Overtrained? 5 Signs That You Are Overdoing It in Training
In our enthusiasm to train as hard as possible to improve our bjj, we can sometimes push ourselves too hard in our training. Instead of improving, we can get into a training rut or worse…get worse! Our body has a finite capacity to repair itself after a workout. If we exceed our body’s ability to recover from the previous day’s training, we can descend into a chronically overtrained state.
In addition to your classes and rolling at the bjj academy, we must also factor in the other physical activity (for example weight training, running, striking training, etc.) that we are demanding of ourselves in a week of workouts.
Read also: 5 Great Methods of Physical Conditioning for BJJ
Top trainers recommend monitoring one’s resting heart rate in the morning before getting out of bed upon waking. An upward spike in that resting heart rate indicates that the body is working harder to recover from the energy expenditure.
Here are five other indicators that you may be overtrained
1) Persistent aches and pains
While it is common to feel stiff and sore after a tough training session, if you find that you are always feeling sore in your joints, it is a sign that your body is not able to heal fully between sessions.
Sore wrists, fingers, shoulders…an accumulation of soft tissue pains is one of the surest signs that you are overtraining.
2) Loss of enthusiasm
Remember those days when you couldn’t wait to get to the academy and get your roll on?
These days you feel like you are dragging yourself to the academy and inwardly cringe at the thought of having to get your body moving. The couch and video games seem far more appealing.
This is a sign that you are going mentally stale and may need a little break. A fatigued body will manifest itself in a loss of mental enthuisiasm.
3) Feeling exhausted all of the time
You don’t need a degree in kineisiology to figure this one out!
If you are dragging yourself around and feeling fatigued, you are not returning to your baseline of feeling a normal level of energy.
In severe cases, you may need to completely cease training for a period to allow the body to fully recover.
4) Insomnia
This seems like a contradiction to #3 but those who have suffered from insomnia know that it is possible to be very tired, yet unable to achieve a restful nights sleep.
The body and mind are “over-revving” like an engine and you are unable to settle into a healthy sleep cycle.
Unfortunately, this tends to exacerbate the problem further!
5) Performance decrease
This is another surefire sign that you are overtrained.
While you can not judge too much from any one training session, if you are seeing a regression in your performance while rolling over a period, something is wrong.
If you feel that you are slower, less coordinated and unable to execute your favorite techniques with the precision and sharpness that you usually can, you may need a break.
How to remedy an overtrained state?
Rest. More attention to your nutrition. Perhaps you might need to reduce some of your other activities to lessen your overall physical load during the week.
Read also:5 Ways to Eat Better