Welcome to “The PT Handbook!” This handbook will provide practical PT tips and dive into hot topics surrounding the sports rehab world.
This newsletter is an extension of our philosophy at “Art of PT Sports & Performance Physical Therapy PLLC” where our patient population includes athletes and active individuals. Reply to this email with questions!
Dr. Gerry Robles PT, DPT
Founder, Art of PT Sports & Performance Physical Therapy PLLC - Athlete-level care for every active body
PT Handbook Conversation: The #1 Sign You’re Training Too Much
How do I know if I’m training too much?
Working with active people and athletes over the years has been a challenge. It's hard to get them to slow down or they worry about overtraining. But how do you know if you're training or doing too much?
People assume the biggest warning sign is soreness, fatigue, or feeling tired after a hard workout. But that's not usually what I look for first.
As a physical therapist, the biggest sign that you're doing too much is often a steady decline in performance. And I think most people instinctually know this but they push and push. But your workouts feel harder. And they keep feeling harder and harder....
Then recovery takes longer than usual. Small aches start showing up more often. And despite putting in more effort, you're getting less out of your training. Funny how that works huh...
That's your body telling you it isn't keeping up with the demands you're placing on it. The answer isn't always to stop training completely.
In many cases, it's about adjusting the balance between stress and recovery. Sometimes that means reducing volume for a week. Sometimes it means improving sleep. Sometimes it means eating enough to support your training. Or sometimes it simply means listening to the signals you've been ignoring.
The goal of training isn't to see how much stress you can survive. The goal is to apply enough stress to improve, then recover well enough to adapt. It's a gentle balance, one that requires patience and true mastery of your body.
And that's where progress actually happens.
Recovery isn't just about taking days off, either. It's also about giving your body the resources it needs to perform and recover consistently.
That includes quality sleep, adequate protein, hydration, and overall nutrition.
That's one reason I recommend Thorne supplements. I use them personally and love them. They will aid in your recovery but remember they SUPPLEMENT your overall lifestyle habits which I discussed above. 10% off below! Their creatine is a must.
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THE TAKEAWAY:
Feeling challenged by training is normal. Watching your performance steadily decline is not.
Pay attention to what your body is telling you. You're not being lazy...you're being smart.
Think you’re doing too much and having aches/pains? Reply to this email or hit the link below to “contact us”😊
My newest podcast with coach Ramy is below ! We talk overtraining and I choke him out at the end….jk…or am I😃
👉 Check out Thorne supplements HERE and get 10% off your first order!
Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links. I only recommend products I personally use or trust as a PT. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I am a Thorne/Legion supplements ambassador and trust their products.
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Until Next Time,
Dr. Gerry Robles PT, DPT
Founder, Art of PT Sports & Performance Physical Therapy PLLC - Athlete-level care for every active body