I’ve come a long way from my days of feeling like I need to run 60 minutes every day. In fact, I rarely run at all! Little did I know all that running wasn’t doing me much good anyway. These days I mostly strength train or train with kettlebells. I take about 2 rest days a week and usually know how to back down for a few days or weeks when I am training too hard for too long.
That said, I still love a good strength training session and I do start getting down on myself when I have a few bogus workouts in a row. Once I commit to taking a few days off I always feel refreshed and ready to get back at it. I seriously just love strength training. I love the way I feel after a good strength training session. I love seeing myself get stronger over time. I love what strength training does for my body.
But sometimes too much of a good thing is bad, huh?
I mentioned this past Friday that I was taking a few days off from strength training. I am not going to go into crazy detail about overtraining because you can read about that in the well-written articles below, but basically I was feeling like crap, my body was aching and I wasn’t getting any leaner. If anything I was getting less lean despite continued workouts and eating clean. I never really felt like training and most of my workouts kind of stunk. It was time for an overtraining recovery plan before I got really burnt out.
Overtraining Articles:
My last hard workout was last Wednesday morning. I did a little Becoming Bulletproof Friday and some swings and snatches followed by a walk with my best bud yesterday, but that was it. No heavy lifting at all.
I’m training this morning with a new program. My hubby is helping me again to ensure that I’m mixing things up a bit more than I have been. I always want to deadlifts and pullups (and I will continue to do so), but I also need to work on the things that I’m not good at and don’t love as much. I always love starting a new program – it feels like a fresh start!
In other news, I had a lovely visitor this weekend!
We had a great day in Boston on Friday and my RKC buddy finally got to meet CJ on Saturday. I also taught her how to deadlift during nap time on Saturday…and still kept my promise about not working out even though that got me fired up and wanting to lift! (By the way…she is freaking strong.)
Did you rest this weekend? Learn a new exercise? Run a marathon like my friend Jess? Somewhere in between?
Totally agree about too much of a good thing can be too much and not great for you. I have a tendency to stick to the same workouts, mostly because I’m lazy and I haven’t had the time to put something together so I end up doing the same exercises (or a rotation through some favorites). I’m trying to be better about mixing it up which also makes it more fun!
Christine I think a lot of people are too lazy to think about what they really want to do for workouts so they just do the same things over and over. I used to literally run the same route every single day for years at a time. What a shame…I was missing out on so much! haha 🙂
i think as fitness enthusiast, we often overlook this topic. But it really does matter. Way to listen, way to re-evaluate. xxoo
Yup – working out is amazing and one of the best things you can do for your body (along w/ eating right and sleeping enough), but sometimes too much of a good thing is BAD! Exercise can certainly become an addiction and it’s important to find a healthy balance.
I think that is one of the biggest things I have learned this year. too much of a good thing is still too much. It becomes counter productive. So for me, if that means one less run or one less class or whatever so be it. I’d rather be fresh and in good form than sucking at it! Good job my friend! and you look freaking fantastic just saying 🙂
You’re so sweet. Thank you. 🙂
I HAVE to mix up my workouts all the time or I get bored. When I’m bored with my workouts, then they are very ineffective and I’m not giving 100%. Good for you for realizing the a short break would do you good and starting a new plan.
I’m a huge fan of pull ups and deadlifts too (especially single leg DL – feels so good the next day!), but this is a good reminder to do some of the exercises I hate (squats and abs!)
Yup – that’s why I often ask my husband to help with my programming bc he’ll put things in there that I wouldn’t do on my own. 🙂
There is definitely something fun about a fresh start! I am TRYING to feel that way about running again and I think it’s working. I did discover that I enjoy strength training a lot more than I thought during my running break though. And deadlifts – I love deadlifts (but I can’t say the same about pullups).
Good luck with your new training plan! (and great job taking is easy — I KNOW that’s not easy!)
It’s funny…taking it easy can be so hard, can’t it? I like it for a day or two, but after that I get all kinds of antsy. Too bad you don’t live closer. You might become a strength training convert. 😉