Over-Training & Plateaus

Scott Andrew Birdby Scott Andrew Bird | December 24, 2008
Filed in Articles , featured


Girlwith Noname
Gains stopped? We'll get them moving again. Photo by NathanFromDeVryEET.
This is a guest post by fitness-obsessed Girlwith Noname - Over-Training & Plateaus. Enjoy.

I’m a self-professed fitness junkie!! But, I used to work out a lot more than I do now. I’d spend 3-4 hours a day doing cardio and pumping iron. I thought this was the best, quickest way to get fit fast… until I hit a plateau! I tried everything I could think of to get myself moving forward in my journey again, but no matter what I tried (including cutting calories further, and working out even harder and even longer), I just could not get off of this plateau. Eventually I realized I might be overtraining! I cut my workouts drastically and even jacked up my calorie consumption a bit and like magic my plateau came to a finish. I lost 5lbs in a couple of weeks and was again on my way!

Wow! Who knew working out TOO much could affect your progress like that!?

Are you on a plateau? Have you assessed your program with an eye to making sure you aren’t working out too much? If you are stressing out your body too much and maybe also not eating enough, it’s a good possibility that your body is freaking out and hanging on to every piece of fat, carbs and calories that you give it, in order to prepare itself for the next grueling day of stress.

If you are over-training like I was, that could be what’s causing your plateau. Take a second look at your program, maybe all you need to do to move forward is relax a bit!

Good Luck!

Girlwith Noname is a confirmed fitness junkie, enjoying everything from light cardio to serious weight-training. Find out more over on her blog.

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