Strength training is one of the most common forms of exercise for losing weight and becoming fit. Popular programs such as CrossFit, fitness boot camps, and strength and conditioning classes has opened the door for many people to add weightlifting to their typical workout routine.

There are many benefits of building muscle mass and improving overall strength, such as:

• Increased muscle size, strength, power, and endurance
• Decreased body fat
• Increased bone density
• Boosts self-esteem and confidence
• Better blood pressure control
• Increased HDL cholesterol and better glucose management

Incorporating strength training into your workout has many benefits but the overuse of resistance exercise could lead to injuries, declined performance or burnout. When it comes to weight training workouts, the key to improvement is in finding the ideal combination of training volume and intensity. Too much or not enough of either can hinder your improvement.

Warning Signs of Overtraining

The typical warning signs of overtraining are performance decline and workouts become less fun. Other common signs of overtraining include:

• Decreases in strength and endurance
• Decreased coordination
• Increased resting heart rate or blood pressure
• Increase fatigue and feeling of malaise
• Difficulty sleeping
• Irritability, depression, and apathy
• Increased muscle soreness, joint pain and aches
• Poor self-esteem
• Slow healing

When you overdo strength training workouts with excessive volume, the first warning signs are symptoms very similar to those of the overtraining syndrome endurance athletes experience. This commonly includes a general feeling of fatigue.

The other type of overtraining with weights occurs when you train at too high of an intensity with too much weight too often e.g., lifting your maximum weight all the time. This type of overtraining commonly results in decreased performance and can lead to injuries.

Overtraining Prevention and Treatment

If recognized early, it’s fairly easy to correct overtraining symptoms. If you recognize any of the above indicators that you are overdoing your workouts, take a few days off and do something less intense.

1. Rest – This is often the most challenging one.
2. Extra recovery days – Add extra recovery days to each week.
3. Variation – Vary your workouts to avoid overloading the same muscle in the same way each week.
4. Gentle movements – Go for a walk or do a day of stretching.
5. Avoid having both high training volume (frequency) and high intensity.

If you want to get stronger, you need to challenge yourself and work to overload the muscles. But with that overload you also need to build in some rest time so the muscles can rebuild and adapt to the stress. If you frequently overload your muscles but don’t allow sufficient rest, you’re putting yourself at risk for injury.

Ultimately, to prevent overtraining, you should work out with a coach or trainer who can oversee your program and keep you following a progressive, periodized program. A program that builds in variation and includes phases of high-intensity training followed by phases of reduced workloads and increased recovery time.