Even newbies can overtrain

Here’s some signs and symptoms to be aware of in regards to overtraining and overreaching. They are grouped into physical and psychological categories. Now if you suffer from a couple of these, it’s not a sign of overtraining. If you have 5+ of these on a regular basis, it is probably cause to adjust your schedule. Just because I can’t sleep one night does not mean i’m overtraining.

Physical Signs & Symptoms;

* Elevated resting pulse / heart rate
* Frequent minor infections
* Increased susceptibility to colds and flu’s
* Increases in minor injuries
* Chronic muscle soreness or joint pain
* Exhaustion
* Lethargy
* Weight loss
* Appetite loss
* Insatiable thirst or dehydration
* Intolerance to exercise
* Decreased performance
* Delayed recovery from exercise

Psychological Signs & Symptoms;

* Fatigued, tired, drained, lack of energy
* Reduced ability to concentrate
* Apathy or no motivation
* Irritability
* Anxiety
* Depression
* Headaches
* Insomnia
* Inability to relax
* Twitchy, fidgety or jittery

There’s a lot to be aware of when it comes to your body’s signals about pushing yourself too far. The most common sign of overtraining is the total loss of motivation to train and maybe other areas of your life, mixed with some the symptoms above and exhaustion. It might be wise to take a break if you are not motivated, exhausted and you have some of the symptoms above. I’m a big believer in taking a training break every 10-12 weeks anyway to keep myself from ever reaching the above states of potential overtraining. It helps to take a break regardless but that’s up to you. I've hit that overtraining wall twice and both times it set me back, not weeks, but months...seriously, I see quite a few people on the boards, exercising like maniacs, burning ridiculous amounts of calories, for hours and hours on end. More isn't always better. :drinker: