GB Personal Training Ltd

Health, Fitness & Wellbeing

Overtraining Symptoms and Signs: 3 Simple Ways to Find Out

By Greg Brookes

You may of heard of the term Overtraining. It’s pretty self explanatory, you are exercising too much.

Overtraining signs and symptoms can be:

  • Overuse Injuries
  • General Fatigue
  • Lack of Enthusiasm
  • Development Plateaus
  • Results Reversal

Overtraining is not good. The key to getting the most from your workouts is managing your work verses rest ratio. Workout too much and you over-train, workout too little and you under-train.

symptoms of overtraining
Image by Hang in There

So how do you get it right? Well first lets look at the actual rebuilding process:

The Super Compensation Process

Results achieved via exercise are due to what we call the Supercompensation Cycle.

The process is pretty simple to understand. Here’s a very simple explanation:

  • You perform your workout
  • Your body breaks down, called the Catabolic Process
  • You recover and rebuild, the Anabolic Process
  • You Overcompensate your recovery for the next workout, Supercompensation

So the cycle involves breaking the body down and then building it back up so it is better prepared for the next workout. This process is exactly why we get fitter and stronger and workouts get easier.

The key to success is making sure you workout again after the Supercompensation process has finished and not before. If you exercise each time your body is still trying to recover or during it supercompensation window then you don’t receive the full benefits of the regrowth.

So how do you know if you are overtraining and ready to workout again? Here are 3 options:

Option #1 – Do You Want To Exercise?

This is the most simple gage of whether you are overtraining. Assess your basic willingness to want to workout.

  • Do you feel tired?
  • Have you lost motivation?

If you usually enjoy training but don’t feel like it that particular day then it may be a sign of overtraining.

This method is the most simple but it has obvious flaws. For example, not everyone is enthusiastic about exercise. Use this assessment as a simple gage and nothing more. Just listen to your body and see what it is telling you.

Option #2 – Are You Progressing?

Another simple way to see if you are overtraining. Let your workout results tell you if you are over doing it.

  • Are you getting stronger and lifting more each workout?
  • Are you times and fitness levels improving?

If you are not improving by at least 1% each workout then it’s time to take another days rest.

Option #3 – Monitor Your Heart Rate Each Morning

When you exercise your body is knocked out of homeostasis or off centre and it usually takes 24-48 hours to return to normal depending on the intensity of the session.

In order to repair your body and return your balance of homeostasis the blood is used to transport oxygen and nutrients to repair the effected areas.

The increase in blood required for full body repair results in an increase in your heart rate.

If you check your resting heart rate every morning you will notice an increase in your heart rate when your body is in a state of repair and a decrease when its not. If its higher than usual take another day off.

So, every morning before you get up and at the same time each day, record your resting heart rate. You will soon start to see when you need to take it easy and when you are ready to exercise again.

Using this method is also a great way to predict illness and times to just take it easy 🙂

There are 3 methods you can use to check your resting heart rate:

  1. Take your pulse at your neck or wrist and count the number of beats per minute
  2. Strap on your heart rate monitor and relax
  3. Use a digital blood pressure cuff with a resting heart rate monitor included

No matter which form of heart rate monitoring you use this is a great way to find out where you are in the recovery process.

Putting it into Practice

Now you know 3 ways to check whether you are overtraining its time to put them into practice.

Monitor your workouts using the 3 methods above. If you think that you may be overtraining then take another day off or reduce the intensity of the workout.

Remember that we all recover at different rates based on:

  • The Intensity of the Workout
  • Your Genetics
  • Your Age
  • Your Stress Levels
  • Your Nutrition

The secret is to look at the big picture and understand that more isn’t always better.

Look after yourself and listen to your body for maximum results.

Over To You

How many times per week do you find you need to exercise to get results?

 

6 Ways to Improve Recovery After Exercise

By Greg Brookes

Recovery from exercise is just as important as the exercise itself. Without a suitable recovery program you will take a long time to heal, suffer from fatigue and ultimately struggle with reoccurring injuries. Here is my guide to recovery and 6 options you should consider:

1. Sleep

Its is during sleep that the body releases anabolic hormones that repair itself both physically and mentally. During the evenings our cortisol levels drop and the Pineal Gland releases melatonin. It is melatonin that lowers the body’s temperature and causes drowsiness but it is the Central Nervous System that controls the sleep wake cycle. Stimulates like caffeine, bright lights and TV have a detrimental effect both on our Cortisol levels and Central Nervous System causing disrupted sleeping patterns. Avoid caffeine after 4pm and dim lights in the evenings. Follow your circadian rhythm and go to sleep with the sun and rise with the sun. This generally means head on pillow by 10.30pm. There is no more important recovery technique than sleep so make it your priority!

2. Nutrition

The body is influenced by everything you eat and drink at a cellular level. If you feed the body shitty protein shakes, sports drinks and vitamins, then body has to TAKE energy from your body in order to process this DEAD food. If you want to speed up recovery then you need to feed your body food with living content. Lots of fresh vegetates and fruit if you need the carbohydrate injection after a workout. The more muscle tissue you break down during a workout the more protein you will require. So eggs,  seared meats and Quinoa are excellent choices. If you are not exercising hard then you may need only a small amount of protein. Everyone is different so listen to your body. Ultimately, good nutrition if vital for quicker recovery.

3. Passive & Active Rest

There are 2 main types of rest, passive and active. Passive rest involves little energy so you may sit and read a book, meditate under a tree or go to the theatre. Active rest involves movement but not so intense that it requires a healing response. Examples are Tai Chi, Walking in Nature, Gentle Cycle Ride, Yin Yoga or Qi Gong. I personally like Active rest, it pumps the systems of the the body and brings fresh nutrients and life into the body.

4. Foam Rolling

Often called the poor mans massage, foam rolling is an excellent tool for soft tissue recovery. Foam rolling the muscles can help to improve soft tissue quality. As the body gets pulled and pushed through daily life knots and adhesion appear due to micro trauma to the tissue. Foam rolling can help improve the movement of soft tissue as well as bring fresh blood and nutrients to the damaged area. Never roll onto joints and never roll an area that causes pain.

5. Massage

If you have the money and the time then this is a great option for recovery. Not only is massage beneficial for the body but its great for the mind too and if done correctly can induce a parasympathetic response (causing the body to de-stress). Just like the foam roller a good therapist will focus on improving soft tissue quality. Another benefit is the stimulation of the lymphatic system which connects directly with the immune system. For many people who do not have a regular massage it can induce cold like symptoms as the body cleans itself.I personally try to get a massage every 1-2 weeks and I love it!

6. Cold Showers and Ice Baths

Like many of these recovery techniques Ice Baths or Cold showers cause a flushing or pumping of the system that helps to eliminate toxins from the body. Ice baths and ice packs will also help to reduce infamation of the body. I personally like to take a cold shower after exercise.