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Working Out Like a Dog Will Just Leave You Dog Tired
By Christina | July 5, 2009
Erma Bombeck once joked that for all the pounds that she lost over the course of her life, she should weigh as much as a charm on a charm necklace. On that note, one of the most common refrains that I hear over and over, is “I work out like a dog, sometimes 3-4 hours a day. Shouldn’t I be sporting a six-pack instead of looking like I’ve been drinking a six-pack?”
The truth is that more is not always better. Overtraining is a real problem not only with professional athletes, but is very common with people who exercise at gyms or in their homes. Results are not achieved any faster because you exercise hours a day. In fact, the opposite is true. Overtraining is a primary cause of fitness plateaus, both in terms of athletic performance and physical changes to your body.
Efficiency and diversity of exercise is what you should be striving for in order to attain your fitness goals. Face time in fitness has the same dismal benefits as putting in face time at work. It is the quality of exercise that you do on a regular basis, not the duration that will give you the change you are seeking in your body.
A friend of mine today was on her 4th class and complained that she weighed more than ever and that her body was just plain fatigued. In fact, muscle fatigue is the number one sign that you are overtraining your body. There is no feeling better than have some muscle soreness the following day after a particularly challenging and intense workout. However, occasional muscle soreness is not to be confused with overall muscle fatigue and weakness.
The good news is that overtraining is easy to fix. By building in rest and recovery into your overall workout program and limiting your exercise to a maximum of 90 minutes a day, your motivation, energy, and athletic performance will return better than ever.
Just as fasting and starvation diets don’t make for successful weight loss, overtraining does not aid in making you leaner, stronger, or faster. Listen to your body and ask yourself how your current workout routine is working for you. If it feels wrong, chances are it probably is.
Topics: Personal Training |
