Training = exercise + recovery

Performance Breakthrough

Avoid over training

Fitness training for advanced skier

avoid over training

Advanced and expert skiers are enthusiasts. They tend to be self-motivated and have the ability to commit to an action plan over an extended period.

These abilities can produce fantastic results in all aspects of life.

Sometimes, though, these same abilities can lead to a tendency to overdo things.

This article discusses the importance of balance in our fitness programs so that we can avoid the problems caused by over training.

Most keen skiers make sure that they stay active all year to maintain their athletic abiities and fitness levels.

Often this leads to the enthusiastic pursuit of a summer sport and even to an actual training programme.

Over enthusiasm, or working too hard, can reduce the benefits of these activities. They even lead to problems such as chronic fatigue and overuse injuries.

It is possible to make sure that your activity/sports/training programme is enjoyable and productive, contributing to your objectives rather than obstructing them.

That starts with a very simple but important realisation: 

Exercise alone does not make us fitter.

Exercise makes us tired. 

It puts stress on our systems and can cause the body to break down. In medical circles, it's called a catabolic process, one that breaks the body down.

By contrast,

rest and nutrition allow the body to rebuild itself. 

They allow it to adapt so that it can deal with the demands placed upon it. This is an anabolic process, one that allows the body to rebuild itself.

And so, here is the secret of a successful training programme:

We become fitter by achieving a balance between exercise and recovery. 

If we neglect either, the training will be less effective.

We need the exercise to have the right intensity, duration and distribution to put stress on the systems we are trying to develop.

Strength training has different requirements to endurance training for example.

And we need recovery phases with the appropriate duration, distribution, hydration and nutrition components, so that the body can adapt healthily.

This is how we become fitter. 

As you might expect, there are many factors at play, and in the end, they should become personalised to your circumstances.

You might choose to seek professional guidance with this, or at least use some of the effective training software that is available. 

For example, I use heart rate based training for my cycling programme. 

The software I use allows me to check progress as I target different training zones, durations and intensities. 

It ensures that I know when to ride and how hard. 

And it ensures that I know when I need to take a day off. Or two.  

The outcome is that the cycling is both fantastic fun and very productive. 

So, if you have a natural tendency to overdo things, you could be obstructing the progress of your fitness programme. 

Remember that: Training = exercise + recovery

Taking a day off is part of the programme!

Best Regards, 

Hugh