By Michael Carrera, MSc.

How to tell if you're working too hard
You can assess your progress and your body’s response to training by keeping a close eye on certain signals of overtraining.

You may choose to keep a diary of your heart rate first thing in the morning to help you determine whether you are training at an appropriate level. An increase in your resting heart rate over a two- or three-day period may be a sign that you are overtraining. It is important to remember, however, that stress and other variables can also cause an increase in both your morning heart rate and blood pressure.

Another way to track your progress is to keep a training logbook. Write down how you feel immediately after a workout, after a few hours and after a few days have passed. Chronic muscle soreness and inflammation of the joints may be signs to decrease the amount and intensity of your training. Before changing your exercise regimen, however, try implementing a few recovery techniques following your workout.

Stretching is a good way to decrease your susceptibility for injury and it is also a great way of relaxing the body at the end of the workout.

Stretching is also an active way to remove some of the substances such as lactic acid and muscle debris that accumulate during training and could be impeding your recovery. Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and concentrate on relaxing the muscle. Performing partner-assisted stretches is an ideal way to fully stretch the muscles and relax while your workout partner or trainer does the work. Anecdotal evidence suggests that stretching decreases post-workout soreness and aids in recovery.

Similarly, performing 5 to 10 minutes of light cardiovascular activity such as walking or cycling is a great way to regenerate the body following a workout. Enjoying a nice sauna or hot shower for 5 to 10 minutes can also help muscles relax and heal following a strenuous workout. So remember, before changing your workout try some of the recovery techniques listed above.

A handgrip dynamometer (a device you hold in your hand and squeeze as hard as you can) is a quick and effective way to objectively measure overtraining or daily fatigue. It can also serve as a good indicator of central nervous system fatigue. Before every workout, squeeze the dynamometer one hand at a time and record your score. If your score constantly decreases or is lower on a particular day, you may be experiencing central nervous system fatigue and need to recover.

It is important to remember that life stress can be very detrimental to your health and well-being; it is up to you to observe a decrease in functioning and plan your training program appropriately. In other words, if you feel very tired on a certain day, lighten the load or perform fewer repetitions than usual. Doing so may actually help recovery more than performing the workout as planned. Try to avoid the cookbook approach to training – just because your program indicates that you should be training very hard that day does not mean that you cannot adjust the program if your body is not feeling strong enough. Sometimes less is more; rest can also add to your overall fitness progress.