How Do You Avoid Overtraining?
Overtraining occurs when you either exercise too much or you don’t get enough rest between workouts. It is the result of your body not being able to deal with the amount of stress that it receives during the workout. Overtraining is important because if it ever affects you it will lead to a lack of exercise gains, sickness and injury. This is especially true if you train for a long period of time in an overtraining state.
Factors outside the gym can affect how you recover between your workouts. If you lead a very stressful life or are going through a stressful period in your personal or work life your body will be dealing with both the strain for the gym and life. This means you need to adjust your training program to the level of stress that is being experienced in your life outside the gym.
Your exercise technique can also impact on whether you overtrain or not. If you lift weights or run with poor technique you are putting added stress on your system that is a negative. For example, if you lift the weights in a poor ergonomic fashion this wastes energy on body structures that are not the muscles that are suppose to be doing the lifting. Not only that but it will lead to injuries in the longer term.
Training intensity and frequency are the main factors that cause overtraining. If you workout with a lot of intensity and too often, your body won’t have enough time to recover between workouts. Also, don’t forget about other forms of exercise. If you lift weights intensively and often, then cardiovascular exercise can tip your over the edge to overtraining. The reverse is also true if you are concentrating on cardio exercise.
In your quest to lose weight and build muscle, if you think that you are overtraining then your best bet is to cut back on your training frequency and intensity, and get as much sleep as possible. That way, you’ll build muscle and lose fat in the most effective manner.
March 29 2010 07:20 am | Exercises and Fitness