Show Notes
Overtraining: Chronically training with a higher volume or intensity than you can handle
Overreaching: Intentionally training with more volume or intensity than you can handle for a defined period of time
Underrecovering: A way to explain that an athlete’s state of overtraining is caused by lack of adherence to Basic Lifestyle Guidelines
(e.g. lack of sleep quantity or quality, poor nutrition quality or quantity, poor training hygiene, etc.
Podcast: Evaluating Readiness to Train: Sleep, Nutrition, Fatigue & Pain
Article: Evaluating Readiness to Train and Fatigue Indicators
Overtraining Red Flags
Here’s red flags if you’re at risk for overtraining
(More Red Flags = More Risk of Overtraining)
(1) You consistently miss sessions
- Oversleeping
- Finding an excuse
- Nagging minor injuries / the “niggles”
(2) Despite training more, your fitness stagnates or declines
- Can’t Express Strength / Tension
- Can’t “Go There” – Unable to Persist through metabolic fatigue
(3) Your joints always hurt & your positions are getting worse
- Poor movers will approach overtraining quicker
- Warm-ups start taking longer and longer
- General achiness & less pain tolerance
(4) You don’t have the mental bandwidth / patience / tolerance to learn more skills
- Skill are going the wrong way (unlearning skills, failing skill-based movements)
- You get frustrated quicker than usual
- You “snap” or have emotional swings that are uncharacteristic
(5) Your mood & energy is “off”
- You’re feeling groggy, foggy, irritable
- You’re sleeping during the day
- You’re always cold
- Your appetite is low
- Your libido is low
Quickest Tests for Overtraining
(1) Power | max vertical jump (issue is you have to wait until you’re warm-up up and ready to do that, which isn’t super helpful)
(2) HRV (or) RHR | time of day, body orientation, breath patterns all affect both (be consistent)
(3) CO2 Tolerance | single, uninterrupted exhale, as slowly as possible
(4) Mood | high stress, low interest in interaction with others, generally more sober / depressed = greater risk of overtraining
Big Picture Takeaways
Stay on Top of Your Lifestyle
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Movement Quality
Keep an Eye Out for Overtraining Red Flags
- You consistently miss sessions
- Despite training more, your fitness stagnates or declines
- Your joints always hurt & your positions are getting worse
- You don’t have the mental bandwidth / patience / tolerance to learn more skills
- Your mood & energy is “off”
Institute Reactive Deloads When Necessary
- Once metrics are “out of bounds” be willing & disciplined to take a step back.
- This is a much easier when you have a coach because (A) you avoid saying “oh I need a deload” and then just taking multiple complete rest days, or (B) feeling like you’re being soft and instead keep grinding and digging yourself deeper into a hole.
