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While we know all about the endless health benefits of exercise, to both our mental and physical health, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing...
Training excessively may seem productive - after all, more hours in the gym equals bigger gains, faster progress, and smashing more goals, right? Well, actually it doesn’t always work that way. Overtraining is the result of too much exercise, without giving your body adequate time or opportunity to rest and recover. And though you may be training more than ever, it can actually lead to reduced performance and progress, and lead to burnout and other negative health consequences.
So before you start spending all day every day in the gym, let’s dive into the risks of overtraining, and why you want to avoid it at all costs.
It goes without saying that pushing your body too far will not go down well… In fact, overtraining significantly increases your risk of injury, sprains and tears. And these injuries will niggle away at you, until they get worse and worse the longer you continue to overtrain.
And as you know, when you’re injured you’re forced to take a timeout from your training… So while pushing yourself to the point of overtraining may seem like a good idea to help you reach your goals, it’s actually counterproductive.
And don’t think once you’re healed, you’ve got the green light to return to your previous level of training. Not only does overtraining increase your risk of new injuries, it also increases the chances of old injuries being aggravated or reemerging.
So basically, overtraining is a one-way ticket to injury town!
As we mentioned, while spending copious amounts of time sweating it out at the gym may seem like an efficient way to progress and reach your goals, it has the polar opposite effect in reality.
Overtraining actually leads to reduced performance, and can interfere with the progress you’re working so tirelessly and hard for. Without giving your muscles and cardiovascular system enough time to rest between sessions, it’s like you’re driving a car with a depleted fuel tank, and never stopping to refill with petrol. Over time, your body becomes more and more depleted and tired, and your results will plateau or even reverse.
You’ll likely experience muscle weakness, leading to lower lifting weights, metabolic fatigue resulting in an inability to perform the same rep numbers you were hitting previously, and a general tiredness which means you don’t show up to sessions with the same energy and stamina as you once had...
Following on from the reduced performance aspect of overtraining, part of the reason behind this is the lack of energy and general fatigue you’ll experience as a result of training too much.
Have you ever felt complete and utter exhaustion as you drag your feet through the gym door, only to have a super average session as a result of how you’re feeling? Well imagine this being the case every. Single. Time you enter the gym. We’re calling it... Not fun.
Overtraining not only exhausts your body, muscles, adrenals, metabolism, and many other critical processes, it also interferes with your sleep, often causing insomnia or trouble catching your zzzs.
Add these all together and what have you got? A super overtired, fatigued, energy-drained YOU! That doesn’t make for a fun time.
Your hormones are produced in a very delicate manner - by which we mean, if something in your body is “off”, chances are your hormonal balance (and many other systems in your body!) will be thrown right off course.
For example, let’s talk cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands in response to stress. And exercise is a significant stress on your body… If you’re overtraining, then your body is being exposed to more and more stress with no respite, and it starts to produce more and more cortisol. But the problem is… when it produces more cortisol, it starts to produce less of other important hormones like oestrogen! This can result in poor mood, slower metabolism, weight gain, trouble sleeping (again!). So hormonal imbalances are something you definitely want to avoid… In fact, you’ll want to run for the hills.
If you’re overtraining, after a while you’ll get so sick and tired of constantly being in the gym, doing the same thing, on repeat day after day. Your body will suffer from burnout - as will your mind - and there comes a time where you’re no longer loving your training.
The excitement and enthusiasm you once felt to hit the gym is replaced with feelings of dread, lack of energy, and feeling of exhaustion at the thought of lifting a weight.
Training should be something you do for the love of it - and it should make you feel good, happy and confident! If that’s no longer happening, it’s time to take a beat and reevaluate. Are you overtraining? If so, it’s time to shake things up - your body and your mind will thank you for it.
While the recommended number of rest days you should be taking per week is individual depending on your goals, your recovery protocols, and many other factors, the key takeaway is this: REST IS KEY. Overtraining won’t help you get those gains, or crush your goals. In fact, it will only result in fatigue, burnout, and health complications. So if you love the gym so much you just can’t get enough (and for that, we won’t blame you), be disciplined with yourself - enforce several rest days each week. This will give your body the chance to recover and repair like it’s desperately craving - and give you the opportunity to “refuel” your petrol tank! This actually supports better performance and reduces your risk of injuries and health problems, so get ready to hit those PBs and feel fabulous!
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