Overtraining? What's That?
It really depends on who you talk to. Some trainers are very adamant about watching for the symptoms of overtraining. Some couldn't give a hoot about symptoms. I happen to fall into category two. Sure, I suppose there's some studies out there that have results showing someone who is "overtraining" and suffers from "persistent fatigue, insomnia, irritability, etc". But if you look at training (or overtraining) from the perspective of goals, performance and progression, the issue resolves itself.
Ask yourself some easy questions:
"Do I have a goal?
We are all getting better at goal-setting. Me included. I don't typically push athletes to have goals, because I know we are all different in our motivations. After watching people work hard and get results for over a year, I've noticed that in the beginning, it's not really necessary to have a goal...the CrossFit methodology will give you results. The "results" are usually better body composition, enhanced range of motion, and significant increases in strength, endurance and coordination. But, it's common for people to "plateau" after a year or so, and the common results mentioned above aren't enough. The consistent, intense workouts combined with proper nutrition produce an automatic result that is very noticeable at first, but continual improvement beyond the initial changes requires a more sophisticated program other than "variance and intensity". Consequently, I have been researching and studying different programming methods so that we can move into a new phase of goal setting, constant progression and goal achieving. Some athletes are comfortable with where they are and would rather not have the pressure of goals...that's ok. But for those of you who would really like to work towards a concrete performance goal, we will be introducing some time-tested concepts to our program that will get you where you want to be.
"Am I focusing on my goals?"
It's easy to lose sight of our goals. Life gets in the way. When you aren't sure if you are doing the right thing, think about where you are in relation to where you want to be. If your butt is firmly planted in that big comfy chair in front of the TV with a cold beer sitting in the fridge quietly whispering your name right as the bell tolls the workout time...ask yourself if the chair/TV/beer combo is going to get you closer to your goals than an hour of pain and suffering in the gym will. OK, I know that it takes more than an hour...gotta fill the water bottle, pull the boots on, shrug on the winter coat, start the car, brush the snow from the windshield, drive to the gym, take the boots and coat off, put the shoes on, blah blah blah. Yeah, it can be a pain in the ass to get your ass through the door, but that's the hardest part. Once you are at the gym, the hard part is over and you are that much closer to your goals. So if that's the hard part, the easy part is doing the workout. But are the workouts the right thing for you? As I said above, we'll soon be introducing concepts to the workouts that will let you be more specific to your goals.
"Am I concentrating on performance or just going through the motions?"
Here's a post I wrote recently about this. The take-away is the quote: "To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail." -Giorgio Armani.
"Am I progressing toward my goals?"
Check your journal. If you are journaling correctly, it will tell you. With the forthcoming changes to our program, we will learn methods to see on paper the progression towards our goals, at least in terms of measurable standards of mobility, strength, endurance and coordination. If your goal is a certain "look" or "shape", then the only way to really tell is how your clothes fit and how you look. Forget about the scale...it lies. Wrap it up in ribbons and bows and give it to your worst enemy for Christmas...let it f*ck with their head, not yours. Forget about skin-fold calipers, tape measures and body fat calculations. They only tell you numbers...they don't tell you that your pants fall down because you lost some of your waistline and it's TIME TO GO SHOPPING FOR SMALLER CLOTHES!. Shopping for some new threads because your clothes are too big is much more of a motivation than a lower BMI told to you by some feller in a white lab coat. How do you look naked? Seriously. Are you happy to put on a swim suit and jump into the hot tub with all your hot friends? Take some "before" pictures. You don't have to show them to anyone, but I will bet you'll want to show them to everyone after you've accomplished your "look good nekkid" (LGN) status. Take more pictures as you continue to eat right and work hard. And one other thing: if your goals for strength and endurance are in the right place, and you are working hard towards them, it's highly likely that the LGN status will follow along nicely. In other words, let good nutrition along with increases in mobility, strength, endurance and coordination be your primary goals. Looking good will be a well-received by-product.
"How do I feel today?"
If you say "holy crap, I got waaayyyy too much energy!" then maybe you are ready to bump up the intensity and really push yourself in the workout. Be careful, of course...don't let an overabundance of fitness zeal result in an inflated ego. Using a slightly larger amount of weight is smarter than piling on the plates. Chances are, your workout will tax you plenty even when the poundage is low, because you will push yourself harder and longer without going slower, taking a break or setting the weight down. "Unbroken" in other words. Recently, I had a discussion with someone relatively new to our program about "going unbroken" versus "going heavy". Unbroken sets are great...they give you a real sense of accomplishment. Think of the first time you did ten burpees without stopping. Doesn't seem like much when you look at Omaha Ricky and his 100 burpees for time with the first 70 unbroken. But nevertheless, you did them unbroken and you automatically set yourself up for a goal...doing eleven unbroken. Then twelve, then thirteen, and on and on. That's the kind of accomplishment and progress that are necessary for keeping yourself motivated. So, if unbroken sets are your goal, that's great, however, it doesn't hurt to go heavy. On the days we use external resistance (another way of saying "weightlifting") in our workouts, I will always encourage you to "go heavy". With one caveat: be smart and don't hurt yourself. Resistance training is how we get strong. If we want to get stronger, we must stimulate and stress our bodies in such a way that the body responds by building tissue. And, as it has been said so many times before: you should only increase the weight if you can execute the lift using proper technique. If your form sucks...it's unsafe! When your form starts to diminish, step back, take a break, and then try again. Hopefully, you can continue with proper form after letting your muscles build up a little ATP, and your mental state is such that you are thinking about what you are doing and you get your neuro-muscular system to cooperate. On the other hand...if you say "holy crap, I feel like crap", then take the day off, rest up, eat well, get your head straight and get back in the gym when you feel better. Simple as that. Don't worry if you've "overtrained"...worry if you are losing ground and not moving forward towards your goals.
The last question is one you should ask yourself is one that you might hear me ask quite frequently: "how is your diet?" By that I mean, "what do you eat and do you think you are eating the right things?" If you aren't making progress generally in the areas of body composition, strength, endurance and coordination, or specifically towards your personal goals, but you are working your brains out during the workouts, I will put any amount of money that you aren't fueling correctly. I know everyone has heard me say "it starts with nutrition". Read this. Make some changes. Tweak it until you start seeing the results you want. Oh, and start a food journal, dammit!
Are you overtraining? I doubt it. But if you need a break, then take a break. Use the down time to think about your goals and how far you are willing to go to achieve them. Don't have a goal? Pick one. Performance sucks? Evaluate your nutrition. Progression lacking? Talk it over with your trainer and make a plan.
I guess this is a really long way of saying that the 100 Day Challenge starts tomorrow!
Ask yourself some easy questions:
"Do I have a goal?
We are all getting better at goal-setting. Me included. I don't typically push athletes to have goals, because I know we are all different in our motivations. After watching people work hard and get results for over a year, I've noticed that in the beginning, it's not really necessary to have a goal...the CrossFit methodology will give you results. The "results" are usually better body composition, enhanced range of motion, and significant increases in strength, endurance and coordination. But, it's common for people to "plateau" after a year or so, and the common results mentioned above aren't enough. The consistent, intense workouts combined with proper nutrition produce an automatic result that is very noticeable at first, but continual improvement beyond the initial changes requires a more sophisticated program other than "variance and intensity". Consequently, I have been researching and studying different programming methods so that we can move into a new phase of goal setting, constant progression and goal achieving. Some athletes are comfortable with where they are and would rather not have the pressure of goals...that's ok. But for those of you who would really like to work towards a concrete performance goal, we will be introducing some time-tested concepts to our program that will get you where you want to be.
"Am I focusing on my goals?"
It's easy to lose sight of our goals. Life gets in the way. When you aren't sure if you are doing the right thing, think about where you are in relation to where you want to be. If your butt is firmly planted in that big comfy chair in front of the TV with a cold beer sitting in the fridge quietly whispering your name right as the bell tolls the workout time...ask yourself if the chair/TV/beer combo is going to get you closer to your goals than an hour of pain and suffering in the gym will. OK, I know that it takes more than an hour...gotta fill the water bottle, pull the boots on, shrug on the winter coat, start the car, brush the snow from the windshield, drive to the gym, take the boots and coat off, put the shoes on, blah blah blah. Yeah, it can be a pain in the ass to get your ass through the door, but that's the hardest part. Once you are at the gym, the hard part is over and you are that much closer to your goals. So if that's the hard part, the easy part is doing the workout. But are the workouts the right thing for you? As I said above, we'll soon be introducing concepts to the workouts that will let you be more specific to your goals.
"Am I concentrating on performance or just going through the motions?"
Here's a post I wrote recently about this. The take-away is the quote: "To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail." -Giorgio Armani.
"Am I progressing toward my goals?"
Check your journal. If you are journaling correctly, it will tell you. With the forthcoming changes to our program, we will learn methods to see on paper the progression towards our goals, at least in terms of measurable standards of mobility, strength, endurance and coordination. If your goal is a certain "look" or "shape", then the only way to really tell is how your clothes fit and how you look. Forget about the scale...it lies. Wrap it up in ribbons and bows and give it to your worst enemy for Christmas...let it f*ck with their head, not yours. Forget about skin-fold calipers, tape measures and body fat calculations. They only tell you numbers...they don't tell you that your pants fall down because you lost some of your waistline and it's TIME TO GO SHOPPING FOR SMALLER CLOTHES!. Shopping for some new threads because your clothes are too big is much more of a motivation than a lower BMI told to you by some feller in a white lab coat. How do you look naked? Seriously. Are you happy to put on a swim suit and jump into the hot tub with all your hot friends? Take some "before" pictures. You don't have to show them to anyone, but I will bet you'll want to show them to everyone after you've accomplished your "look good nekkid" (LGN) status. Take more pictures as you continue to eat right and work hard. And one other thing: if your goals for strength and endurance are in the right place, and you are working hard towards them, it's highly likely that the LGN status will follow along nicely. In other words, let good nutrition along with increases in mobility, strength, endurance and coordination be your primary goals. Looking good will be a well-received by-product.
"How do I feel today?"
If you say "holy crap, I got waaayyyy too much energy!" then maybe you are ready to bump up the intensity and really push yourself in the workout. Be careful, of course...don't let an overabundance of fitness zeal result in an inflated ego. Using a slightly larger amount of weight is smarter than piling on the plates. Chances are, your workout will tax you plenty even when the poundage is low, because you will push yourself harder and longer without going slower, taking a break or setting the weight down. "Unbroken" in other words. Recently, I had a discussion with someone relatively new to our program about "going unbroken" versus "going heavy". Unbroken sets are great...they give you a real sense of accomplishment. Think of the first time you did ten burpees without stopping. Doesn't seem like much when you look at Omaha Ricky and his 100 burpees for time with the first 70 unbroken. But nevertheless, you did them unbroken and you automatically set yourself up for a goal...doing eleven unbroken. Then twelve, then thirteen, and on and on. That's the kind of accomplishment and progress that are necessary for keeping yourself motivated. So, if unbroken sets are your goal, that's great, however, it doesn't hurt to go heavy. On the days we use external resistance (another way of saying "weightlifting") in our workouts, I will always encourage you to "go heavy". With one caveat: be smart and don't hurt yourself. Resistance training is how we get strong. If we want to get stronger, we must stimulate and stress our bodies in such a way that the body responds by building tissue. And, as it has been said so many times before: you should only increase the weight if you can execute the lift using proper technique. If your form sucks...it's unsafe! When your form starts to diminish, step back, take a break, and then try again. Hopefully, you can continue with proper form after letting your muscles build up a little ATP, and your mental state is such that you are thinking about what you are doing and you get your neuro-muscular system to cooperate. On the other hand...if you say "holy crap, I feel like crap", then take the day off, rest up, eat well, get your head straight and get back in the gym when you feel better. Simple as that. Don't worry if you've "overtrained"...worry if you are losing ground and not moving forward towards your goals.
The last question is one you should ask yourself is one that you might hear me ask quite frequently: "how is your diet?" By that I mean, "what do you eat and do you think you are eating the right things?" If you aren't making progress generally in the areas of body composition, strength, endurance and coordination, or specifically towards your personal goals, but you are working your brains out during the workouts, I will put any amount of money that you aren't fueling correctly. I know everyone has heard me say "it starts with nutrition". Read this. Make some changes. Tweak it until you start seeing the results you want. Oh, and start a food journal, dammit!
Are you overtraining? I doubt it. But if you need a break, then take a break. Use the down time to think about your goals and how far you are willing to go to achieve them. Don't have a goal? Pick one. Performance sucks? Evaluate your nutrition. Progression lacking? Talk it over with your trainer and make a plan.
I guess this is a really long way of saying that the 100 Day Challenge starts tomorrow!
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