk or ride your bike (or running to catch the damn bus)
- Take a walk to the shop and bring your groceries home.
- Car wash
- Painting the walls with a fresh layer of paint.
- Instruct your children in the art of kite flying.
- Clearing snow, raking leaves, gardening, or mowing the grass are all tasks that need to be completed.
When you consider exercise in this light, it ceases to be a workout (i.e. a chore or a race to run), and instead becomes a part of your everyday routine (i.e. something easy, effortless and always with you).
What should I do now?
Here are some things you may do to start feeling better if you experience any of the symptoms mentioned in this article.
1. Take a quick self-evaluation.
Missing a workout isn’t an issue for some of us.
Others connect taking a day off with exertion. You may feel uneasy if you do less.
If you’re hesitant to leave your self-imposed camp, consider the following:
- I’m not sure why I’m doing this. What are my objectives and why am I pursuing them?
- What am I thinking? Is it true that I’m in continuous agony, that I’m weary but not exhausted, that I’m hungry, and so on?
- How does what I’m doing benefit me? What are the outcomes I’m seeing?
If you’re tired of feeling guilty and not going anywhere, it’s time to try something new.
2. Trust and listen to your body.
What exactly is going on behind the hood?
Examine your mind-body connection: For a few minutes, remain motionless and gradually transfer your focus from your feet to your head. What’s new with you?
Make it a habit to pay heed to your body’s messages.
How does your body feel after a good night’s sleep? When do you know it’s time to take a break?
If you believe this is the case,
- Squeaking and moaning
- Neglected and forgotten
- unmotivated
- Anxiety or sadness may be present.
- Fatigue or a nagging case of sleeplessness….
…think about altering your workout regimen.
3. Take some time to unwind.
Recovery will not occur by chance. Prepare for it, plan for it, and go on the search for it.
Make an appointment for a massage. Make a date with your pals for a treasure hunt throughout town. Also, spend a Sunday afternoon having a relaxed time.
Whatever you do, keep in mind that recuperation, or what you do in between sessions, is just as essential as the activity itself.
Here are some suggestions:
- Take a stroll outdoors, preferably in the fresh air. Place your phone on the table. Take a look about you.
- Practice yoga. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to practice hot or power yoga to benefit from it.
- Take a swim. The day comes to a close with a soothing sauna session.
- Take a stroll around the park. Take a seat on the grass and gaze up at the skies.
- Get yourself a massage. To get rid of stress, give your body a boost.
- Go ahead and do it. Yes, sex is significant. (Thank you very much.)
4. Finding a happy medium.
There is a difference between rigorous training and silent training. There’s enough time for a lengthy run and a Frisbee toss.
It’s not healthy for your body to keep doing the same things again and over. Alter the intensity of the workouts.
Try maintaining an activity diary for a week or two if you’re not sure how much you’re consuming.
What do you think you could do with more of?
Where can you make things simpler for yourself?
Find innovative methods to stay in shape without having to go to the gym.
Make ridiculous games a regular part of your day. Check out how you’re feeling.
5. Have a good time.
Children naturally run, leap, tumble, and shake their bodies for a reason: play is an essential part of how we learn to move and connect with the environment. We maintain ourselves healthy and youthful by repeating this practice.
Laughter, like the mere act of smiling, stimulates the repair mechanism. Hardcore Sergeant, relax and let go of your white grasp on life.
Here are a few suggestions for having fun as in the ancient days:
- Participate in the sport you like. Alternatively, find a new one.
- Playing actively with your children is a good idea. Run around the playground with them, swing on the poles, climb trees, chase Frisbees, and so on.
- Dancing. Spend the evening with friends or unwind in the living area with music.
- Take excellent care of your animal companion. Take your dog to the dog park for an additional stroll. For kitties, try yoga. (I’m not even kidding when I say that.)
- Take a stroll or a walk around the city. Take a trip to a different part of the country.
6. To enroll in a driving school.
The only piece of fitness advice you’ll ever receive is this: Step on the gas pedal. And now it seems that you are really overeating?
Work with someone if you’re irritated or perplexed (or weary or worried).
Make a phone call to an active buddy, look for a local trainer/coach/sensei, or have a family brainstorming session. Together, enjoy a fun and balanced approach to fitness.
Your vehicle will appreciate it.
Do you want to be the healthiest, fittest, and most powerful version of yourself?
The majority of individuals understand the importance of regular exercise, proper diet, sleep, and stress management in looking and feeling better. However, they need assistance in putting this information into practice in the context of their hectic, often stressful lives.
We’ve helped over 100,000 customers lose weight, become stronger, and improve their health via coaching over the last 15 years… no matter what their issues were.
That’s why, via our level 1 and 2 certification programs, we educate health, fitness, and wellness experts how to coach their clients to address the same issues.
Do you want to learn something new? Sign up for pre-sale to save up to 54% and reserve your seat 24 hours ahead of time.
On Wednesday, July 14th, 2021, we will have seats available in the next coaching session.
If you’re interested in learning more about coaching, please sign up for the pre-sale list below. Inclusion on the list provides you with two distinct benefits.
- You will pay less than the competition. Because the most engaged and driven individuals are usually the greatest clients, we want to promote them. If you sign up for the pre-sale, you may save up to 54% off the sale price, which is the lowest we’ve ever given.
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This is your opportunity to transform your body and your life with the assistance of the finest trainers on the planet.
[Note: If your health and fitness are already excellent, but you want to assist others, our Level 1 certification program is for you.]It’s easy to say that exercise is good for you. But what if you’ve been training for months and you’re not seeing the results you were hoping for? Or what if you’ve been training for your entire life and your workouts are now causing you to overtrain?. Read more about working out too much side effects and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you know if your workout is too intense?
If you are unable to continue your workout, or if you feel like you might pass out, then it is probably too intense for you.
How much is too much overtraining?
This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on the individual. Some people can train for hours and still be fine, while others need a break after an hour or two of training.
What happens when you workout too much?
When you workout too much, your body produces lactic acid and other byproducts that can cause muscle fatigue.
Related Tags
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- what happens if you over exercise
- how much exercise is too much for a woman
- too much exercise symptoms
- how much exercise is too much
- dangers of over exercising
