More Doesn't Mean Better

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
Athletes from all walks of life go through it. They begin an exercise regimen, begin seeing and feeling the results, are motivated to do even more, and soon find themselves in the doghouse, feeling tired, run-down, burnt-out, or ill. Do not be mislead, for more does not necessarily equate to better, as with anything else in life, moderation is the key. On the other hand, we've got the athlete who has not eaten properly from months to years, whether it's a 'dead' food diet, not eating enough calories, or not getting the proper ratios of both macro and micro nutrients. When these athletes push themselves into the 'more is better' mentality, they soon run amuck with over-training, and serious health issues.


RECOGNIZING THE FINE LINE
So how does one know when to push it, and when not? To begin with, any experienced athlete will tell you you must log everything!!!!! Yes, everything! This means your entire training regimen, exercise(s) performed, reps completed, weight used, intensity, sets, how they felt pre-workout, post-workout, hydration levels, faithfulness to meal plans, and rest/sleep cycles. Recording the time of day everything was completed is also beneficial. This information is an essential tool to your future progress, if progress is on your agenda! If you're like me, you've got a family, many children, work, other commitments, and of course, play time! How will you ever know when to push yourself if you don't know where you've been? It doesn't take long to track these things. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I assign my clients this homework for themselves, yes, it's required of them, and they come back to me with some outstanding results, both in the workouts, and in the creativeness of their logging. My latest surprise was a client who has an iPhone application that sends her training log directly to my e-mail, I love it!!!! No paper!!!! See what you can come up with.


SO I HAVE THE INFORMATION...NOW WHAT?
Begin evaluating your stats. Have you hit a plateau in the last couple weeks? If so, push-it!!! Yes, now is the time! If you look over your stats and see you haven't gone up in weights, reps, sets, intensity, etc., it's time to do something new, or push into the 'more' zone. Proceed with caution, listen to your body. I know of people who have been counseled by their trainers to do a second cardio session each day, five days a week, sometimes even six! Is this really necessary? I've never seen an athlete get burnt out faster! Don't get me wrong, there are times, depending on the specific goal you are heading for, that more cardio is the key, but I find more and more people becoming obsessed with two cardio sessions a day. If you need to push yourself more, by all means, do more, but do it gradually, stay in tune with your body, continue to log everything. On the other hand, when you look at your stats and see you've been hitting the weights daily, heavy as possible, doing all out cardio sessions six days a week, and you've been feeling fatigued, this is NOT the time to push yourself into 'more'. Your body is telling you it needs rest, it wants time to rebuild, rejuvenate, and heal. Period.


WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
When athletes push themselves into more is better, they generally begin experiencing a drop in testosterone, and cortisol levels begin to increase. This alone will immediately begin to thwart the best of all efforts, as exercise performed becomes counterproductive when these hormones begin to spin out of control. Muscle mass begins to decline, anxiety begins to take over, athletes experience a drained feeling when exercising, and restlessness when they go to bed at night, counterproductive. Low testosterone equals brittle bones, muscle loss, and increased risk of heart attack.


WHAT CAN I DO TO KEEP MY BODY PRIMED?
I'd start with a good meal plan to eliminate any unnecessary belly fat, or overall bodyfat. I do not suggest doing anything such as an HCG diet, as HCG is lethal in my book!!!! Aim to lose the fat slowly but surely. Be sure you're eating consistently, as in every 2-3 hours. Drink plenty of water. Next, I'd look at your specific circumstances and determine if and what supplements would be of value to you. Be sure to include essential fatty acids if you're not eating fatty fish such as salmon, regularly. To beat boredom, try something new for your workout, if you've been using machines, go to free weights. If you've been performing single joint movements, try compound movements, you get the picture. Finally, be sure to rest when you need to. Take a 15-20 minute power nap if need be. Get a sufficient amount of sleep at night. 


WHAT CAN I DO TO REDUCE MY CORTISOL LEVELS?
Stay calm, do not overreact to situations. Get plenty of rest/sleep, as we all deal with life much better when fully rested. Take a day off, heck take a week if need be, and restore yourself. Keep your body fat in check, as nothing starts to cause stress as much as looking in the mirror and not liking what you see. Keep your immune system primed with foods rich in Vitamins A, C, and E, as well as, B Vitamins. Slow down. Every time you feel rushed to do something, sit down and sip on a full glass of water. Listen to soothing music, read, or find some other restful activity you enjoy, to do before retiring for the day. If you're a caffeine junkie, you might consider bagging the habit, as it immediately shoots cortisol levels up.


I hope you find this helpful. Have a wonderful day, and a super workout!