Im not talking about normal failure. Some people train to failure as a rule, and thats fine. Im talking failure to lift the weights you usually lift, run the hill sprints you usually run, and complete the hike you normally complete. Regression. If youre actively getting weaker, slower, and your stamina is deteriorating despite regular exercise, youre probably training too much. Note, though, that this isnt the same as deloading. Pushing yourself to higher weights and failing at those is a normal part of progression, but if youre unable to lift weights that you formerly handled with relative ease, you may be overtrained. 2.<b> Youre losing leanness despite increased exercise.</bIf losing fat was as easy as burning calories by increasing work output, overtraining would never result in fat gain but that isnt the case. Its about the hormones. Sometimes, working out too much can actually cause muscle wasting and fat deposition. Youre burning calories, probably more than ever before, but its predominantly glucose/glycogen and precious muscle tissue. Net effect: youre getting less lean. The hormonal balance has been tipped. Youve been overtraining, and the all-important testosterone:cortisol ratio is lopsided. Generally speaking, a positive T:C ratio means more muscle and less fat, while a negative ratio means youre either training too much, sleeping too little, or some combination of the two. Either way, too much cortisol will increase insulin resistance and fat deposition, especially around the midsection. Have you been working out like a madman only to see your definition decrease? Youre probably overtraining. 3. Youre lifting/sprinting/Hitting hard every single day.The odd genetic freak could conceivably lift heavy, sprint fast, and engage in metabolic conditioning nearly every day of the week and adequately recover, without suffering ill effects. Chances are, however, you are not a genetic freak with Wolverines healing factor. Most people who maintain such a hectic physical schedule will not recover (especially if they have a family and/or a job). Performance will suffer, health will deteriorate, and everything theyve worked to achieve will be compromised. Many professional athletes can practice for hours a day every day and see incredible results (especially if they are using performance enhancing substances), but youre not a professional, are you? 4. Youre primarily an anaerobic/power/explosive/strength athlete, and you feel restless, excitable, and unable to sleep in your down time.When a sprinter or a power athlete overtrains, the sympathetic nervous system dominates. Symptoms include hyperexcitability, restlessness, and an inability to focus (especially on athletic performance), even while at rest or on your off day. Sleep is generally disturbed in sympathetic-dominant overtrained athletes, recovery slows, and the resting heart rate remains elevated. Simply put, the body is reacting to a chronically stressful situation by heightening the sympathetic stress systems activity levels. Most PBers who overtrain will see their sympathetic nervous system afflicted, simply because they lean toward the high-intensity, power, strength side. 5. Youre primarily an endurance athlete, and you feel overly fatigued, sluggish, and useless.Too much resistance training can cause sympathetic overtraining; too much endurance work can cause parasympathetic overtraining, which is characterized by decreased testosterone levels, increased cortisol levels, debilitating fatigue (both mental and physical), and a failure to lose body fat. While I tend to advise against any appreciable amount of endurance training, chronic fatigue remains an issue worthy of repeating. Being fit enough to run ten miles doesnt mean that you now have to do it every day. 6. Your joints, bones, or limbs hurt. Im unaware of any clinical tests that can identify overuse injuries specifically caused by overtraining, but dont you think that pain in your knee might be an indication that you should reassess how you exercise that knee? In the lifts, limb pain can either be DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) or it can indicate poor technique or improper form; DOMS is a natural response that should go away in a day or two, while poor form is more serious and can be linked to overuse or overtraining. With regard to endurance training, if you creak, you wince at every step, and you dread staircases, it may be that youve run too far or too hard for too long. The danger here is that your daily endorphin high has over-ridden your natural pain receptors. You should probably listen to them more acutely. I tuned them out for longer than I should have and it cost me my career as a marathoner (so I got that going for me, which is nice). 7. Youre suddenly falling ill a lot more often.Many things can compromise your immune system. Dietary changes (especially increased sugar intake), lack of Vitamin D/sunlight, poor sleep habits, mental stress are all usual suspects, but what if those are all locked in and stable? What if youre eating right, getting plenty of sun, and enjoying a regular eight hours of solid sleep each night, but you find yourself getting sick? Nothing too serious, mind you. A nagging cough here, a little sniffle or two there, some congestion and a headache, perhaps. These were fairly normal before you went Primal, but theyve returned. Your immune system may be suffering from the added stress of your overtraining. Its an easy trap to fall into, simply because its often the natural progression for many accomplished athletes or trainees looking to increase their work or improve their performance: work harder, work longer. If youve recently increased your exercise output, keep track of those early morning sore throats and sneezes. Any increases may indicate a poor immune system brought on by overtraining. 8. You feel like crap the hours and days after a big workout.Once you get into the swing of things, one of the great benefits of exercise is the post-workout feeling of wellness. Youve got the big, immediate, heady rush of endorphins during and right after a session, followed by that luxurious, warm glow that infuses your mind and body for hours (and even days). Its the best feeling, isnt it? We all love it. What if that glow never comes, though? What if instead of feeling energetic and enriched after a workout, you feel sketchy and uncomfortable? As I said before, post-workout DOMS is completely normal, but feeling like death (mentally and physically) is not. Exercise generally elevates mood; if its having a negative effect on your mood, its probably too much. Source: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/overtraining/#ixzz1kFovnwf8
1. You repeatedly fail to complete your normal workout.
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