Feeling sore, tired, flat… but still pushing through? Overtraining might not be your problem. Under-recovery probably is.
Most people assume they’re overtraining when they hit a wall with fatigue, poor performance, or lack of motivation. But in reality, it’s not the training volume that breaks you—it’s the lack of recovery to match it. You can train hard, but only if you recover harder. Before you slash your sessions or give up altogether, check these four recovery levers first.
- You’re Not Sleeping Enough
Reality: Sleep is where growth, repair, and regulation happen. Without it, your body never fully resets.
Fix: Aim for 7–9 hours. Build a wind-down routine. Screens off early, room cool and dark. No sleep = no recovery. - You’re Not Eating to Match Your Output
Reality: Training burns energy—and if you’re under-eating (especially protein and carbs), your body has nothing to rebuild with.
Fix: Prioritise protein (2g/kg is a solid rule of thumb), carbs for energy, and enough total calories to support your training load. - You’re Not Managing Stress
Reality: Life stress + training stress = one total load. Your body doesn’t know the difference.
Fix: Take rest days seriously. Walk more. Breathe more. Journal. Deload your life like you deload your training. - You’re Not Scaling Smartly
Reality: If every session is a max-effort suffer-fest, it’s only a matter of time.
Fix: Learn to train hard, not always go hard. Schedule deloads. Progress volume and intensity strategically—not emotionally.
Conclusion:
You don’t need to train less—you need to recover smarter. Recovery isn’t a luxury—it’s a strategy. Fix these four levers, and you’ll go further, feel better, and finally break the plateau.
