Muscle Exhaustion from Overtraining?

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CurriedGrasshopper
CurriedGrasshopper Posts: 86 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I've been going pretty hard for weeks now. 25-65 mins of pretty intense cardio/strength training dvds and some stationary biking nearly every day. Literally have taken off no more then 5 days in about 6 weeks.

Yesterday I pushed myself pretty hard with the biggest loser cardio max dvd + level 2 of the 30Day Shred. Was I tired? Absolutely! But I wasn't going to collapse on the ground with fatigue or anything like that. However..

Last two nights I've been sleeping like ****.. as in waking up multiple times in the night and just not feeling rested.. the workouts have been feeling harder - in that just doing the moves feels more difficult (which seems backwards?).

So today I wake up, tired, listless and even somewhat cranky and short tempered, so I figure okay I'll take it 'easy' and just do level 1 of the 30Day shred.. But same thing, it's like my muscles just can't do the movements with strength and energy.

So is this the dreaded muscle and nerve fatigue from overtaining? Do I need to back off?

Replies

  • jjjuuunnniiieee
    jjjuuunnniiieee Posts: 31
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    My personal trainer told me it's a good idea to take a couple of days off a week from cardio and weight training. You need to give your body time to rest and adjust. :)
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
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    i feel exhausted too from all the work ive been doing too. im taking the day off tommorrow, and just watching what i eat, and ill go for a nice brisk walk on sunday, then monday start up again
  • skinnylizzard
    skinnylizzard Posts: 460 Member
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    Yeah, take it easy for a day. Listen to your body!
  • divingcheap
    divingcheap Posts: 1
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    You actually need the rest. Working out is only a part of losing weight(not even the biggest part) you also need rest. When I take a break after working out solid for 2 months I typically see about a 10 pound increase in my bench. Also try some yoga or meditation that will help you with your frustration.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    You generally don't want to do all 7 days a week. Cardio you can def handle more than strength training.
    However.. when you tax your body like that.. you HAVE to get the carbs and protein and fat. Your body must have the fuel to expend that kind of energy :)
  • ceebs9
    ceebs9 Posts: 511 Member
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    People underestimate the necessity of rest days. I'm going through it right now, too. My body is beat up. 3 days in a row of taking a nap which is highly unusual for me. The final straw was breaking down emotionally in the middle of my workout today. Take some time off. I guarantee you'll come back stronger than before.
  • CurriedGrasshopper
    CurriedGrasshopper Posts: 86 Member
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    Thanks everyone. I guess I'll try and take it easy for a couple of days so stuff can heal. It's just that I do enjoy the extra food calories i'm 'allowed' to have after working out... as with my working a desk job in the winter and therefor being sedentary, and with only being 5'2" even with MFP set at 1lb loss per week they only give me 1200 calories... and these days with my metabolism feeling boosted up it doesn't feel like enough food.
  • stephanielynn76
    stephanielynn76 Posts: 709 Member
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    Sometimes when I train hard I have to take Ibuprofen before bed so that I can sleep all night. I was, like you, waking up with aches, pains, and/or just general soreness. I would think that after a few nights of that and continuing to train hard the next day that your body had just had enough. I agree with everyone else... you HAVE to take a rest day... if not from general cardio at least from weight training.

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