Are you Overtraining?

January 31, 2025
Cora
Fitness

Overtraining is defined as: “when the body is subjected to excessive physical stress without adequate time for recovery.”

Put simply, training is a stressor to your body (even if it’s fun) and your body needs time to recover.

Too much stress with too little recovery will lead to muscle breakdown instead of muscle building.

How do you know if you’re overtraining?

Ask Yourself:

How often do you make it to the pole studio?
How many hours do you spend there?
How much time do you spend training pole at home?
How much are you sleeping?
Are you eating a nutritionally balanced diet?
Are you drinking enough water?

All of these things factor into your training and recovery.

Pole dancing tends to attract a large number of neurodivergent folx. With certain types of neurodivergence, it’s easy to jump beyond progressive overload (the safe way to train) and jump right into overtraining (forget 0-60, going 0-120 is kind of our thing). Personally, when I started my journey, as soon as I got open training privileges, I was training 6-7 days a week for 2-3 hours at a time; which was way too big of a jump for this couch potato.

With workouts like pole and other aerial disciplines, it’s sometimes hard to differentiate between a pain that can be trained away (like desensitizing your skin) and the pain of overuse. The human body is a complex organism, but oftentimes the signals the body sends to the brain are very basic. That’s why when a student says “this move hurts” it behooves an instructor to ask more questions, such as “can you describe the pain?” to see if it hurts because you’re bending your body around a metal pole or the person is over reaching their current fitness level.

What are some signs of overtraining?

Some signs of overtraining include:

Soreness that doesn’t go away with a proper warm up
A plateau in performance
Recurrent injuries
Persistent fatigue or low energy throughout the day
Signs of depression
New problems with sleeping
New problems with concentration
Digestive Issues

These are not the only signs that come with over training, but they are some of the easiest to identify. High level athletes, or athlete’s whose sense of identity is closely tied with their workout, and individuals whose sense of community comes from their training are more likely to be in denial about their overtraining symptoms.

Overtraining vs Overtraining Syndrome

Overtraining Syndrome is significantly more detrimental to one’s health than general overtraining. Overtraining Syndrome (medical term rhabdomyolysis) is excessive overtraining that leads to muscle tissue breakdown and proteins such as creatine kinase being released into the bloodstream. Rhabdomyolysis can lead to kidney failure. If you experience signs of rhabdomyolysis, seek medical attention.

If you think you are at risk of overtraining, or stating to admit you’ve been in denial about your overtraining, data is going to be your friend. Keeping a training journal with things like perceived exertion from a workout, data from a wearable such as a smartwatch that measures recovery heart rate, recording any aches/pains or delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Ways to Recover

Training isn’t just about what you do in the pole studio. It’s also training you do outside of the pole studio like mobility or lifting, hydration, nutrition, sleep, and stress levels. All of these must be in proper balance for progress to happen.

Water

Make sure your health and wellness knowledge is up to date. Back in the ‘90s, we were told 8 glasses of water a day was enough to keep you healthy; however, this article published by Harvard Health Publishing in 2023 recommends 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women.

Food

Nutrition is a big ol’ bag of worms and will be different for everybody, but ensuring you are getting enough protein is vital to any athlete. The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends consuming .8g of protein per kg of body per day. For example, a 150 lb athlete is approximately 68 kg; so .8 * 68 = 54.4 g of protein (minimum) per day. If you’re upping your protein, don’t forget to also pay attention to your fiber intake. Everything is a balance.

Sleep

Per the Mayo Clinic, getting less than 7 hours of quality sleep per night is linked with poor health. However, sleep is a highly personal thing. You may be a heavy sleeper and 7 hours feels great; however, if you are a light sleeper 7 hours may not be enough for you to enter REM sleep. For a deep dive into the importance and science of sleep, check out the book “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker.

Stress

Stress is probably the item on this list that we can moderate the least. Stressors are often external things demanding our time and energy and oftentimes we feel like we have little control over them (and it may be true that we have little control over them). Offering ideas for stress relief is really out of our lane, so if you’re feeling unduly stressed, you may want to seek assistance from a professional such as a lifestyle coach or a therapist.

Conclusion

Overtraining is a common issue amongst pole dancers. Recognizing the signs of overtraining and adopting a balanced approach to recovery—through adequate hydration, proper nutrition, sufficient sleep, and stress management—are essential steps in maintaining a sustainable and enjoyable training routine. Remember that progress in pole dancing or any physical discipline is not just about how hard you train but how well you recover. By listening to your body, tracking your progress, and being mindful of your limits, you can continue to build strength and skill without compromising your well-being. Balance is the key to long-term success and joy in your pole journey.

Author
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Cora

Circus Cora is a Virginia-based aerialist, variety performer, and fitness instructor. She has been training aerial silks since 2015 and will try any apparatus she can get her hands one. She currently coaches at several gyms in Virginia and Maryland and enjoys spending her downtime with her cats, Cookie and Lena.