Is overtraining really a big problem for most people who exercise?

Read any health and fitness magazine and each year they will produce numerous articles on the dangers of over-training. Really… is this such a big problem? Not in my experience.

I have owned and operated gyms for over twenty years and rarely have I seen anyone over-train. The truth is that people don’t over-train, they under-recover. This is a far bigger and more common issue. Your body can tolerate fairly extreme levels of fatigue and exertion, certainly well beyond what most gym users will experience. Just think of many of the manual jobs and routine tasks that people around the world perform on a daily basis. 

Is overtraining really a problem to you?

Or do you simply not proritise proper recovery?

Under-recovery is a bigger issue, that is frequently overlooked by the average gym user. All the focus is on the workout and once that is completed and step outside the gym, members tend to think, that’s it I’m done for several more days. Wrong! When you train the body, you place it in a state of stress and crisis. It is when you leave the gym and rest that the body actually improves and becomes fitter and healthier …… but only if you focus on recovery.

Following a tough workout, many people fail to consider the needs of the body to help it refuel, recover and hopefully regenerate. I’m not talking Dr.Who, Regeneration refers to the growth and development of the body. This is after all one of the most powerful benefits of exercise. When the body is challenged, or what we describe as “overload” in the fitness world, it then adapts and improves to allow it to more readily deal with the overload in the future.

Overload is the overriding principle of exercise, that allows the body to develop and you need to over-train the body to facilitate this. Many gym users need to “over-train” a bit more regularly if they want to achieve the results they are aiming for. What I am not suggesting is that gym members train at dangerously high-intensity levels or use techniques that are entirely unsuitable for their level of experience or fitness. What you see others doing in magazines or on Youtube, is not always correct or suitable. However, most members need not worry about working a bit harder or more frequently.

When you train, focus on technique, and exercise variety, aim to go 1% better than last time and on post-workout recovery.  Good recovery should focus on refuelling the body immediately post-exercise, adequate rest for the systems worked during exercise, good quality daily nutrition and maybe supplements.