Are You Overtrained?

I’ve seen some of you give me “the look,” so I know you can relate. I am talking about “the look” I get when I don’t allow students to pay for a membership upgrade. You’d think as a coach trying to make a living that there isn’t a sweeter sound than that of a student wanting to upgrade his/her membership. Making more money is the name of the game right?

Are you pooped?

Well, not exactly… The name of the game is growing fitness. It’s results and improvement. It’s the tangible stuff we can hang our hat on and say, “That’s growth!”

I’d like to think FFOTB is a bit more mature than to simply sign up the most amount people for the most amount of money. If we are putting people in position to accomplish their goals, then we are doing our job. However, if our students are too sore, injured, or unmotivated to surpass their goals that leaves an unhappy student and an unsuccessful gym. That’s exactly why I’ve told some of you to train less, even if it means less money for FFOTB.

More isn’t always better. It’s all too easy to get sucked into the Americana of two workouts being better than one, longer workouts are better than short, more weight is better than less, etc. What are we seeking after all? Isn’t this about performing/looking/feeling better? If training 6 times a week isn’t making you stronger or faster, what’s the point?

Training volume should only ever be as much as one can recover from.  If your body doesn’t recover, it cannot make the intended adaptations. Period. Naturally, this means the proper “dosage”of training is relative. If one can recover from two workouts in a day, positive adaptation will result. For another athlete, this may be worse than not training at all. What makes us more fit is the changes our bodies make AFTER we train. The juice, then, isn’t necessarily in the working out, it’s in the recovery.

Overtraining is real. And, it’s not just for the super athletes. People that exercise as an escape and have created a comfort zone in working out are extremely susceptible to overtraining. Maybe using exercise  as a defense mechanism isn’t the worst habit to have, but its implications shouldn’t be overlooked. Always hurt? Do you find yourself training with no real plan or purpose? Despite intense training has your improvement plateaued? I am talking to you.

How do I know if I am over trained? Each morning track your resting heart rate in your workout log. Spikes in your resting heart rate can indicate your body’s lack of ability to recover. Training in this zone may be making you less fit (amongst other things).

 

“[Train] responsibly.”

 

Logan Gelbrich

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Monday’s Workout:

AMRAP 4

6 Lunges

6 KB Front Squats

 

-Rest 2 Min-

 

AMRAP 4

6 V-ups

6 Windshield Wipers

 

-Rest 2 Min-

 

AMRAP 4

6 Jumping Lunges

6 KB Thrusters

 

-Rest 2 Min-

 

AMRAP 4

6 V-ups

6 Windshields

 

 



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