How to Train Yourself to Stop Overtraining

Anyone who has taken an athletic endeavor seriously craves the satisfaction that comes from pushing past your predetermined physical limits and progressing further in your abilities. The feeling is the force that keeps a person’s hand from hitting the snooze button on their phone alarm for a 4 a.m. run or motivates them to hit the gym for a late-night workout after a stressful day at work. A good obsession with progression is the thing that makes a personal record (a “PR”) on the “big three” weightlifting exercises (bench press, squat, deadlift) such a sacred text for committed powerlifters. Dedicated runners hold a similar reverence for their fastest mile or longest distance traveled on foot.

American athletic culture correctly venerates those who put in the extra hours to become great. Kobe Bryant is respected not only as a global sports legend for his on-court accomplishments but also his otherworldly work ethic. Bryant’s training routine was known to be grueling even by his National Basketball Association contemporaries’ standards. Multiple teammates from the 2008 United States men’s Olympic basketball team, nicknamed the “Redeem Team,” are quoted as saying that Bryant’s practice habits and mentality rubbed off on them and made them all better players in the long run. Can the “Mamba Mentality” type of work ethic and commitment to a craft possibly be detrimental at times, though?

The men and women of the United States Air Force (USAF) may not have to run a four point three-second forty-yard dash or hurdle a forty-inch vertical, but relatively few humans can withstand the gravitational force of flying an F-16 Fighting Falcon without passing out. Active USAF members must be in the top percentiles for physical fitness to withstand the rigors of serving their country and must pass the Air Force Physical Fitness Test. The dedication it takes to be in the USAF is something to be celebrated; however, it can also lead an Airman to overtrain, like any professional athlete.

The term overtraining would sound ridiculous in the days of “Run until you puke” and “Water is a sign of weakness,” but the sports world has again shown trends that spill over into regular life. A 2007 article written by Nuno Matos and Richard J. Winsley for the Journal of Sports Medicine about the trainability of young athletes and overtraining found that “varying rates of overtraining syndrome have been reported, even up to thirty percent among young athletes.” Matos and Winsley’s findings were recently republished in a 2023 article titled, “Overtraining Syndrome as a Risk Factor for Bone Stress Injuries among Paralympic Athletes.”¹

Many U.S. Armed Forces members have a background in amateur athletics, and the inherent work ethic it takes to serve your country puts you at a greater risk of overtraining, so below are five tips that can help keep you pushing past your limits without limiting your body with constant muscle fatigue.

Stretch: Stretching before and after workouts is a suggestion for Airmen younger than age twenty-seven because it helps you prepare for and recover from physical activity; however, it is a requirement for any man or woman pushing thirty if you would like the ability to get out of bed the next day after a hard training session.

Yoga poses, no matter how hard they look when you are a beginner, are great for stretching your muscles, and Pilates is a workout on its own.

Take it easy on the caffeine: Coffee is a requirement to function for many people, and that is completely fine in moderation; however, sugary energy drinks and pre-workout supplements are dangerous, especially for people with higher blood pressure and heart rates. Energy drinks that are high in sugar cause spikes in vitality that can make you feel like a superhuman during your first reps but completely lethargic during your workout’s midpoint, making you want to crack open another 100 milligrams of caffeine in a can. Pre-workout powder mixed in a drink can cause anxiety, increased heart rate, dehydration, and increased risk of muscle cramps and has led to hospitalizations and even deaths resulting from ingesting too much of the powder as people search for the boost they need to get through a hard training session.

Switch it up: You probably already know to focus on different muscle groups on different days. We all know through one hundred percent unscientific, non-peer-reviewed research that chest/arms day is the best day of the week whereas leg day is the worst, but changing your routine can make the difference between looking forward to your gym session and dreading it. Mixed martial arts (MMA) has exploded in popularity over the past twenty years, and you will likely be able to find a gym for each of the most common disciplines, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and boxing if you live in a moderately populated area. Martial arts are a great way to make cardio interesting while learning a skill and engaging smaller muscle groups. Although MMA carries its own injury risk, hitting a punching bag or grappling with proper equipment and direction is a great way to stay active if a problem such as joint pain is hindering your ability to progress with powerlifting. Playing your favoite team sport is also a fantastic workout. Running up and down a basketball court is just as good cardio as jogging around a track and is certainly more engaging.

Do not compare yourself with fitness influencers: Fitness influencing on social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok is a huge business that requires a substantial time investment and a lot of gym mirror pictures. Some fitness influencers can be useful resources from which to learn, but remember that you have a career with the USAF, whereas their job is working out. Almost every aspect of a popular fitness influencer’s life is to make sure they look muscular or attractive on camera. They get free supplements from sponsors and free clothes or equipment from brand deals. This is not a call for jealousy but a reminder that you should not feel insecure that a person who works out for a living has six-pack abs and you currently do not. You will get there.

Rest: Do not punish yourself because your body does not feel up to another grueling training session. Sometimes your body is trying to tell you something. Almost every informed or scientific source for workout tips will tell you that rest days are essential for muscle growth and recovery, and this one is no different.

1. Madzar, Tomislav, Tonci Masina, Roko Zaja, Snjezana Kastelan, Jasna Pucarin Cvetkovic, Hana Brborovic, Matija Dvorski, Boris Kirin, Andreja Vukasovic Barisic, Ivan Cehok, and Milan Milosevic. 2023. “Overtraining Syndrome as a Risk Factor for Bone Stress Injuries among Paralympic Athletes,” Medicina 60 (1): 52. 1 ↩︎