How can you know if you are overtraining?

It is important to be mindful of the potential for overtraining, as excessive training can lead to breaking down the body rather than building it up. Nonetheless, overtraining is not a common issue for most individuals.

While you may feel like you are overtraining, it is often normal to experience soreness and fatigue after intense workouts. If you are concerned about overtraining, you can use the following checklist to evaluate how your body is responding:

According to studies, overtraining can present symptoms similar to depression and chronic fatigue, including the following seven common indicators:

• Increase in resting heart rate and blood pressure

• Symptoms resembling insomnia and difficulty sleeping

• Digestive issues

• Consistent low energy levels and negative mood

• Changes in mood and personality

• Decreased motivation and self-esteem

• Feelings of sadness and lack of interest

In severe cases of overtraining, the immune system may become compromised, leading to various health problems such as upper respiratory infections and delayed healing.

Even if you are not technically overtrained, a simple method to determine if you require more focus on recovery is by utilizing the "rate of perceived recovery" (RPR) scale. This scale evaluates how you feel before and during your training sessions, allowing you to adjust your approach accordingly.

The RPR scale rates your perceived effort during exercises as follows:

• 10: Max effort, struggling to complete repetitions

• 9: Heavy lift, with one rep left in the tank

• 8: Heavy lift, with two reps left in the tank

• 7: Moderate weight, several reps remaining

If most of your exercises consistently feel like a 9 or 10, it may be time to take a day or two off or adjust your training program and recovery routine. The key is to maintain high intensity in your workouts over time without constantly training to failure. Gradually increasing intensity while managing recovery is crucial for continual improvement.

Here is a basic template for managing intensity to enhance recovery and promote strength gains:

• Week 1: Establish a baseline weight for your program without pushing to failure

• Week 2: Increase intensity while leaving a rep or two in reserve on each set

• Week 3: Maintain higher intensity, aiming for a perceived effort of "9"

• Week 4: Strive for personal bests without taking every set to complete failure

Remember that this outline serves as a general guide to help you control intensity levels and optimize recovery in your training routine.