Overtraining: Signs and Symptoms

Overtraining: Signs and Symptoms

by Jeff Loveland

Here at Unlimited Personal Training we encourage our clients train as often as possible. That is the reason why we offer unlimited training sessions as a core product. Problem is, what happens when that threshold is crossed and training proves too much? Shoulders start to cave, lower back pain shows up, mental clarity ceases to exist. Many problems tend to accumulate until a breaking point is reached and rest and recovery is forced to take the place of training. This concept is known as “overtraining.”

World-renowned physical therapist and internationally recognized strength coach Gray Cook stated “if you get injured, that takes away from training time.” Every trainer and coach at Unlimited Personal Training embraces this statement and works hard to identify high risk areas and address them with proper recovery and regeneration techniques. Unfortunately, we can only work with a client for a very limited amount of time. For the other twenty-three hours outside of our studio, clients are moving, lifting, and going about their day with various physical challenges. In previous months we have shared strategies on how to take care of your body to avoid overtraining and injury. Now let us review what the red flags of overtraining are that anyone can easily identify.

To start off, there are three stages of overtraining (otherwise known as the General Adaptation Syndrome). Stage one is alarm, which is when the body identifies and reacts to a stressor. To make this easier we will use a lunge as an example. During the alarm stage the lunge is executed with no issues. Stage two is the resistance stage. The body is able to adapt and handle the stress without any significant damage to the body’s systems. After performing those sets and reps of lunges, nervous and musculoskeletal adaptations take place. In other words you become stronger and better able to perform that lunge. The third stage, exhaustion, is one our trainers work hard to prevent with our clients. When clients enter the exhaustion stage, they fail to adapt to the training stimulus. The most likely result is either injury or a plateau.

Many blatant and subtle changes occur once a person enters stage three (or even the end of stage two) of the General Adaptation Syndrome. Here are a few to look out for which will be the easiest to identify:

• Increased fatigue

• Lack of concentration

• Cessation of an increase in lean body mass OR decrease in lean body mass

• Increased resting heart rate

• Increased OR decreased amounts of sleep

In short, your trainer at Unlimited Personal Training is monitoring all of these factors and more, including analysis of your Bioelectric Impedance Analysis, ability to acclimate and adapt to new exercise patterns, and food analysis when reviewing daily diet habits. In the rare case stage three has appeared, consult with your trainer and ask for the best regeneration techniques you can perform inside and outside of the studio. Examples of regeneration and recovery include: Self-Myofascial Release, compression therapy, static and dynamic str

etching, meditation, and much more. This does not include proper diet or an adequate amount of sleep, along with paid services such as massage therapy or chiropractic work. Consult your trainer at Unlimited Personal Training for more information. Keep on moving forward!

This article is for educational purposes only. Do not use this as medical guidance or diagnosis.