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First off, make sure to refer to my “Age is Just a Number” video because one person’s 40 is not the same as another person's 40!
What is Overtraing?
Overtraining in my opinion is when you are training to the point that the high level of physical stress on your body is negatively effecting your overall health. Not only can this effect you physically health but also your mental state of mind as in mental burnout or your workouts becoming an obsession!
How do you know when you are Overtraining?
When most people are talking about overtraining they are generally referring to overtraining a muscle to the point that the added workouts are not benefiting muscle growth but to do this you have to be a training machine and in the case of the over 40 crowd I don't think many people even get remotely close to overtraining their muscles in this way. The limiting factor for most people over 40 will be areas like the joints, ligaments, shoulders, hips and back since as we age we often exhibit signs of arthritis and even the beginning stages of arthritis can cause big problems when hitting that area repeatedly with the same motion. So look for signs of joint and back pain that do not go away even after some rest. In the case of mental overtraining, make sure that you still have a positive attitude towards your workouts and that your workouts are bringing your mood up and not down.
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How can Overtraining effect people over 40?
Overtraining will show itself in most people over 40 by often creeping up slowly, rather than simply being a bit sore after a workout, that pain may seem to never entirely go away. The pain can be in the muscle but most often it will be in the joint itself or the connecting ligaments and/or tendons. Being in constant pain will wear on your mental health since training while in pain is not fun at all. Don't confuse the soreness you feel in the related areas after a workout for 1-3 days as overtraning, this is normal and as long as it goes away at least until the next time you hit that area again then you should be good to go!
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What can you do to prevent the effects of Overtraining?
There are several things you can do to prevent Overtraining Over 40. First off make sure to always use good form and technique, don't be afraid to push yourself but know your limitations. Mix up your training exercises to limit repetition, hitting your muscles and joint a little bit differently each time you workout will help to equalize the strain on deferent parts of your joints and body. The same goes with range of motion and grip, playing around with grip width, hand positioning and even rep range will lesson the strain on one area of your body or joint. If an area of your body is soar then work a different area, don't use soreness as an excuse to take time off from training since there are so many areas you can train and ways to train each area. Proper eating and nutrition and making sure to get enough sleep go without saying as your body needs both of these to rebuild itself after a workout.
Watch my YouTube Video on Overtraining Over 40!