The Misconception of Overtraining
How
YOU should periodise your training to avoid symptoms
Whether I hear it in the gyms, or I see it being discussed online, I find people are repeatedly misinformed on the
topic of overtraining. I constantly see and hear people saying, “Hey man, if
you are going to keep training like that, you are going to overtrain etc etc.” Well, whether that is true or not is very debatable, as everyone is different
and reacts differently to training stimuli; everyone has different training backgrounds and different genetic make ups and I can go on. The fact is, everyone is very
different when it comes to training status and capabilities.
Getting to the topic of overtraining. If you are looking for a clear-cut answer, well, you are out of luck. There is conflicting information in regards to overtraining, however, what I can offer you is my perspective on this topic.
What
is overtraining?
It’s an accumulation of stresses, whether
it is through training or non-training, in which your performance is decreased.
(1) This
can result from an increase in volume/intensity where the body is able to adapt
to training (2). Basically, your physiology, or body, just can't cope with all the
stresses; Its reached its capacity. It is quite interesting that the
definition includes: “through non-training” but I will touch on this later.
- chronic fatigue
- muscle/joint pain
- depression
- insomnia
- performance decline
- mood disturbances.
- poor immune system
Before going into too much detail on ‘overtraining’, I would like to point out there is something called ‘overreaching’ that is far more common in the general population. Many
people don't even know this concept exists.
Overreaching has the same symptoms as overtraining except it takes a couple of days to a couple of weeks to recover. However, these
symptoms are less exaggerated than in overtraining (1).
Most
Common Reasons: Why and when does Overreaching/Overtraining Happen?
1.
Ego and Super motivated
I see it too many times during the year,
where people get motivated to get into shape and dive into a rigorous training
program, but have a low baseline fitness. Then a couple weeks in, they say, “I
don’t feel like training anymore, I'm tired…I just feel burnt out.” Well,
congratulations, you just experienced what overreaching feels like. I may be
generalising a bit as this doesn't necessarily always have to be ‘overreaching’,
but I feel it is a common reason why it happens.
This is one of the many instances where people
experience the symptoms of overreaching. They are constantly sore, tired, their
joints hurt and are mentally drained.
2.
Lack of Recovery
If you are not getting the appropriate
recovery in between your intense training sessions (this means enough sleep as
well), and you continue to this type of program, you will be fatigued and won’t
have a positive response to future training sessions; your performance will
continue to decrease (3).
Remember you are not a machine. If you are
not giving your body (including your nervous system) sufficient time to adapt
to the stress (from the workouts) you WILL
NOT continue to get stronger.
3. Stress!
Working out is a form of stress for your
body, but life in general can be very stressful. This can be especially
important in men, where excessive stress decreases testosterone while cortisol increases.
As a result, your performance starts to decline.
If you are killing your body in the gym (working out is a form of stress for your body), plus have a pretty stressful lifestyle, overreaching is not out of the equation. Remember, if your body can't handle these stresses, you may see symptoms like fatigue, insomnia etc.
What you don’t want to do
The worst thing that you can do is when you see
your performance dwindling, is increase your training loads and intensities. If
you are actually in an overreached state, this is where you begin to transition
into an overtrained state and your performance will probably continue to decrease.
If your
performance has been suffering the last few workout sessions
Before
you self-diagnose yourself as overreaching or overtraining due to your training
sessions, you might want to consider the following:
Reassessing
Your Diet:
It is important to reassess your diet. Well,
because if you are on a low carb/ low calorie diet, where are you supposed to
get your fuel from? How long can a car run on fumes? You are probably
running low on glycogen stores, hence your sluggish workouts etc. So I would
recommend to up your caloric intake, especially your carbohydrates and see how
you feel in your training sessions and overall performance.
And
importantly, assess your daily ‘stress’
The fact is, like mentioned in the definition
in overtraining, have a look at your life past the gym. If you are having relational issues, if you're stressed out at work or whatever else, these
accumulated stresses are going to take a toll on your body and nervous system.
Combine all these factors and your gym performance will go down hill.
What
you want to do with your training program
Periodise
Your Workout Program!
Basically, gradually work your way up. Yes,
this can be a long and slow journey, but the end result will be far superior.
The same can be applied to anything. If you just started training for a
marathon, chances are you are not going to go out and run 40 kms in your first
day of training. Why? Because you probably won't be able to move the next day, and your training will stall as a result. You want to gradually build up your
endurance to a marathon distance. It’s the “shocks” or sudden increases in
training load that lead to a state of overreaching and eventual injuries (3-5)
The fact is, many people, including myself,
have experienced symptoms of overreaching. However, many people tend to ignore the messages that their body is sending.Next time you tell someone, “Hey, with that
type of training program you are going to overtrain etc etc.” I encourage you
to look into some of the Russian or Bulgarian training programs and you will
see how rigorous their programs are; yet they are amongst the worlds best in
weightlifting.
So are they overreaching or overtraining? Simple fact is, they didn't just start training like that. Through constant training, they built up the capacities, both in their nervous system and muscular system, to handle these loads and stresses.
So are they overreaching or overtraining? Simple fact is, they didn't just start training like that. Through constant training, they built up the capacities, both in their nervous system and muscular system, to handle these loads and stresses.
Like any athlete, it is important to have a
structured program, because progress can be monitored and accounted,
but a structured program can also reduce the incidence of suffering from overreaching/overtraining. That is why I encourage everyone to keep a
workout logbook.
Leave
your ego at home and properly periodise your program.
Other
things to consider:
-
Proper diet
-
Proper recovery
o
Meditation, foam rolling,
stretching etc. (With the purpose of channeling stress out the body)
The BEST advice I can give is this: KNOW YOUR BODY! If you feel something
is not right, take a step back and reassess everything, from daily stress to
your workout plan.
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