Harder. Faster. Longer. Heavier.
More, more, more.
That’s the mentality we approach CrossFit with more often than not. Make it heavier, make it faster, go longer, go harder. Pushing forward and constantly challenging yourself is part of what makes CrossFit CrossFit. It’s what creates the results, change, and achievements we seek after.
But while pushing yourself to do more and achieve great things is good, sometimes you can get a little too much of a good thing. Nobody wants to be that person who cries, “Rest day baby!” four times a week… But sometimes a little rest is just what the body needs to keep you from overtraining.
There are times when more isn’t always better.
And Coach Seth has some great insights on this subject. In his words, “Sometimes its easy to think that harder and harder and more and more is better. But this rule should always win out: Quality over quantity. You never want to get to the point where the quantity is effecting your quality.”
So how do you know if you’re overtraining? Here are four indicators from Coach Seth that you might be overtraining:
1. You’re seeing a decrease in performance. This is an indicator that will surface more often with weighted movements. If you go into lifting session and 85% feels like 100% on the bar when you pick it up, your body may be a little overworked. Often times, you may not even feel super sore, but your CNS (Central Nervous System) can be worn down. If this is the case, it’s best to just get out from the under the load and just take time away from that bar. Give your body a little break from that super heavy load and give your body the chance to recover well and you’ll come back much stronger and ready to perform.
2. You have a lethargic feeling or a lack of desire to train at all. If you identify with this, there could be numerous things that are playing a role in bringing about this feeling. It could be lack of sleep or nutrition, but overtraining is definitely a possibility. A loss of appetite or feeling “down” or almost depressed can sometimes accompany that lethargic feeling and lack of desire to train as well. A little rest, proper nutrition, and sleep is probably all you need to get you feeling better and motivated to train.
3. You continue to pick up little nagging injuries… If something is always bugging you and you feel like you are having little injuries pop up constantly, it may be a sign you’re overtraining. It’s one of the smaller indicators but when ignored, you can end up sustaining a bigger injury.
4. You’re experiencing unwanted weight loss. This is usually less common and typically occurs in higher level athletes. Often times, this is a combination of overtraining and lack of needed nutrition. It’s something you may just have to play with some to find your sweet spot. You can do this by either decreasing the volume that you’re putting in and/or increasing your nutrition. Nutrition really can be a big key. Remember: your input has to be higher when your output is.
Train in such a way that will allow you to see incredible results over the long haul. Overtraining won’t make you a better athlete but listening to your body, getting plenty of sleep, meeting your nutritional needs, and knowing when it’s time to take a short rest period will.