Recovery Week | Sclerotherapy and Cloud Bread

Overtraining is a real thing.

A rigorous training program has a powerful effect on both your body and your mind. While you’re progressively overloading those muscles to make them grow, you’re also impacting your joints and your internal systems (nervous, immune, respiratory, etc.). And how many different things do you have to think about and remember in a day? Add the extra wherewithal it takes to keep yourself motivated and stay disciplined in the face of temptation and yes, your mind can get tired, too.

So how do you know if you’re just a little tired or teetering on the brink of overtraining? The biggest difference between a sign of overtraining and a sign that you’ve just had an off day is the persistence of the symptom. For example, you might have an intense leg workout and be sore for a couple of days, but with adequate rest and nutrition your energy levels remain high and the soreness resolves itself. However, if you’re overtraining, you likely won’t feel yourself bounce back even after a good night’s sleep and proper fuel intake.

Things like persistent muscle soreness, fatigue, lowered immune system efficiency, irritability, and mental exhaustion, when experienced for an extended period of time, may all be signs of overtraining.

Last Monday I had a terrible workout. I had no motivation to be in the gym; I was stressed out and distracted by other things going on in my life; I had no appetite; I was getting sick for the third time this season (which is crazy-a-lot for me). After performing a third, sloppy set of reps, I told my trainer I needed time off.

While taking some much needed time away from the gym, I vlogged my recovery week and included some macro-friendly recipes for you. Enjoy!

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