Working out too much could be disrupting your progress in the gym, while also damaging your overall health.

We all know that not maintaining a consistent workout routine can lead to loads of health ailments and possible injuries, but the same can be said for someone who over-exerts themselves in the gym.

So why is that?

A major component of working out is recovery, which is where the muscle fibers rebuild to something stronger and more durable than before. We want to cause stress to these muscle fibers to initiate a muscle-building response, but the results we are looking for won’t happen if we are working out too much.

From a musculoskeletal standpoint, overtraining can lead to injuries, such muscle sprains or stress fractures. When our bodies are fatigued, we are likely not going to exhibit as much stability, mobility, or firing power as we would when recovered; so, for example, your barbell squats could be a little shaky, or your mechanics may not be as strong during squat jumps.

Your health also comes into question when you work out too hard. When your body is fighting an uphill battle to recover, our immune system can take a nose dive. It takes a lot of energy to build muscle and recover appropriately, so that takes away a lot of energy required to keep the body healthy through its normal physiological processes.

One of the best things you can do to ease the symptoms of overtraining is reevaluate your goals, decrease the frequency, and ensure not every workout is based off of high-intensity exercises. For someone working out 6 to 7 days a week, go down to 4. It will seem weird at first, and you may feel like you’ll regress in the gym, but I promise you’ll feel WAY better. 

Here are some signs that you may be working out too much. 

You’re losing motivation to work out.

I don’t know about you, but I can tell when I am going a little too hard in the gym when working out does not sound like fun anymore, and more so feels like a chore.

You’re constantly sore–or your body always feels fatigued. 

There is feeling sore and tired, and then there is feeling like you got hit by a train. A day or two of light muscle soreness is normal, but you shouldn’t feel constantly fatigued; this is a sign of overtraining.

Your progress has come to a halt.

As we get stronger and fitter, it is harder to see progress in our lifts or fitness goals. Take, for example, someone trying to lose 50 pounds–the first 30 pounds of weight loss will come a lot easier than the last 5 or 10. The same goes for any other fitness goal. But if you haven’t noticed any changes in strength, mobility, or endurance (depending on your goal), or you may even be regressing, you’re probably working out too much if you’ve been consistently hitting the gym 5 to 7 days a week. 

You’re chronically stressed.

If irritability, impatience, and moodiness because a daily occurrence, then you may be working out too much. Working out should encourage positivity, strength, and confidence, and if you instead feel anxious and stressed all the time, you should cut down on your workout frequency.

Your sleep quality has decreased.

Many people note how much better sleep they get when they work out on a regular basis; the same is not true for those who work out too often. Studies consistently show that very low, and very high levels, of physical activity can cause insomnia. We need more rest and recovery when we are working out; in this day-and-age when sleep has been put on the back burner, and we’re constantly stimulated by electronics, sleep quality and quantity always seems to regress when we go overboard on our training.

You’re getting sick more often.

I touched on this earlier, but our immune system will likely feel the effects of working out too much. Overtraining overworks the central nervous system, which in-turn causes general fatigue and repression of our immune system.  

If you feel that you are working out too much, I encourage you to take a couple of weeks off and focus on active rest. Do yoga, go for a hike, or take leisurely bike rides, but stay out of the gym and don’t think about breaking a sweat.

Your body will be REALLY appreciative of the rest.