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Jessica:
Your body is a remarkable machine. You can put it under incredible amounts of stress and it will adapt so that it can better handle the work load. That’s why weight training is so beneficial. As you tear your muscles down by lifting weights, your body repairs itself and responds by increasing the size, strength and endurance of your muscles. The next time you workout the weight is easier and you are able to handle a tougher work load. Makes sense right? If you work hard you will get results. Not always!

What most people don’t realize is that the body has a defense mechanism that will bring your workouts to a screeching halt if you don’t take proper care of yourself. This is commonly referred to as overtraining. Overtraining rears its ugly head by sending several warning signs. The best defense against overtraining is to learn listen to your body. It will tell you if you need to slow down. The most common warning signs are the following:

• Decrease in energy level
• Prolonged muscle soreness
• Loss of strength
• Low resistance to colds and sickness
• Sore joints
• Frequent injuries
• Poor quality of sleep

Since these symptoms can be caused by a variety of medical problems it’s important to see a doctor to rule out any other illnesses. If everything checks out and you are given a clean bill of health there is a good possibility that you are overtraining. There is currently no test medical test that can tell you for sure if you are suffering from this condition but if you have 2 or more of the above symptoms you should make some changes in your workout routine.

In order to treat overtraining it’s important to understand what caused it in the first place. The causes of overtraining include:

• Not getting enough rest
• Poor nutrition
• Dehydration
• Working body parts too frequently
• Doing too many sets or exercises
• Failure to take time off from the gym
• Stress

Overtraining is basically the body’s way of telling you that you need to slow down and allow yourself time to fully recover. In my experiences most people over train because they don’t have a plan. They go to the gym with good intentions and work as hard as they can. They become caught up in the idea that more is always better. They don’t keep records of the amount of exercises, sets or repetitions they complete. They figure if 3 days a week has given them good results than 7 days will be even better. They fail to realize that rest is just as important as working out.

So if you are feeling tired and run down you may want to check to see if your work out is causing your problems. Always consult a doctor first. However if all other medical conditions are ruled out it may be as easy as cutting back the volume and intensity of your workout.