Overtraining is one of the most common mistakes people make when they hit the gym, yet it’s also one of the least known mistakes. You automatically think that increasing your reps and sets is a good thing to build muscle mass – but that’s not true. There’ll reach a point where you’re doing far too much, and it can mean you have a negative impact on your gains. The best way to envision this is to think of a raw piece of steak. If you keep cooking it for longer and longer, it eventually goes burnt and inedible.
So, how do you know if you’re overtraining? Here are some warning signs you shouldn’t ignore:
You’re Hitting More Than 20 Sets Per Muscle Each Week
Studies show that the average person only needs between 8-12 sets of training to stimulate optimal protein synthesis in their muscles. If you train more than this, then you’re unlikely to see any significant improvements in muscle development unless you’re an experienced lifter. Even then, anything above 20 sets per muscle each week is way too much. So, look at your current routine and decide if you’re going way overboard and contributing to “junk volume”. This is a big sign of overtraining as you tire yourself out without seeing any gains.
E.g. If you’re hitting 5 sets of flat bench, 5 sets of incline, 5 sets of decline, 5 sets of flies and 5 sets of dips for your chest each week, you are training way too much.
Your Muscles Feel Too Sore After Working Out
Some delayed onset muscle soreness is normal, but not if it hurts too much and doesn’t get any better week after week. The more you train, the less you should see DOMS because your muscles get used to breaking down and building back up. So, if you’re in a constant state of muscular soreness, that could be a sign of overtraining.
It’s okay though, you can recover from this. Simply reduce your sets by a little bit and see a sports massage therapist to break up the tissue and remove lactic acid from your muscles. The massages should ease your pain, and then you’ll see less soreness after because of your reduction in volume.
You Stop Making Progress
Going to the gym regularly and progressively overloading your muscles should result in constant progress. You should see a rapid increase in performance when you just start out, and then it gets a bit slower the more you lift. However, if you’re an experienced lifter who suddenly starts going backward in every lift, you may need to accept the fact that you’re overtraining.
Other factors can come into play, but if everything else is in a good place, then you’re likely going backward because you’re training too much and your muscles can’t recover properly. Again, you need to dial it back a notch and then start again with a program that includes less volume.
Don’t make the common mistake of thinking that more volume equals more games. You can train too much, and overtraining can set you back a good few weeks/months as you need to give your body time to recover. Keep an eye open for these telltale signs and then adjust your approach accordingly.
Photo: Alonso Reyes/Unsplash
