Four Signs You’re Overdoing Cardio Training

If you’ve just kick-started a new workout program, it’s easy to let yourself become highly excited about all the changes that are about to take place in your body and are regularly hitting the treadmill, elliptical, or bike.

In all this though, you do have to pay attention to just how much cardio training you’re doing so that you can be sure that you don’t begin to overtrain.  Some people do end up taking things just a little too far and this can seriously influence the progress they see over the long term.

Let’s have a quick peak at four signs that you might be doing just a bit too much cardio training. If you notice any of these occurring, it may be time to re-evaluate your program and make a few select changes.

Your Legs Feel Like Lead

The very first sign that you’re definitely doing too much cardio is if you find that your legs feel like lead almost the entire time throughout the day. If you’re highly fatigued in almost all the exercises you’re doing, whether it’s a simple walk to the store or a workout session, this is a good indication that overtraining may be at play.

Take a few days off and see if that doesn’t improve the situation.

Your Strength Level Is Decreasing

The second sign that you may be overdoing cardio training is if your strength level is significantly declining.  Cardio training can negatively impact your strength if you get to a point where you’re doing an overabundant amount.

There is a careful trade-off between doing enough cardio to maintain good health and fitness and not letting it sacrifice your performance improvements from your strength training workouts.  Careful balance will be key to success.

If you find that you’re unable to increase the weight over time, consider cutting back slightly on your cardio training and see if this makes a difference.

You Are Hungry 24/7

Moving along, if you feel as though you’re hungry 24/7, that’s another sign that you may be overdoing cardio training.  While some cardio training will help to decrease your hunger level, too much cardio training will increase it.

Since you need to be able to stick to a diet plan to see weight loss success, if all that cardio is making it next to impossible, you may want to consider cutting back on it altogether.

You Aren’t Improving

Finally, the last sign that you’re doing too much cardio training is if you’re hardly ever improving. If you aren’t able to exercise harder or go longer than you were before, this is a good indication overtraining may be occurring and that you need to take some time off if you hope to progress.

Remember that rest is just as essential as your actual workouts are for bringing you optimal results, so never overlook the importance of a few well-deserved days off.

So there you have the primary points to note about how to know when you’re doing too much cardio training. Pay attention to the signals your body is sending you because they are often hidden clues that you can’t overlook.