You may have been told that overtraining is something to avoid, but what does overtraining actually look like?
As part of a “light” maintenance phase of their training, Ultra-marathoners may run up to 20-30 miles per week. That is considered normal for them
, yet the girl who spends an hour every day on the treadmill may be told that she is overtraining.
There is no such thing as overtraining. Instead, four factors separate those who thrive from those who struggle with the extra work asked of their body
:
Under-Recovering
If you are not supporting your body’s needs outside the gym, or you are not training within your threshold for activity
, then the effects of overtraining begin to happen:
-Slowed metabolism
-Suppressed appetite
-Anxiety
-Hormonal imbalances
Recovery efforts you should be doing:
-Not relying on caffeine or sugar to function
-Sleeping 7-9 hours per night
-Drinking an adequate amount of water
-Mobility and stretching
-Varying the intensity of your training
The Mindset
To check if you have the right mindset consider asking yourself these questions:
Do I have a smart athlete mindset? Do I know how to train hard, but also when to back off, take care of my body, and take rest days to get stronger?
Do I have a joyful mindset? Is training truly an enriching experience? Do I walk away from a session happier, more at peace, and more connected to my body?
Underlying Imbalances
The current state of your health also plays a role in your ability to handle more or less training. Predisposing factors or underlying body imbalances may hold you back from fully recovering
.
Your body works as a system in unison. When one system is off, then the rest of your health and recovery efforts are thrown off.
Other factors to consider that may set off the symptoms and side effects of overtraining include poor thyroid function, hormonal and metabolic imbalances, autoimmune conditions, and underlying stress. If you have any of these underlying imbalances, then training more is not going to do a body good.
Stress
If you are stressed your ability to keep up with training will suffer, and with it, your results. What stress looks like for each person is unique. Once you pass that threshold, you’re left spinning your wheels, despite doing everything right.
That’s a summed-up take on over-training; however I’d love to hear your opinion in a reply to this email or feel free to send me a DM, would love to chat about it!
To your Success,
Christian Poulos