Overtraining is real.
Progressing boils down to subjecting your mammalian self to enough stress to stimulate gains, but not so much that you destroy yourself.
Yet, how do we know if we’re overdoing it?
Modern technology gives us some clues (HRV is extremely useful), but sometimes we don’t have access to this equipment, and it doesn’t paint the full picture.
Introducing the 3 H’s of Overtraining
Are you happy?
Are you hungry?
Are you horny? (Keep this one to yourself)
These daily questions could help you better understand your body’s internal signals for fatigue. A concept first introduced to me by an old mentor, Ed Baker. Let’s get to it.
Are you happy or overtrained?
Do you feel energised, ready to tackle the day and looking forward to the challenge of training?
“When effort feels good, you are adapting well”
With JT Performance athletes we ask two weekly questions to help measure this metric:
“I woke up most days feeling…”
1. Ready to conquer the world
2. Rejuvenated
3. Run-of-the-mill
4. Pooped
“My mood this week has been”
1. The world is rainbows and unicorns
2. Fudging fantastic
3. Little melancholy, but still going strong
4. Mood swings, agitated or anxious, frustrated
Are you hungry or overtrained?
You don’t need to be ravenous. Yet, you should look forward to high-quality meals. There should be anticipation, enjoyment, and satisfaction.
If you’re losing your appetite or constantly binge eating, this could be a symptom of overtraining.
Are you horny or overtrained?
Never thought I’d write that sentence…
Walking past a voluptuous lamp doesn’t have to get your mouth watering. Like hunger and happiness, compare it to your baseline. What is normal Libido for you?
When disrupted (low or zero desire) then adaptation to the training stimulus could be compromised.
How do I action the 3 H’s to prevent overtraining?
Score yourself on a scale to between 1-5 each day, if 2 out of 3 are deviated from your normal range for >3 days, ask yourself why:
- Are you getting high-quality sleep each night?
- Eating enough calories to fuel training?
- What are your stressors like outside of training? Stress is stress. The body can’t tell the difference between physical and psychological.
- Are you deliberately overreaching? At times you might plan to push yourself into deliberate overreaching (such as fight camp)
- Is your training programme load reasonable compared to all the other factors above?
Want a free 6-week training program and guide for Contact Athletes? Click here.
