More isn’t always better, especially when it comes to working out. While it may seem to make sense that the more you train the better in shape you’ll become, that theory isn’t always right. If you’re hitting the weights, whatever body part you worked, needs sufficient time to rebound and repair itself due to the stress it was under. That body part needs at least 48 hours of recovery time. Without it, you could end up injuring yourself and preventing any significant muscle growth. Overtraining with weights or through cardio can lead to exhaustion, increased stress, and fatigue, on top of potentially not giving you the results you’re seeking.
Warning Signs
While everyone’s bodies react differently to overtraining, here are some common symptoms of excessive training:
- Fatigue
- Moodiness
- Irritability
- Increased Resting Heartrate
- Difficulty Sleeping
If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms after or even during your workouts, there’s a good chance you’re working your body too hard and too much.
What To Do
Making immediate changes and tweaks to your approach is required. They should include:
- Modify your workout, reducing the intensity and volume of exercise performed.
- Work out less frequently, allowing your muscles to recover.
- Circuit training allows you to hit all your muscle groups without spending hours in the gym all week.
- Alter your routine more frequently to force your body to respond in different ways.
- Make sure you’re eating properly, as those who overtrain can also tend to skip meals in place of getting some extra gym time in.
