Why Your Workouts Are Failing: The Overtraining Trap
If more effort equals worse results, it’s not laziness—it’s overexercising.
One of the most frustrating signs of overtraining is when workouts backfire. You lift less, run slower, or struggle with exercises that used to feel easy. Instead of growing stronger, your body weakens. This reversal is your system crying out for rest. Research shows that overtraining reduces muscle glycogen, impairs coordination, and increases injury risk (Kreher, Current Sports Medicine Reports, 2016).
Declining performance isn’t about willpower. It’s about imbalance: too much stress, not enough recovery. If ignored, this spiral can lead to full-blown burnout, where the gym becomes a place of dread rather than growth.
Practical Step: Keep a simple workout log. If you see performance dip for more than a week, schedule a rest day—or two. Recovery is training.
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