So there has been some discussion on training splits, frequency of training body parts, nutrition and recovery so I thought I’d bring up overtraining.
My personal view is the vast majority of people don’t train hard or long enough to suffer from overtraining. That being said training has a cumulative effect meaning the more frequently you train the more stress you cause the body. Now if you are sleeping enough and sleep is an entirely different topic but if you are getting “enough”, eating well in proper quantities and performing some active recovery this shouldn’t be an issue. But for most of us here we hit the gym pretty hard 4-6 days per week so I would say overtraining is a concern. I myself started to feel overtraining effects about 2 months ago. Was doing 2 a day workouts with jujitsu in the middle. I started to have very decreased energy levels, my whole body hurt . All the common symptoms of overtraining. Here is a few symptoms to be on the look out for,
1. Decreased performance.
The telltale sign of overtraining is a lack of improved performance, despite an increase in training intensity or volume. Decreased agility, strength and endurance, such as slower reaction timesand reduced running speeds are all common signs of overtraining.
2. Increased perceived effort during workouts.
Not only can overtraining decrease performance, it can also make seemingly effortless workouts feel unusually difficult. A clear sign of this is an abnormally elevated heart rate during exercise or throughout the day. If you are experiencing OTS, you may find that it takes longer for your heart rate to return to normal after a workout.
3. Excessive fatigue.
A few days of fatigue or “heavy legs” is expected at times. But fatigue will accumulate in a body that never has a chance to fully recover from previous workouts. Further, chronic, negative energy expenditure leads to something called “low energy availability,” which means that the body is consistently pulling from its own energy stores (carbs, protein, fat). This can be the result of too much training or too little fueling.
4. Agitation and moodiness.
Overtraining significantly affects your stress hormones, including cortisol and epinephrine. This hormonal imbalance can cause mood swings, unusual irritability and an inability to concentrate.
5. Insomnia or restless sleep.
Sleep ideally provides the body time to rest and repair itself. But overproduction of stress hormones, as mentioned above, may not allow you to wind down or completely relax, making sleep much less effective (which compounds chronic fatigue and moodiness).
6. Loss of appetite.
A hormone imbalance can also affect hunger and satiety mechanisms. More training should stimulate more appetite, but the physiological exhaustion of OTS can actually lead to appetite suppression.
7. Chronic or nagging injuries.
Overused muscles and joints can cause constant aches or joint pain. Pain that does not subside in two weeks (or so) should be considered a notable injury. Overtraining taxes all of the body’s systems and also makes it more difficult to ward off infections. Thus, frequent illnesses and upper-respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are signs as well. Medical complications may also include low bone mineral density and low testosterone.
8. Metabolic imbalances.
Long-term low energy availability may lead to nutrient deficiencies, such as iron deficiency anemia, which have the potential to harm both health and performance. Medical complications can also involve the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, nervous or reproductive systems (e.g., menstrual cycle disturbances in women).
9. Psychological stress and/or depression.
If you’re like me you live for punishing workouts and grueling competitions. If this sounds like you, the inability to train (combined with an imbalance of hormones and lack of quality sleep) can significantly affect your psyche.
A better approach is to follow a periodized training program that includes both active recovery and complete rest. Rest can be frustrating, but recognize that a day or two spent on the foam roller is better than a day or two in bed. Recovery today not only allows for greater production tomorrow, but likely fewer missed training days over the next few months.
My personal view is the vast majority of people don’t train hard or long enough to suffer from overtraining. That being said training has a cumulative effect meaning the more frequently you train the more stress you cause the body. Now if you are sleeping enough and sleep is an entirely different topic but if you are getting “enough”, eating well in proper quantities and performing some active recovery this shouldn’t be an issue. But for most of us here we hit the gym pretty hard 4-6 days per week so I would say overtraining is a concern. I myself started to feel overtraining effects about 2 months ago. Was doing 2 a day workouts with jujitsu in the middle. I started to have very decreased energy levels, my whole body hurt . All the common symptoms of overtraining. Here is a few symptoms to be on the look out for,
1. Decreased performance.
The telltale sign of overtraining is a lack of improved performance, despite an increase in training intensity or volume. Decreased agility, strength and endurance, such as slower reaction timesand reduced running speeds are all common signs of overtraining.
2. Increased perceived effort during workouts.
Not only can overtraining decrease performance, it can also make seemingly effortless workouts feel unusually difficult. A clear sign of this is an abnormally elevated heart rate during exercise or throughout the day. If you are experiencing OTS, you may find that it takes longer for your heart rate to return to normal after a workout.
3. Excessive fatigue.
A few days of fatigue or “heavy legs” is expected at times. But fatigue will accumulate in a body that never has a chance to fully recover from previous workouts. Further, chronic, negative energy expenditure leads to something called “low energy availability,” which means that the body is consistently pulling from its own energy stores (carbs, protein, fat). This can be the result of too much training or too little fueling.
4. Agitation and moodiness.
Overtraining significantly affects your stress hormones, including cortisol and epinephrine. This hormonal imbalance can cause mood swings, unusual irritability and an inability to concentrate.
5. Insomnia or restless sleep.
Sleep ideally provides the body time to rest and repair itself. But overproduction of stress hormones, as mentioned above, may not allow you to wind down or completely relax, making sleep much less effective (which compounds chronic fatigue and moodiness).
6. Loss of appetite.
A hormone imbalance can also affect hunger and satiety mechanisms. More training should stimulate more appetite, but the physiological exhaustion of OTS can actually lead to appetite suppression.
7. Chronic or nagging injuries.
Overused muscles and joints can cause constant aches or joint pain. Pain that does not subside in two weeks (or so) should be considered a notable injury. Overtraining taxes all of the body’s systems and also makes it more difficult to ward off infections. Thus, frequent illnesses and upper-respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are signs as well. Medical complications may also include low bone mineral density and low testosterone.
8. Metabolic imbalances.
Long-term low energy availability may lead to nutrient deficiencies, such as iron deficiency anemia, which have the potential to harm both health and performance. Medical complications can also involve the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, nervous or reproductive systems (e.g., menstrual cycle disturbances in women).
9. Psychological stress and/or depression.
If you’re like me you live for punishing workouts and grueling competitions. If this sounds like you, the inability to train (combined with an imbalance of hormones and lack of quality sleep) can significantly affect your psyche.
A better approach is to follow a periodized training program that includes both active recovery and complete rest. Rest can be frustrating, but recognize that a day or two spent on the foam roller is better than a day or two in bed. Recovery today not only allows for greater production tomorrow, but likely fewer missed training days over the next few months.
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Seriously, I need a break. I don’t think I’ve taken more than a week off in probably 10 years… I even look at the Gyms at hotels for vacation… I think the month of July I am taking a break for the month. Break from training, diet and products I use. I just need to reset. 
