Pre-Contest Overtraining
As the big
competition day approaches, you want to make sure that nothing holds you back
from being your very best on stage.
Unfortunately, sometimes the more we push ourselves, the more we are at
risk for overtraining before a competition.
There is cardio to do, weight training, and of course, the routine to
work on. Pre-contest is the time when you
are most susceptible to overtraining.
You are training intensely, eating a contest diet and pushing yourself
to the maximum. To make it on to that
stage in your best condition requires that you maintain energy throughout you
training while avoiding any illness, serious injury or other symptoms of
overtraining.
There are several
signs and symptoms of overtraining to be aware of. You may not experience all of these symptoms,
but even a few is a good indication that it is time to take a rest day, review
your workout plan and re-energize. You
may experience any of the following: fatigue, frequent colds or sickness,
injury, loss of appetite, insomnia or oversleeping, excessive muscle soreness,
loss of interest in training, elevated resting heart rate. The best cure is prevention, as they say, and
there are many things that you can do while you prepare for a competition to
avoid overtraining. They are based on
the fact that our bodies can only withstand so much training without getting
some rest and recovery in return. If we
want to be functioning in top form, we need to take some time and pay a little
bit extra attention to our body's recovery.
Ways to Avoid Overtraining
1) Get Adequte Rest
This
means that you need to get a full night's sleep every single night. There is so much to do before your
competition that often you end up staying up late, sometimes you're so nervous
that you can't fall asleep or your routine keeps running through your
head. Before you know it you are not
getting adequate sleep. Your body
recovers while it is resting, so it is vital that you get a good night's sleep
on a consistent basis. Set a bedtime for
yourself and stick to it, getting your body used to falling asleep at an early
time each night. If you need to,
implement some techniques that will help you fall asleep. You can do relaxation exercises for your mind
and body before going to bed, drink teas that help you sleep like chamomile,
listen to relaxing music, or use some lavendar
scented oils or candles.
2) Keep a Journal
Writing
down how you are feeling throughout your preparation will help you be aware of
any symptoms that appear. If you are
constantly writing in your journal that you feel tired or you feel as though a
cold is coming on, you will recognize these things as signs you are overtrained. Many
times we simply ignore the symptoms until they lead to devestating
results such as a serious injury or negative changes in physique and performance. Be
honest with yourself and be aware!
3)Monitor
your Resting Heart Rate
The best
time to check your resting heart rate is first thing in the morning before you
even get out of bed. The first time you
take it, the number is not that significant because we all have slightly
different resting heart rates. It is the
following heart rate checks that will let you know if something is wrong. If your resting heart rate rises
significantly it is a sure sign that you are overtraining and need to ease up a
little bit.
4) Plan your Workouts Carefully
There is so
much training that goes into getting ready for a competition, that it is
important to balance out all the workouts.
Trying to do cardio, weight training and routine on the same day will
leave your body begging you to stop! Try
to space out your weight training and routine sessions to give your body time
to recover.
5) Take a 50% Week
It is nearly
impossible to work our bodies intensely for long periods of time without
negative side effects. Taking a 50% week
means cutting your weights down to 50% of what you would normally do, and
taking it easy on the cardio and routine.
This is better than taking a full rest week, but it will still give your
body a bit of a rest. When you are
excited and motivated for an upcoming competition, the last thing that you want
to do is stop training. On the other hand,
if you end up overtraining, your body may force you to take time off or even
keep you from competing at all.
6)Drink
tons of water!
Not only a
great way to burn fat, improve your skin, and keep energized, water is
necessary for all of your bodies functions, including recovering from
workouts. It is important to drink as
much as possible, especially when you are training hard, sweating a great deal,
or training in the hot weather. Set a
goal and keep track of how much you drink in a day to make sure that you are
getting enough.
7)Take
a strong anti-oxidant and other Supplements
Toxins are
created in our bodies as a by-product from working out. Taking anitoxidants
such as vitamin c, alpah lipoic
acid, grape seed, or grapefruit seed extract will help combat these unwanted
toxins. Taking a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement will help your body stay
healthy and functioning properly. Other
supplements such as glutamine can be taken regularly after workouts and at
night before bed to help the body recovery from the vigors
of training.
8)Recovery
Aids
Anything
that helps you relax and stimulates circulation will help your body
recover. If you have access to a hot
tub, steam room or sauna, use them at every opportunity. If you don'[t have access to any of these
facilities, simply soaking in a bath with epsom salts
or other rejuvenating oils, salts etc will be helpful. Another great recovery technique is the
"hot/cold" shower. Although
not always the most fun, it's a great way to boost your circulation and you
body's recovery powers. After a few
minutes of hot shower water, turn it to cold (as cold as you can stand) for a
few minutes, return to hot and repeat.
It is extremely invigorating!
Another great treatment for hard working muscles is massage. While professional massages will provide you
with the most effective results, even an amateur massage helps circulation and
helps stimulate recovery.
You know your
body better than anyone else, so watch for signs and symptoms of overtraining. If your body is telling you it's time to ease
up a little, you better listen or it will use harsher means of telling you in
the form of sickness and injury. Be aware
how your body is feeling throughout your training so that when the day of your
competition comes, you can get onstage and hold nothing back!