Fitness trainer shares 10 signs you are overexerting yourself during workouts: ‘Soreness that won't go away…'

Check out the 10 signs which indicate fatigue from pushing yourself too hard in the gym, as shared by a fitness trainer.

Are you hitting all your workout goals at the gym? Jumping from one piece of equipment to another, pushing harder for every session? But it is important to note that training harder does not always mean faster gains. There's a fine line between healthy dedication and overdoing it. Crossing it will exert strain on your well-being and quite possibly sabotage your progress. So, how do you tell if you are overworking?

Alex, a NASM-certified personal trainer, revealed in an October 13 Instagram post about the 10 signs you may be overworking.

1. Soreness that won't go away

One of the first signs Alex shared was soreness that persisted after workouts. While a little bit of aches here and there are normal, but as per Alex, if it continues even after 3 days, then it is not normal. “That’s not growth, that’s your body screaming for recovery. No rest means no muscle growth and a higher risk of injury,” Alex added.

2. You are getting weaker in the gym

However, if your usual lifts or bench presses feel more demanding, and you feel it is a big task to even hit the regular reps, then Alex reminded it's not your strength failing. “It's your nervous system begging for a break," he noted. Overtraining exhausts your central nervous system, which affects strength and coordination.

3. Sleep and mood get affected

“Overtraining spikes cortisol, wrecks your sleep, and drains your drive,” Alex warned. This makes you feel drained, extensively affecting your mood and sleep quality.

4. Elevated resting heart rate

Your body warns you when you start to overstep healthy levels of working out. As per the trainer, your resting heart rate is higher than normal.

“If your heart rate is unusually high in the morning, your system is stressed out,” Alex cautioned. He revealed that many elite athletes track this daily to avoid burnout. You too can track your resting heart rate to check if you are physically exhausted.

5. Lost appetite or motivation

Loss of appetite or motivation is one of the observable signs. One may think it's laziness, but Alex assured it is because the body is running on fumes. This is your body's way of saying enough.

6. Performance drop despite more effort

You are training harder, but instead only feeling weaker? Alex explained that it happens because the nervous system cannot keep up. It is a classic sign of fatigue. “Your recovery can’t keep up,” he added. This is why it is important to both track how much you train and how well you recover.

7. No pump, no fullness

The trainer pointed out a problem where sometimes the pumps may feel flat in sessions. The reason is usually simple. “Your glycogen and hydration are depleted from chronic stress.” The flat, unresponsive feeling is the body telling you that it is under-fuelled and under-recovered. This spotlights the value of replenishing well, instead of pushing through fatigue.

8. Joint or tendon pain that won't go away

If there's any pain, such as in the joint or tendon, which won't go away. “That’s inflammation building up from poor recovery, not bad luck,” Alex warned. This is why resting is important, helping the connective tissues recover. Chronic stress from overworking causes inflammation in the body.

9. Waking up tired even after sleep

Even if you are sleeping in for 8 hours and still wake up exhausted, then overtraining could be one of the culprits. “Cortisol is still elevated because you never let your system relax,” Alex explained. This means for your morning grogginess and exhaustion, you need to scale back the intensity of your workout sessions for a while.

10. Getting sick or run down

If you are easily falling sick, the trainer pointed it out as one of the big red flags. Alex revealed that it means your immune system is compromised.

Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.