Overtrain Your Body and Burnout Will Sap Your Strength

It is imperative that hard training is necessary to gain muscle size and strength.  However this intense work also has the capability to break you down and make you weaker.  What is the dividing line between growth and decline in musculature training?  Rest, proper rest is the key to continued growth. The period of recuperation following training is what allows the heart to increase in efficiency, restoration of body glucose stores and increased strength of muscle fibers.  If your training cycle does not allow for sufficient rest periods then this regeneration cannot occur and you are forced into a state of over training.

Simply put over training is a physiological and psychological condition created when rest periods are insufficient to allow recovery from workouts.  This condition is commonly called “burnout” and can last for weeks or months when you become afflicted.  The best method of “treating” over training is to recognize the signs and symptoms and stop it as early as possible.

Of course the best way to recognize over training symptoms is to know what they are.  We can explore a few here:

•    Fatigue. The most common symptom is fatigue.  A major cause of fatigue is consistent low blood sugar.  You need glucose to maintain a workout schedule and if sufficient rest between training sessions is not allowed then constant fatigue is your reward.  The best method to fight fatigue is to continue a proper diet and get ENOUGH REST!  Maybe “rest, restoration and recuperation” should be watchwords to guide your training schedule.
•    Loss of motivation and enthusiasm for training.  This would be a natural follower of fatigue.  If you are always “tuckered out” there is no way that a comprehensive training schedule is in the future.  Get rid of the fatigue (blood sugar/glucose?) with diet and rest and your “get up and go” should return.
•    Moodiness and irritation.  If you have ever been around someone with a chronic illness you notice how frequently and easily they become irritated.  Again, proper diet and rest and you should be able to conquer this symptom.
•    Mild depression.  This is almost self-explanatory.  If you are constantly fatigues, have little motivation for accomplishment and you easily become irritated it just seems natural that depression will follow.  When depression is recognized as a possible problem it should also easily be overcome.  Simply get rid of the fatigue, irritability and motivation problems and away goes the depression.  Sometimes this is not easily accomplished, however if you are not depressed when you are not over trained then (wow!) get rid of the problem, eat healthier, get some sleep and return to your naturally easygoing self!

At times it may be better to be under trained than over trained.  You can always adjust your training methods to take a bit longer for the desired gains.  If you begin to recognize a few of the symptoms described here back off, adjust your schedule to ward off this ailment.  Smart training, proper lifting methods, proper diet and proper rest times after the workout will always yield greater results in musculature and strength gains.