Strength training is a very exciting activity practiced by many people. While some people go to the gym to keep their bodies healthy, others do it to sculpt their muscles. However, going to the gym can become very taxing especially when you overdo the sessions (watch out for injuries). This article explains the concept of overtraining and how to achieve your fitness goals without overtraining.
What is overtraining in strength training?
To be successful in a weight training program, an athlete must observe a muscle recovery time as they train hard. Maintaining such a balance can seem difficult, as it only takes a simple lack of rest for the athlete to begin exhibiting symptoms of overtraining.
Overtraining, a different state from occasional fatigue
The concept of overtraining should not be confused with momentary fatigue. However, it is not immediately obvious whether an athlete is suffering from one or the other. But if there is a nuance to be made, it is that the athlete who is exposed to occasional fatigue does not show physical or psychological symptoms of overtraining. Rather, momentary breathlessness is an increase in stress for bodybuilders. On the other hand, when it comes to overtraining, the athlete is in a bad mood constantly without a particular reason.
How long does it take to recover from these states of fatigue?
To fully recover from occasional fatigue and return to the gym, the athlete must wait a few weeks. In the case of overtraining, recovery takes much longer (up to several months). In fact, the athlete's capacities deteriorate in the long term. This condition leads to a decrease in the athlete's abilities and performance. The athlete suffers from muscle pain, even after several days of rest.
Can overtraining be caused by over motivation?
The human body acts according to the wishes of the mind. For example, thoughts and emotions play an important role when it comes to performing a task. The same is true for strength training. An athlete with a strong motivation will be more willing to achieve the goals he or she has set. It is a very good thing to be motivated to succeed in your sports programme.
However, there are some limits that should not be crossed. Very often, bodybuilders who are overly motivated overdo the physical exercises to the point of overtraining. High motivation can become a threat to the athlete.
Overtraining resulting from over motivation can force the athlete to take a long break while recovering. This will certainly slow down the athlete's success in achieving his or her goals. Furthermore, the athlete may even be forced to stop going to the gym permanently.
What could be the causes of overtraining?
Increasing muscle mass is not the only goal for an athlete. There are many reasons why an athlete may go to the gym frequently. However, if the fitness program tends to be damaging to the athlete's well-being, it is likely that the athlete has set a goal that is a little too exaggerated.
Striving to excel at all costs
Like any system, the human body has limits that it cannot exceed. When you are overflowing with positive feelings about bodybuilding, it is very likely that you do not take these limits into account. This is how the effects of overtraining manifest themselves. This is because the body gradually adapts to the stress that is inflicted on it during training.
It is this stress that allows the muscles to grow in size and become even stronger. On the other hand, when this form of aggression applied to the body becomes unbearable for the latter,the state of the sportsman deteriorates considerably.
Poor nutrition and lack of recovery time
Poor nutrition and insufficient recovery time can also be the causes of overtraining. On the one hand, when your dietary programme is limited during the training period,you rather weaken your body as you exercise. On the other hand, when you do not have time for muscle recovery, your body becomes overworked. Indeed, the rest time not only allows you to concrete the result expected during the physical effort, but also to recover strength for the next sessions.
When an athlete trains hard under these conditions, three situations arise: either he/she fails to progress in his/her sports programme, or he/she suffers serious injuries, or he/she ends up giving up because of the lack of results. It is therefore essential to know the different signs of overtraining in order to take the necessary steps to remedy it.
How do you know if you are overtraining?
There are several signs that an athlete may be overtraining. These include:
- Increased heart rate;
- Prolonged joint pain;
- Lack of sleep;
- Disruption of hormonal secretions;
A strong acceleration of the heart rate
When you overtrain, your heart becomes increasingly faster. This is one of the main reasons why athletes are strongly advised to know their resting heart rate (HR). A normal human heart can beat between 60 and 100 times per minute.
People who participate in sports generally have a more efficient heart function. This is because their hearts beat as slowly as possible to ensure excellent blood circulation. When you overdo the training sessions, your heart beats harder than usual.
This is a sign that is also observed after taking a drug or a substance like caffeine. If you feel this way, you should take a few days of rest and eat well during this period of relaxation. If your condition does not improve, it would be wise to consult a doctor.
The presence of prolonged joint pain
Muscles and bones play a very important role during weight training. The stress to which they are subjected during physical effort inevitably leads to damage. For this reason it is important to take 48 to 72 hours of rest between each exercise session.
When you experience chronic fatigue which takes a long time, it is very likely that your joints are exhausted from overtraining. Muscle pain is also an indicator of overtraining. So you need to learn to listen to your body to know when to rest.
A vulnerability of the immune system
Overtraining causes the athlete's immune system to become increasingly weakened. This is an obstacle to muscle recovery. According to scientific research, 90 minutes of hard training can make you vulnerable to illness after 72 hours. This is why you should necessarily opt for a rest period after each exercise.
Disruption of hormone secretion
Hormone secretion is also an activity that is influenced by overtraining. The athlete who overuses weight training can be a victim of an excess of cortisol and adrenaline secretion. These can lead to an abnormal increase in blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the body.
Apart from adrenaline, the sportsman who overtakes training can easily lose his appetite. The lack of calories resulting from this lack of appetite can prevent the body from recovering quickly, and thus force the athlete to stop going to the gym.
Lack of sleep
Overtraining leads to an increase in cortisol levels. This hormone, in turn,influences the athlete's sleep. In other words, the quality of sleep deteriorates as the athlete pushes his or her limits in the weight room.
