Overtraining

A great workout plan should have you moving toward your goals gradually. Last week I discussed two key reasons that a fitness plan will fail: boredom and unexpected life events. I did not mention a third and very common reason for failure: overtraining.
It is great to be excited about a new training program and ecstatic after seeing some results following the first few weeks. It is easy to get caught up in the moment and push too hard to reach for your end goal. While enthusiasm is great it is important to remember there is such a thing as too much.  If you push too hard without sufficient down time for recovery, you will overtrain and delay or prevent results.
Watch for some of the key symptoms of overtraining to prevent its occurrence:
Changes to Appetite
You have increased your workouts and now you have noticed your appetite has diminished. Awesome! You will lose weight faster this way, right? Wrong! A reduced appetite is a good indicator that you may be training too much.
As your workouts increase you will need to eat more to fuel your body. Focus on quality foods to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to perform.
No Motivation
Lack of motivation should not be confused with boredom. If your workouts are still exciting but you are feeling less than enthused about training you could be trying too hard. It might be time to take a few days off, let your mind and body recover before jumping in again.
Poor Sleep
Your body recovers while sleeping. If you are not sleeping enough or you are not sleeping well your body can’t recover from your training sessions. If you find yourself waking up in the early morning and not able to get back to sleep frequently, this could be a sign that you are overtraining.
Illness and Injury
Pain and illness is your body’s way of saying it needs a break. Listen to your body. If you are pushing too hard you will be susceptible to illness: coughs, colds and common flus will be more likely and frequent.
Overtraining can also result in injury. If you feel pain after a workout analyze it: is it sore muscle pain and soreness which can be resolved with some stretching or is it more serious? Pain in your joints, shooting and stabbing pains or discomfort that takes your breath away is not normal and should raise concern.
Decreased Performance
A decline in performance is the most obvious sign you are overtraining. If you are a few weeks into your training plan and feel you are getting weaker instead of stronger you probably are. Without the ability to fully recover from each training session, you body will get weaker instead of stronger. As this continues on, you will start to lose lean muscle mass and be unable to perform the way you should.
The result of your workouts should be to make you stronger, not weaker, so if you’re not moving forward, it may be time to reassess your plan.
Fitness, weight training and exercise will not help you reach your goals overnight, in a week, or even in a month. It is a slow process; be confident that with the right mindset a solid training plan, and great attitude you will reach your goals in time and enjoy the little success along the way.