Many times I hear, “I’m not lifting that much…how could I be over trained?” This question pops up more around pre-season while athletes are conditioning and still lifting as they were in the off-season. So how much is too much in regards to overtraining? That depends on so many factors, but my point today is that you may not be doing too much lifting or conditioning– you may just have too much going on.
Just need 5 more minutes…
The “too much” thing could be related to work, school, relationships, relocating or a number of additional stressors that combined together can put you over the edge. It’s all about “Stress” (some stress is worse than others for your body and may be harder or easier to deal with on a personal level, but none the less, it’s still stress). You could almost say you’re “overliving” rather than overtraining. Regardless how you slice it…you still may be in need of some peace and quiet and a solution. I know, easier said than done.
If you’re unable to complete what normally is an easy workout or you’re waking up tired and feel fatigued throughout the day, your strength is down, you have increased aches and pains and maybe a loss of appetite…you’re probably over trained, or at least on your way.
So what’s the solution…how do you prevent overtraining and do what your coach says and still peak for the start, mid- and post-season? The answer, as with most questions like this is dependant on the athlete. The best way to prevent overtraining is to have a plan in place that looks equally at rest and recovery as much as it does accomplishing physical goals. Many coaches (and most elite athletes) are focused on “doing more” to get better. The books tell us that one of the main principles of training is progressive overload. What the books don’t talk (enough) about is what that really means to the athlete or how to progress a group of athletes in a team setting. Much more on this subject soon, we’re dedicating a complete chapter to it in the FIT2PLAY MANIFESTO that will be finished later this year.
Prevent the mistakes before they happen – make sure (as best as possible) there is a balance between stress and rest (training and recovery). Remember that an athlete needs to progress their workload; it doesn’t make much sense to take someone that has not run more than a mile and blast them with six miles, three times the first week of training (most sports I know of do not have the need to run that distance anyway…more on this too). Many coaches try to make up for lost time and will increase the intensity as well as the volume (amount done)…this is a recipe for overtraining. Instead, plan easy (recovery) days, throughout your weekly / monthly plan. Training often is good, just remember to train FRESH!
maybe a little too much…
#1 Tip that will help teams perform better – get rid of HELL WEEK. If the goal is to break down athletes so they cannot perform, keep it. Seriously, the 80’s were a long time ago. I do not know one positive (physical) quality in the archaic tradition known as “hell week”.
Make sure to drink water throughout the day, get plenty of rest, eat enough (fruit loops do not count…you’d probably be better off eating the box than the cereal), listen to your body…communicate with your coach and let them know if you got stuff going on that may cause more stress than normal.
It’s better to have a plan in place than to deal with overtraining after the fact, especially when you consider that it can take weeks and even months to recover.
Stay Strong – plan ahead!
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