WHY WORKING OUT TOO MUCH CAN MAKE YOU FAT (YIKES!) AND HOW TO AVOID IT

If you are new to the gym scene and working out, this discussion may not be for you.  But if you go to the gym everyday or spend 3 hours each time you’re there, then yes, this post may be for you.

Do you ever ask yourself why you work out so much?   Now, let me be clear:  there are A LOT of benefits to working out everyday, but like everything else, doing too much of something good, can become something not-so-good.

Here are a few examples of good things that happen when you work out a lot:

• You move more every day
• You see your friends at the gym and get a chance to socialize and move (DOUBLE BONUS)
• You do a variety of workouts
• You don’t need to push yourself to extreme levels every time you show up
• You feel strong, energized and vibrant
• You sleep well and you have no recurring injuries (like constant back, elbow or knee pain)
• You can control your eating and you eat a relatively healthy diet

Here are a few examples of the not-so-good (or bad) things that happen when you work out a lot:

• You push yourself in every class, every time you workout
• You do a lot of the same things over and over, like cycling or running on the treadmill or lifting heavy weights
• You don’t socialize much and just focus on doing your own thing
• You feel tired, wiped out and injured most of the time (but you’ll work through it tomorrow at the gym)
• You are tired but can’t sleep well
• You crave SUGAR and have a tendency to over eat often (then feel the need to work out even more)

I want you to know, that I know what over-training feels like, because I have fallen prey to it myself over the last couple of weeks.

And the funny thing is, I was not the only one.  As many of us prepared for the final weeks of the Max Trainer Challenge, many of us not only ate a very clean diet but ADDED workouts to our schedule.   And guess what?  Some people not only didn’t lose weight, they gained some fat.

Wondering how that happens?  Well, in simple terms:  when you over-train or starve yourself (under eat too much), your body goes into “fight or flight” mode.  Over-exercising can cause changes in hormone levels, including testosterone and cortisol. Upsetting the body’s hormone balance with overtraining can signal the body to burn muscle instead of fat.  OUCH.

And who the hell wants that?

Here are 3 simple guidelines to follow so you can maximize your work out time in the gym, feel energized and avoid getting injured:

CHANGE UP YOUR ROUTINE

The body is smart.  It adapts.  The key to making progress is to keep changing it up so the body continues to adapt.  If you do too much of the same thing, your body will adapt and your results will diminish.  Follow cardio days with strength days.  Either take a day off and fully recover or if you like to remain active, you can still workout, but decrease your intensity or focus on other areas, like core strength or balance and mobility (combining foam rolling and stretching).

SPREAD OUT THE HIGH INTENSITY STUFF

It’s true that metabolic workouts (like TFW Hurricanes or MC3 or Peak 10) are effective at burning fat, building muscle and boosting metabolism, but if you do them too often, the body won’t get a chance to recover and you won’t see the benefits.  I recommend a maximum of 3 per week with days off in between or, if you have to, do something with far less intensity on alternating days.

DECREASE YOUR OVERALL WORKOUT TIME, BUT UP YOUR INTENSITY

I have found over the last 5 years of working with many clients, this is by far the most effective way to get and sustain results.  Increasing intensity over shorter periods of time is very effective.  It’s a dream come true:  you can work out less and yet get better results over time.   I find that 45 minutes is the perfect length of time for a work out, with a consistent 10 minute dynamic warm up with mobility work to start the session, followed by 30 minutes of intense work, and ending with 5-10 minutes of mobility, rolling and stretching.  This workout leaves me feeling vibrant, invigorated and ready to take on the day

I love the idea of moving more everyday and I don’t like to miss a workout.  Using these 3 strategies of changing up my workouts, spreading out the high intensity stuff and decreasing my overall work out time has not only worked amazingly well for me, but also for my clients.

Working out should be challenging, but enjoyable.  It should help boost our energy, sustain our health and help us look and feel better.  If you are not where you want to be, you might just want to consider doing less as a way to get you more of what you are looking to achieve.

As always, I love to hear your comments, questions and feedback.  Shoot me an email anytime at [email protected]

Phil Dozois, Owner, Breakthru Fitness

www.breakthrufitness.com