Overtraining is one of the most common terms in the training world. It is touted as the ultimate training evil and something to be avoided at all costs. But what exactly is overtraining and how can it be avoided? Is there even a danger of undertraining in an attempt stay away from this problem?
What is Overtraining?
Simply put, overtraining is chronic systemic fatigue from too much stress, principally from training. This seems fairly obvious. Too much training is bad for the body. However, drawing the line between too much and not enough can be somewhat delicate. Knowing the difference between a lack of motivation or laziness and a real overtraining situation is the key to continued progress.
Perhaps the most important element when considering tolerance to work, is that the body doesn't always differentiate between stress from training and that resulting from life. Doing a program when a single 20-year old with no job or financial worries is a far different proposition from doing the same routine at 35 with young children, relationship issues and a job that involves long hours. It is essential to take into account these external factors when designing a training program. That said, here are some of the signs of overtraining.
- fatigue
- mood swings
- sleeping badly
- decreased appetite
- fat gain
- lack of desire to train
- depression
- frequent injuries and minor illnesses
Of course, having one or more of these symptoms doesn't necessarily mean that a person is overtrained. However, they are warning signs that something might not be quite right.
Overtraining as an Excuse
Although a very real problem, overtraining is unfortunately used as an excuse not to train hard by many. Productive training should be hard work. Feeling tired after a hard squat session is not a symptom of overtraining. Overtraining is a chronic condition. This means that it is the result of cumulative bouts of exercise. For most people, it is simply a question of building tolerance to exercise. It is highly unlikely that somebody doing three to five hours a week of exercise is overtrained. Jumping straight into this amount of work might be a problem, but working up to five, six, eight or even 10 hours of work a week is well within the grasp of most people, as long as it is part of an intelligently planned program. Before claiming overtraining, it is worth considering that work capacity might simply be too low.
How to Prevent Overtraining
The ideal situation then, is to train hard without ever crossing into the territory of overtraining. There are several ways to ensure that this is the case. The fist thing any trainer needs to learn to do, is to know himself. If he or she feels run down, it isn't necessarily problematic. Energy levels vary considerably over the course of a week or even on a daily basis. However, a continued downward trend is a warning signal. Likewise, a training diary is a useful self-assessment tool. For an intermediate or advanced trainee, it is impossible to break a record every session. However, tracking performance over time will show whether the trend is globally up or down and if there has been a sudden downturn for example. Decreasing performance over four to five consecutive workouts is definitely a sign of problems.
When these symptoms are noticed, it is essential to back off both in the gym and out of it. Obviously, taking a week or two off training is fairly straightforward. However, it is out of the gym that the biggest difference can be made. Is diet up to par? Eating quality food regularly is essential. Is sleep sufficient? It has been said that one hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after, and sticking to this will certainly improve recovery.
Deloading to Prevent Overtraining
Perhaps the easiest way to stay on the right side of overtraining is by cycling intensity. A common method here is to use a deloading week. The frequency of this deload is personal, but every 4-8 weeks is about right for most people. A 4 week training block might look like this for example.
- Week 1: 90 percent
- Week 2: 97.5 percent
- Week 3: 102.5 percent (new personal bests)
- Week 4: 60 percent (delaod week)
Obviously, the exact percentages are only a guideline. It is also perfectly possible to increase volume over four to six weeks and then cut it in half for a deload week before starting again. Using any sensible periodisation model should allow a trainer to push his limits and improve regularly without overtraining.
Sources:
rice.edu (Accessed 15th May 2010)
exrx.net, "Physical Overtraining" (Accessed 15th May 2010)
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