How To Avoid Overtraining

tired from overtraining

Are you tired, burnt out, or lacking motivation?

It is far too common these days to hear that overtraining doesn’t exist. I call bullshit! It certainly does exist, especially if you are a natural guy. The guys promoting that you can lift 6-7 days a week are on steroids or the handful of genetic freaks who can get away with it.

It’s the exception, not the rule!

There are several factors that contribute to your body’s threshold for training: primarily, your hormonal health, testosterone levels, HGH levels, training experience, and body fat levels.

Each person is different, so you will have to find your own sweet spot.

You must also remember, overtraining isn’t just about your muscles. You can overtrain your nervous system and endocrine system. And the latter are usually the first to be overtrained. In fact, your muscles are pretty good at adapting and getting used to training, I think more so than the nervous system and endocrine system.

Effects of Overtraining

  • Low Testosterone – Click HERE if you want to know why T-levels are so important!
  • Compromised Immune System
  • Sleeplessness
  • Mood Swings
  • Slowed Mental and Physical Recovery
sleeping lion

How you feel when you’re overtraining.

Are You Overtraining?

There are a few things I have learned over the years, both personally and through reading, that have helped avoid overtraining. The three that I have found the most useful are;

  1. Lack of Motivation – If I truly don’t want to go to the gym I know something is up, especially if it lasts for more than a few days. Occasionally, you may have a day here and there where you don’t want to work out, that is normal. But if you constantly don’t want to go and dread the thought of the gym, there is a good chance you are overtraining and need a break.
  2. If you wake up without morning wood then something is wrong. This usually relates to messed up T-levels. Overtraining = Lower T-levels = No morning wood
  3. This is a cool trick I learned online and instead of explaining it, I encourage you to watch the video below.

Conclusion

I have found that, for me, 3 days a week with proper heavy lifting is my sweet spot. Any more than that and I will lose motivation after about a month and will have no desire to hit the gym. If I stick to 3 days a week I can continue to lift month after month without burn out.

This stuff will vary for each guy but you must understand that overtraining is real. There are several side effects from it. Use the three tests I listed and find out where you can train properly and continuously without overtraining and stalling progress.

If you think you are overtrained then take a week or two off and relax as much as possible. Don’t freak out about losing muscle or not training. Continuing to push through an overtrained state will do more harm than good. You’ll be thankful you took the time off to recover and it will pay tenfold over the long term.

Fitness is about enhancing your life and making it better! Don’t ignore your body and what it’s telling you.

Be Fit. Dress Great!

 

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  • There is no such thing as a genetic freak. There are people with clean habits and great work ethic. Outside of that I have never seen the ever elusive genetic freak. I have seen a tremendous amount of fakes. Good article Will.

    • I have met one in my life. But yes, clean habits, work ethic, and consistency are what the greats are made of.