Dr. Amy’s thoughts on overtraining recovery in CrossFit.
Hi everyone, today’s blog is dedicated to understanding the importance of rest days and the risks of overtraining recovery in CrossFit.
Rest Day? What’s That?!
Many of you are driven, competitive, wanting to better yourselves, and honourably wanting to keep yourselves fit and healthy. There is a common misconception that “more is better” and you may be addicted to the endorphin rush and dopamine hit of a good workout. There are some unhealthy beliefs that rest days are bad for you or may lead to you gaining weight or not giving that aesthetic appearance that you may be constantly searching for. The truth is, your body doesn’t get fitter during the workout; this happens during the recovery and rest time.
Why Rest?
Training is the stimulus that causes microscopic tears in muscle fibres, depletes energy stores, and challenges your nervous and endocrine systems. Rest allows your body to:
- Repair Muscle Tissue: The microscopic tears in muscle fibres are rebuilt, making them stronger and more resilient. This process requires time and resources.
- Replenish Energy Stores: Glycogen (stored carbohydrates) is refilled in your muscles and liver, providing fuel for your next session.
- Recover the Central Nervous System (CNS): Your brain and spinal cord bear a significant load during intense training. A fatigued CNS can lead to decreased performance, coordination issues, and a general feeling of “sluggishness”.
- Balance Hormones: Intense training places stress on your endocrine system. Rest allows hormones like cortisol (stress hormone) to regulate and anabolic hormones (like growth hormone and testosterone) to play their role in repair and growth.
Signs You Might Be Overtraining
Overtraining isn’t just about feeling tired; it’s a systemic issue with wide-ranging symptoms that impact both your physical and mental well-being. As a GP, these are some of the common red flags I look out for:
- Persistent Fatigue: Beyond normal post-workout soreness. You feel tired even after a full night’s sleep.
- Decreased Performance: Despite training hard, your strength, speed, and endurance actually decline or plateau. WOD times get slower, lifts feel heavier.
- Increased Irritability & Mood Swings: Your nervous system is tired, leading to emotional instability, anxiety, and low mood.
- Sleep Disturbances: Despite being tired, you might struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep.
- Injury: Without rest, the chronic overload can lead to overuse injuries like tendonitis, stress fractures, and muscle strains.
- Loss of Motivation: That passion for training dwindles, and going to the gym feels like a chore.
If these symptoms sound familiar, it’s a clear sign your body is asking for a break.
CrossFit Chiltern Programming: Built-in Recovery & Your Role
At CrossFit Chiltern, our programming is intelligently designed to promote optimal fitness gains while mitigating the risk of overtraining. We structure our week to provide varied stimulus, including days that are less taxing on your central nervous system.
- Sundays: At CrossFit Chiltern we aim to enforce a day of rest by shutting the box on a Sunday. It’s not laziness – it is done for your benefit! So allow yourself to take that time, switch off, relax, let your body recover from the week, and come back stronger.
- Strategic Programming: You’ll notice that on days like Thursday, our programming often shifts focus more towards “engine” or monostructural work, where the CNS and heavy lifting are less taxed compared to, say, a heavy squat or Olympic lifting day. These days are strategically placed to offer a relative recovery opportunity.
- Your Responsibility: Listen to Your Body: While our programming offers these built-in recovery opportunities, it’s still crucial for you to tune into your own body. If you’ve had a tough week, poor sleep, or feel those overtraining symptoms creeping in, even on a lighter day like Thursday, consider taking the workout at a 5 out of 10 intensity. Scale the weights significantly, reduce reps, or simply move at a comfortable pace. Sometimes, even taking that programmed “lighter” day completely off is the smartest decision for your long-term progress.
- Embrace True Rest Days: Beyond Sundays, don’t be afraid to take additional days off.
- Active Recovery: Gentle activities like walking, stretching, or light cycling on rest days can aid blood flow and recovery without adding stress.
- Prioritise Sleep: This is arguably the most crucial component of recovery. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. It’s when your body does most of its repair work.
- Deload Weeks: Occasionally, your coaches might recommend a deload week where you reduce the intensity and/or volume of your training. This allows your body to fully recover and prepare for future strength gains.
Ultimately, your fitness journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Know when to pull back. Prioritising rest and smart scaling isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a strategic decision that will unlock greater strength, resilience, and long-term health.
If you’re struggling with persistent fatigue, unexplained performance dips, or nagging injuries, it might be time to have a chat and re-evaluate your rest and recovery.
Dr Amy George. GP, HSN Nutrition coach and CF L1.
Ready to understand how optimal recovery can supercharge your performance and well-being?
For CrossFit Chiltern Members: If you’re a member and want to dive deeper into personalised recovery strategies or nutrition to support your training, book a discovery call and learn how Dr. Amy George, our lead nutrition coach can help you integrate these principles into your daily life for optimal results.
Not a CrossFit Chiltern Member (Yet!)? You don’t have to be a gym member to benefit from expert guidance! If you’re struggling with recovery, fatigue, or want to optimise your health and performance through nutrition and lifestyle changes, book a discovery call and learn how Dr. Amy and her holistic approach can help. As a practising GP, CF-L1 coach, and HSN Nutrition coach, covers all pillars of well-being.