Overtraining: When More Is Definitely Not Better

The American College of Sports Medicine defines overtraining as excessive frequency, duration, or intensity. Learn to recognize the signs — and train smarter.

By Cord Prettyman, MPT

She was a drop-dead gorgeous California beauty – Nike model, frequent music video persona, and an aspiring actress with tremendous pressure to maintain an unrealistic body standard. A typical day consisted of a sixty-minute morning run, a ninety-minute afternoon weight workout, and an hour of kickboxing in the evening. She complained constantly of being chronically tired and sore, with erratic appetite and mood swings. As her trainer, I had to educate her on the negative impact of overtraining.

Exercise can profoundly improve the quality and longevity of your life. But if overdone, it has serious negative consequences. The American College of Sports Medicine defines overtraining as excessive frequency, duration, or intensity.

The psychological symptoms often appear first: mood swings, decreased motivation, loss of confidence and concentration, raised levels of tension, depression, anger, fatigue, anxiety, and irritability.

The physiological symptoms include decreased body weight and appetite, sleep disturbances, elevated resting heart rate and blood pressure, chronic muscle soreness, unexplained nausea, injury, and a suppressed immune system.

Here's how to avoid overtraining and still get maximum results. Every exercise program has four variables: mode, frequency, duration, and intensity.

Mode is the exercise and equipment you're using. Cross-training is a must for aerobic programs – walk, run, cycle, swim, ski, snowshoe, row, or use an elliptical. Change your program regularly for a better training effect. In strength training, doing the same exercises repeatedly yields diminishing returns and raises injury risk.

Frequency: a balanced week calls for three days of strength training alternating with three days of aerobic conditioning, followed by a day of rest. One exercise bout per day is enough.

Duration: ACSM calls for 30 to 60 minutes per session. Training benefits are minimal and injury risk rises significantly for sessions lasting longer.

Intensity is the greatest culprit in overtraining. Alternate between hard days and easy days. Your perceived exertion should range from "somewhat hard" to "hard." It's OK to spike at "very hard" occasionally, but don't live there.

Remember: life is a marathon, not a wind sprint. Train smart.

Cord Prettyman is an IDEA Master Personal Trainer with 32 years of experience at the Montana Athletic Club. Reach him at 406-837-2582.