When discussing exercise or nutrition, many people talk about how to improve focus or boost performance. But, a lot less is said on when you should stop, or reduce training volume. The high emphasis on work ethic means we can miss when an athlete is working too hard.

This is a problem because excessive training, without enough recovery can cause a host of problems with performance. At its worst, this can lead to overtraining syndrome. Which is often characterized by a long-term decrease in fitness and capability.

This can then lead to a poor performance in competition, as well as a drop in your overall fitness, and appearance of your physique.

But how do you know if you’re working too hard?

Answering this question can help you avoid overtraining syndrome, and continue making progress. So, we put together a list of the seven most common signs that you’re training too hard.

7 Signs You’re Training Too Hard

1. Your performance begins to decline

The reason this sign is first is that a decrease in performance is the key element of fatigue and overtraining. If your performance is not getting worse, then you are not training too hard.

Whether it’s sprinting, weight lifting or fighting, a drop in performance could indicate fatigue and excessive training. So, select an activity to measure and check your progress weekly to see how you’re progressing. This can help check if you’re pushing it too hard.

Well, Folks. I’d say she hit the wall.

2. You start battling chronic fatigue and vicious mood swings

Another simple, yet effective indicator. If you’re accumulating fatigue, you’re going to feel tired. A drop in mood and a feeling of tiredness over days and weeks is a good indicator of excessive training. This is also a key symptom of overtraining syndrome.

So, checking how you feel can be an easy and quick way of assessing your training load, and shouldn’t be underestimated.

3. Your period becomes irregular or stops altogether

For females, a big indicator of excessive training is problems with their menstrual cycle. These can include irregularity, or in severe cases, it’s absence. So, female athletes and exercisers shouldn’t be afraid of discussing this with their coach or doctor.

It is vital information that can help in programming your routine to help optimize your health and fitness.

4. Your sex drive tanks

This is a common indicator in men but can be present in females too. Low sex drive and arousal are a common sign of overtraining. When considering that proper exercise should increase libido, it’s also a pretty clear sign.

So, if there are some issues in your intimate life, it might be a sign you’re pushing it too hard in the gym.

5. You see an increase in illness and infections

Excessive training or insufficient recovery can depress the immune system. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that training too hard is associated with a higher rate of illness. One of the most common illnesses is upper respiratory tract infections (i.e. a sore throat, etc.).

So, if you’re picking up extra infections lately, or can’t shake that head cold, you might want to assess how you’ve been training.

Your start noticing muscle pain and injury

You may have heard of many athletes complain about “niggles and twinges” in certain muscles. In many cases these are a sign of overuse, and can lead to serious injuries. Fortunately, they can also recover fairly quickly if rested.

So, much like the above symptoms, this sign should be acknowledged, and adjustments should be made to your program accordingly.

You’re having trouble sleeping

Overtraining can increase stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This can cause increased anxiety and sleep disturbance. So, a decrease in the hours of sleep you’re getting, as well as a drop in sleep quality could indicate excessive exercise.

Wrap Up and Take Home Points

Many people focus excessively on hard work, and not enough on working too hard. This can lead to overtraining and hurt progress and performance. So, as an athlete or coach, the above signs should be considered during training to assess workload.

Once you’ve identified that you’re training too hard, there are two approaches you can take:

1. Reduce training load

This is the most obvious approach. Reducing your training through decreasing intensity or volume are easy ways to prevent overtraining. But, this is often not an option for many athletes or fitness enthusiasts.

Many of them work to schedules outside of their control. Athletes also often have to train as much as their coaches instruct. So, what’s the alternative to reducing training load?

2. Increase recovery between exercise

This has become the option of choice for many professional athletes. This has led to an emergence in new recovery gadgets designed to boost recovery. But, despite these fancy products, the simple stuff still works best.

So, sleep, stress management, and diet are key. Fortunately, there are a lot of natural remedies for focus, physical performance, and recovery. Guides for managing sleep and stress are also not hard to find.

So, for to improve focus, training quality, and performance, keep it simple and watch for overtraining. In the words of the famous runner Roger Bannister, “It’s better to be under prepared than over prepared.”

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