Thread: What are the signs of overtraining and spending too much time in the gym?

What are the signs of overtraining and spending too much time in the gym?

We all want results faster and eager to push ourselves to the limit - we have a goal and our motivation is on fire. Some even go to the extreme to spend almost all day in the gym. However one must be careful as pushing too hard can lead to overtraining which has the reverse effect that we so heavily push for.

Sore muscles are an indication of overtraining

It’s normal for muscles to hurt like crazy when you first start going to gym. If you are new to working out then it’s pretty much guaranteed for your muscles to feel pain for several days after working out. However as most experienced exercise junkies know, this pain goes away and usually never resurfaces. However if you do feel muscle soreness and it doesn’t go away even after 48 hours, this could mean that you are overtraining and not giving your muscles enough time to recover.

Try and adjust your workout or switch it around a bit to give the sore muscles are break or at least train then from a different angle. If this still does not help, take a couple of days off and feel the POWER the next week. Your body can only thank you.

Decreased Strength and Endurance

Something else you might notice is that you’ve either hit a plateau or worse not being able to lift what you could lift last week. In fact you may feel like you are getting weaker by the day. Make sure you give your muscles enough rest after exercise. Ideally you should only train the same muscle group once a week, 2 if you feel you’re up for it.

Lack of sleep and fatigue

There is no question about it, but feeling extreme fatigue even after taking off a day or 2 is a definite sigh that you are overtraining. This can happen because you never give your body enough rest and as time goes on the effect adds up leading to this extreme kind of exhaustion.
Some people however experience the reverse of this feeling tired but suffering from insomnia and are unable to have a restful sleep. Make sure you get enough sleep for full recovery. Rather take a week off getting some well needed rest than prohibit your growth over a longer period.

Decreased appetite

I’m sure you know that the last thing you want to do just after exercising is eat a big meal. You would feel very nauseous. The same happens when you over train but its more subtle. You lose your appetite simply because your body is too tired and not in the mood for food. However nutrition is very important for muscle recovery and without enough proteins and carbohydrates you will start to lose muscle.