People who give 110% at the gym are to be admired. And yet, while it’s necessary to push your limits at the gym to reach most fitness goals, did you know that there’s such a thing as too much training?

It’s called overtraining, and it can actually hinder your progress and even lead to a decline in your performance. Ironically, overtraining can prevent you from seizing the gains you’re working so hard to achieve.

In today’s blog, we’ll discuss what overtraining is, the symptoms of overtraining, and how to recover from overtraining if you’re experiencing it at our Thornton gym.

What Is Overtraining at the Gym?

We all know that exercise is good for you. It can help you grow muscles, lose weight and keep it off, stay strong as you age, change your body composition, lower your disease risk, improve your mental health, and even increase your lifespan.

But too much exercise can be strenuous on your body. It is true that the more you train at the gym, the better your performance will be, but this only works up to a point. When you exceed that tipping point, exercise can harm your body and you won’t reap the normal benefits of working out at the gym.

What Is Overtraining Syndrome (OTS)?

The limit when your gym performance starts declining instead of improving from exercise is called overtraining syndrome (OTS), also known as burnout. There are two main ways that you can reach the point of OTS – either by exercising too much without enough recovery time between workouts, or by not fueling your body with the nutrients and calories it needs.

Sometimes, the root cause of overtraining can be linked to an accumulation of other factors in a person’s life, such as stressors they’re experiencing outside their workouts at the gym.

The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) defines overtraining syndrome as “a condition in which an athlete or fitness client experiences fatigue, declining performance, or burnout.”

Overtraining can be associated with any type of sports or fitness program, from cardiovascular workouts to group classes to strength training. It can also happen at any age, even in children and teens who participate in competitive sports.

What Is Overreaching at the Gym?

The first stage of OTS is known as overreaching. You know you’re overreaching when you feel more intense muscle soreness than usual, but you push through and continue to train at the gym without resting. Overreaching can occur after several consecutive days of hard workouts at the gym. Once you pass this point and continue to train without resting, you’ll begin to experience OTS.

The problem is, many people perceive a decline in performance as a reason to train harder at the gym. Continuing to work out while you’re going through OTS will cause damage to your body, making your recovery time last even longer.

Properly recovering from OTS could take weeks or months of resting without training at all, which is a tough pill to swallow for those of us who love to be at the gym!

What Are the Signs of Overtraining?

Since none of us want to be kept away from our workouts at the gym, it’s good to watch for the early signs of overtraining so that you can take steps to treat it before it becomes worse.

That said, it can be tough to know when you’re overtraining, since it’s natural to feel fatigued and sore after challenging workouts at the gym. But, if you aren’t recovering between workout sessions, are feeling overall fatigue, or are having problems pushing yourself during workouts, these can all be signs of overtraining.

Other signs of overtraining at the gym include:

Heavy-feeling leg muscles or feelings of stiffness and heaviness in other muscles
Excessive overheating and sweating
Recovery delays from training at the gym
Injuries that keep coming back like joint pain, stress fractures, and muscle sprains
Plateaus or declines in performance
Unusual muscle soreness after a gym workout which persists with continued training
Inability to train or compete at a level you could previously manage
Thoughts of skipping training sessions or cutting them short
Loss of enthusiasm for working out at the gym
Lack of motivation
Moodiness
Low self esteem
General fatigue, low energy levels, and exhaustion that are prolonged
Repeated illnesses like respiratory infections or colds
Not being able to relax
Not being able to get high-quality sleep
Increased feelings of anger, confusion, tension, or depression
Inability to concentrate that affects your performance at work
No longer feeling joy from things that you used to find enjoyable
Increases in blood pressure and at-rest heart rate
Missing periods or irregular menstrual cycles
Appetite, weight loss, and digestive issues
Changes in hair, nails, and skin that give you an unwell appearance

If these signs sound familiar to you, it’s time to listen to your body, see your doctor, and schedule in some recovery time.

How Do I Recover from Overtraining at the Gym?

The only way to recover from overtraining syndrome is by resting from training for a predetermined amount of time. That time will depend on the type of training you’re doing and the severity of your OTS. OTS recovery can take anywhere from 2-12 weeks. During this time, it’s also a good idea to relax in other areas of your life.

If you suspect that you’re experiencing overtraining syndrome, schedule an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor and your personal trainer can help create treatment guidelines for you.

As you recover from OTS, you can still do some low-intensity aerobic exercise and yoga to keep fit while abstaining from your other gym workouts. These aerobic workouts should be short in duration and not related to your original training program. Once your OTS symptoms have gone away, then you’ll be ready to ease back into your previous training schedule at the gym.

A common recommendation is to start with 50% of your original training load and then add on 10% per week until you’re back at 100%.

Other ways to recover from overtraining syndrome include:

Massages — Go for a professional massage that targets the affected muscles. Deep-tissue and sports massages can help you prevent injuries and relieve tension. If you’re not able to go for a professional massage, you can use massage wraps and guns, foam rolling, the hydro-massage bed at our gym, and other types of self-massage.
Hot and cold therapy — Soothe aching muscles with hot baths, a heating pad, or sauna. Cold therapy can also help in the form of ice packs or, better yet, use the cryotherapy chamber at our gym!

How Can I Avoid Overtraining at the Gym?

Whether you’ve noticed a few symptoms of overtraining, or you’d like to stay safe as you level up your workouts at the gym, consider ways you can avoid overtraining syndrome to begin with. Below are some tips to keep your fitness routine realistic and safe.

Before you work out — Make sure you’ve had a good night’s sleep, your resting heart rate and blood pressure are regular, and you’ve been taking in enough nutrition and fluids.
Keep a training log — Record your workouts and how you’ve been feeling after each workout. This can help you recognize the symptoms of overtraining before they become serious.
Talk to your trainer — Let them know how you’re feeling before and after workouts.
Take rest days — Rest is not a sign of weakness or lack of commitment to your workout program. Take at least one full rest day each week.
Alternate hard days and easy days — Incorporate cross-training and active recovery days into your program.
Get enough calories and nutrients — You should get enough calories and nutrients in your diet. This includes plenty of protein, carbs, healthy fats, vegetables, and fruits to give your body what it needs for training and muscle repair. Work with a nutritionist to review your food intake and make sure you’re consuming what your body needs.
Drink a lot of water — Dehydration can cause muscle and mental fatigue. Drink enough water and other fluids with the goal of having light-colored urine.
Reduce your stress — If your stress levels are high and you’re having trouble coping, your body will begin to break down. Look for ways to prioritize what’s important and let go of extra responsibilities that are causing you stress. Consider speaking to a mental health professional to work through issues that are impacting your mental well-being.
Have a healthy relationship with working out — It’s great to be committed to your fitness goals, but don’t work out if you have signs of an illness or injury.

Find the Perfect Balance Between Training and Recovery at AFAC Gym

By learning to identify the signs of overtraining early, gym members can stop pushing through pain and fatigue and appreciate the benefits of adequate recovery time. If you’d like to learn more about overtraining and how to achieve a better balance with rest and recovery, please speak to one of our personal trainers. Our team is here to support your fitness goals and we can design an individualized gym training program that will help you achieve them.

To find out more about becoming a member of AFAC gym — the best gym in Thornton, Colorado — please stop by or give us a call anytime. We’ll be happy to assist you. You can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club for assistance.