AboutPatrick Ward Expertise I am available to answer questions on exercise and program design, nutrition, sports performance training, youth strength training program design, weightloss, soft tissue therapy, sports massage, mobility/flexibility, pain and injury.
Experience I have over 6 years in the industry of personal training, rehabilitation and sports performance. I also am a sports massage/soft tissue therapist.
Organizations National Strength and Conditioning Association
American Massage Therapy Association
American College of Sports Medicine
Publications Local publications in the Phoenix area as well as several websites on health and fitness.
Speaker/lecturer at events (NSCA - AZ State Clinic, USA Volleyball - AZ Region) on the topic of developing strength and conditioning programs for youth athletes
Education/Credentials MS Exercise Science
NSCA-Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
NASM- Perfomance Enhancement Specialist
NASM- Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Active Release Techniques - Upper Extremity
Past/Present Clients Everything from professional athletes to soccer moms.
Question I am 34, and a mother of four. Since DecemberI have been doing interval training, cardio, and strength training. (a lot of Biggest Loser and Jillian Michaels workouts) I work out 6 days a week for about 20-40 mins. My diet is fresh, organic and healthy. I do indulge in a couple pieces of pizza a week! Anyhow, I take a multiple supplement, as well as liver and gallbladder supplements. For the past two weeks I have been completely exhausted. Not able to function normally. I sleep two hours while my kids nap, and I usually get a good solid 7 - 8 hours at night. Do you know what can be going on? I have been to my doctor and she says I'm perfectly healthy.. Thanks in advance!
Answer You may be overtraining and your diet may not be adequate.
Overtraining is a state where the body can no longer recover and adapt to the stresses you are placing on it.
This cannot be quantified by number of workouts per week or length of workouts. Some athletes can train multiple times a day 5-6 days a week and still not over train. A lot of this has to do with (a) the capacity to handle work that you have built up over the years and (b) the management of other stressors in your life - family stress, financial stress, social stress, sleep, nutrition, etc...
In addition, there is also over-reaching, which is a period that precedes overtraining, and has to do with some decrease in performance, however once the volume and/or intensity of training is lowered, the body responds by increasing performance past baseline levels - which is a good thing.
Again, a lot of things with overtraining have to do with other stressors in addition to our workout. Stress has a fluctuating quality to it. What I mean by this is that, lets say I am working out 4 days a week with relatively high intensity and I feel good and I am making progress. Then, all of a sudden, I pick up another shift at work, or I start doing a little more overtime in order to make some extra money. Now, I am not getting as much rest as I was when I was progressing and feeling good in the weight room. If I try and maintain my 4-day per week/high intensity training program with the new added stress of decreased sleep/rest and recovery, eventually my body may start to break down as it can no longer adapt to that stress. Even though at one time I was able to handle that level of work, outside stressors are now dictating what I can or cannot handle in the gym.
It is like a professional athlete who gets injured. My clients always ask why it takes them so much longer to recover from an injury than a professional athlete who had a similar injury. It is simple really. The athlete's entire job is to get healthy! That is what the team is paying them for at that time. They get treatment every day (sometimes twice a day), they go home and rest, or get massage, or get whirlpool treatment, they get good nutrition, good sleep, good hydration, etc....The entire program is about getting healthy. For someone in the real world this would never work. They get treatment two maybe three times a week. They have the stress of life (work, family, financial) going on constantly. They don't have as many hours to devote to rest and recovery, etc. So, it takes longer for them to heal.
Here is a research review I did on a study of overtraining. I go over what the study said, give a whole bunch of symptoms of overtraining to be aware of (both physical and psychological symptoms) and then give some practical ideas to help prevent overtraining. Hope it helps.
