Personal Trainer Online : Workoutwiz.com : Are You Overtraining?

In This Issue.........

I. Symptoms of Overtraining.

II. Preventing Overtraining.

As the new year begins, so does a new commitment to exercise and eating healthier. This is the time of the year when many enthusiastic people jump head first into a new exercise program. Hoping to make this the year that they will get into the best shape of their life.

The only problem here is that to much enthusiasm often leads to overtraining. Which is one of the reasons why most people who begin a new exercise program will quit within the first three weeks. Don't think that overtraining is only limited to beginners. Many experienced athletes also suffer from overtraining without realizing it.

According to the old saying, "You can never get to much of a good thing." When it comes to bodybuilding and weight training. The old saying doesn't apply. Exercising to often can actually cause your muscles to shrink and your strength to decrease. Since your muscles grow while you're resting (not while you're training). It makes a lot of sense to give your body as much time to rest and recover as possible.

How do you know if you're overtraining?

Symptoms of Overtraining

Here are a few of the most common symptoms that most people experience when overtrained:

- fatigue (most common)

- increased moodiness

- easily irritated

- altered sleep patterns

- mild depression

- lower resistance to viruses

- loss of motivation

Preventing Overtraining

Different people have their own individual reasons that caused their bodies to go into a state of being overtrained. The one cure that works well for most people is very simple. Rest. Take 5-7 days off from exercising. This sounds very easy, but it can be very challenging for people who love to workout. Personally, once I convince myself to take a few days off, I'm always a little stronger when returning to the gym.

Undereating will also cause your body to go into a state of overtraining. For example, if you're using one of the custom routines from workoutwiz.com (which are all designed to prevent overtraining), but you're still experiencing some of the symptoms of overtraining. Take a good look at your nutritional program. If you still haven't developed an effective nutritional program, you can do so by clicking here.

Athletes need much more nutrients than people who don't exercise regularly. Neglecting to supply your body with the nutrients that it needs to recover properly can cause it to become overtrained.

Start the new year right with a sensible program that won't cause you to'burn out' before you begin to experience all the positive results. For those people who are already experiencing some of the symptoms of overtraining. Take a few days off and examine your nutritional program. A brief, planned break from training is always much better than waiting until you are so tired that you feel like quitting.

Print this article.

Send this newsletter to a friend.