Overtraining

Overtraining

A major, potential, problem with people exercising is overtraining. Many beginners, when they first begin training, over train, I know I did. Overtraining, as the name suggests, is essentially when some trains too much so that their body cannot recover in time. Overtraining is most common in weight training, but can also occur with runners and other athletes. Overtraining can stem from many things. For example, some people feel that the more they workout, the more they will benefit and they allow for no recovery time.

Symptoms of Overtraining

There are a wide variety of problems that can develop through overtraining. This list covers many of them:

• Plateau in performance
• Chronic Fatigue
• Injury
• Sore Joints and Muscles
• No motivation to workout
• Lack of Appetite
• Weight Loss
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Illness
• Lack of Sex Drive

Recovering from Overtraining

Luckily, overtraining is easy to get over. Essentially, the only thing that needs to be done is rest. We still need to maintain your diet as we would normally, but the rest will allow the muscles to recover and get back to the levels they should be.

Prevention of Overtraining

There are simple ways of ensuring that we do not overtrain in the first place. Firstly, and possibly the most important factor, we should allow for a substantial rest period between workouts. If we have an intense arms workout on Monday, then Tuesday we should rest the arms and focus on other muscles. Another good method is to ensure that we have a variety in our exercise routines and training techniques. Outside of exercise, things like a good diet and the correct amount of sleep will help to ensure that we do not overtrain.

My 5 key exercises

I am going to discuss what I consider to be 5 key exercises that I incorporate into my workouts each week. These are exercises that I think are the best. I primarily complete home workouts and each of these exercises can be completed at home any time.

1. Pull ups – pull ups are probably the best exercise from this list. They are so beneficial to us and should be included in our workouts. They are great for the biceps, the back, the shoulders and the core.

2. Push ups – a must in any home workout! This exercise works the triceps, shoulders, chest and back muscles and also helps strengthen the core.

3. Squats – this is my favourite workout for the legs. Squats contribute to increasing the size of the leg muscles (and the buttocks) and also help to develop core strength. The exercise can be made more difficult by adding weights. These help to create explosive power in our legs!

4. Skipping – the benefits of skipping are vast. This is where the cardio comes from in my list. Skipping helps to improve fitness, flexibility, co-ordination and balance. The great thing about skipping is that it is easier on the knees than running/jogging and cycling.

5. The Plank – my love for The Plank is no secret. It may be my favourite exercise of all time! It has been in my workouts for so long now and I can’t see it leaving. The Plank helps develop core strength, and tones the abdominal muscles.

This, of course, is just my opinion. These are the exercises that I get the most out of and do the best for me. However, I think that if you use them correctly, they will help to develop the body that you want.