There is such a wide variety of workout options but one thing holds true no matter what you do: improvements in fitness does not occur during the workout session, it occurs in the periods between training sessions. Our body adapts to the stress of exercise while at rest. Think of training as a withdrawal from your bank account. The harder you train, the bigger the withdrawal. The only way to replenish those funds is with rest and recovery. Without it, you are working at a deficit and your bank account goes into debt. When this excessive training occurs on a short-term basis, it is called overreaching. This is the more common and milder form of overtraining. Signs of overreaching are low energy, 'meh' workouts, sore and achey muscles or joints, minor or nagging injuries, not feeling 100%, catching minor bugs, feeling run down (I hope you get the idea). When this occurs over the long term, over training will inevitably occur. The time course for over training greatly depends on the individual but it is much more serious. When over training occurs, you will experience loss of strength, chronic joint and muscle pain, change in mood, sleep disruptions, immune problems, hormonal suppression, altered resting heart rate, and the list goes on. Below I will list a few of the common ailments that I come across every week in the fitness world and how to address them!
- Problem One: Feeling tired and not being able to bring yourself to train. This is a sign of not giving your body adequate time to return to the norms. If this is your problem, take a break. Give yourself 20 minutes each day to relax and shut your eyes, improve your bed time (here are a few tips), take an extra day off, or reduce the volume of training. As Bruce Lee once said, "hack away the unessential". If you are performing exercises or additional sets or reps than your program calls for, that extra energy expended would be better served towards aiding your body in the recovery process. Cut the unessential out of your program and track how you feel. It could make the difference!
- Problem Two: Not having the strength to perform exercises that you once had. If this persists over time, you have a serious problem. If the ideas outlined in problem don't help, you may have a nutrition problem. If this is the case, eat more- primarily carbohydrates. The prime time to eat these carbs is before, during and after your workout. Throw in a little protein and you have yourself a nice recovery meal!
- Problem Three: I am always getting sore. Soreness and strength gains do not have a positive correlation. Increased incidence in soreness is a sign of poor recovery. This is a huge obstacle towards reaching your goals. Increased soreness decreases your likelihood to workout. The ideal fitness plan is a balanced plan that rarely results in soreness. If this is your problem, review your current training plan or ask a fitness professional for recommendations.
- Problem Four: I am always getting sick. If this is your problem and it is persistent, see your doctor. Your training has an effect on your immune system. If your body is constantly fighting off illness, you will not be able to recover adequately from workouts. Get some sleep, reduce your stress and make an effort to improve what you put into your body!
If hard work is all it took, there would be no need for sports science. Excessive training should never be a part of your program. If it is, you better nip it in the butt during the early stages (when it is overreaching) before it becomes a serious detriment to your training and quality of life. Waking up sore and achey is no way to live and are not qualities of a healthy individual. And remember, adaptations to training do not occur during the session, they occur in the periods between sessions. Take this time seriously and reap the rewards!
Thanks for reading!
Chris Fluck
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