5 Signs You’re Overtraining and How to Fix It

By Dr. Benjamin Glider, PT, DPT – Mobile Recovery Lab, Central NJ

Training hard is essential for progress, but more isn’t always better. When you push your body beyond its ability to recover, you risk injury, burnout, and a drop in performance. This is called overtraining, and it can sneak up on even the most dedicated athletes.

Here’s how to spot it early and get back on track before it derails your progress.

1. Persistent Fatigue
If you feel drained even after rest days, your body may be in a constant state of repair without enough downtime to fully recover. You may notice heavier legs, slower reaction times, and reduced motivation to train.
Fix it: Prioritize quality sleep, proper nutrition, and schedule active recovery days instead of stacking more intense sessions.

2. Declining Performance
If your lifts suddenly feel heavier, sprints are slower, or your endurance is dropping despite consistent training, it’s a red flag.
Fix it: Reduce training volume for a week and focus on mobility, stability, and technique work to rebuild a strong foundation.

3. Increased Injury Risk
More aches, tendon pain, or recurring strains can signal that your muscles and connective tissue aren’t keeping up with demand. Overtraining can cause chronic inflammation and tissue breakdown, making you more prone to injury.
Fix it: Incorporate soft tissue mobilization, targeted strength work, and recovery sessions to restore tissue health and resilience.

4. Mood Changes
If you’re more irritable, unmotivated, or even feeling depressed, it may be linked to nervous system fatigue from overtraining. This often shows up as mental burnout before physical breakdown.
Fix it: Take 2–5 days away from intense workouts and add stress-reduction strategies like breathing drills, meditation, or light outdoor walks.

5. Frequent Illness
If you’re getting sick more often or feeling run-down, overtraining may be weakening your immune system. Constant high stress from training can leave your body vulnerable.
Fix it: Pull back on intensity, eat nutrient-dense foods, hydrate well, and space out your intense training days.

How I Help Athletes Recover from Overtraining
At Mobile Recovery Lab, I use a combination of:

• Functional movement assessments to find weak links

• Dry needling, soft tissue mobilization, and active release to restore tissue health

• Customized recovery plans to rebuild performance without risking setbacks

This approach doesn’t just get you feeling better—it gets you back to training smarter so you can perform at your best without constant setbacks.

The Takeaway
Overtraining is a performance killer, but it’s also 100% preventable. By recognizing the signs early and adjusting your training, you can train harder in the long run and avoid burnout.

Ready to recover stronger?
📍 Serving athletes and active adults in Central NJ
📅 Book your recovery session today and see how the right strategy can get you back to peak performance.

Why Fitness Plateaus Happen — And What You Can Do About It

You’re putting in the work. Showing up consistently. Following your program. But suddenly… nothing changes. No new strength gains. No improved endurance. No difference in the mirror.

You’ve hit the dreaded plateau.

It’s frustrating, but it’s also a normal part of any fitness journey. And the good news? It doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong—it means your body has adapted.

Here’s why fitness plateaus occur—and how to break through them.

1. Your Body is Incredibly Efficient

Your body is designed to adapt. At the beginning of any new workout plan, you see fast progress because your body is learning something new. But over time, it becomes efficient at the routine—and stops needing to change.

If the challenge stays the same, the results stop coming.

This is why progressive overload is key. If you’re not gradually increasing the demand—by lifting heavier, running faster, or adding complexity—your body has no reason to keep adapting.

2. You're Not Recovering Enough

Plateaus aren’t always caused by under-training. More often, they’re caused by under-recovering.

Training is only one part of the equation. Your gains come from how well you:

• Sleep

• Fuel your body

• Manage stress

• Recover between sessions

Without proper recovery, your performance stagnates and your risk of injury increases.

3. Your Nervous System Is Fatigued

When you hit a plateau, it might not be your muscles that are tired—it’s your nervous system. Over time, high-intensity training can lead to central fatigue, impacting coordination, reaction time, and muscle recruitment.

If your lifts feel heavy or your performance is sluggish, even after rest days, your nervous system might be telling you it needs a reset.

4. You’ve Lost Sight of Movement Quality

When workouts become routine, form often gets sloppy. Compensations sneak in. Old mobility issues creep back. If your body isn't moving well, it won’t perform well—period.

Movement assessment and mobility work are essential tools to keep your body efficient, pain-free, and progressing.

5. Your Program Lacks Variety or Progression

Doing the same sets, reps, or cardio routine week after week? That might have built your base, but it won’t push you forward.

Your body craves challenge, but also needs intelligent variability—new angles, tempos, rep ranges, and even rest periods.

How to Break Through a Plateau

• Reassess your goals and training plan

• Incorporate deload weeks or change training variables

• Dial in your recovery strategies (sleep, nutrition, soft tissue work)

• Get a movement assessment to identify breakdowns or restrictions

• Hire a coach or PT for fresh perspective and accountability

Final Thoughts

Plateaus are not failure. They’re feedback.

They tell you it’s time to adjust, evolve, and fine-tune your approach.

If you’re stuck and unsure what needs to change, that’s where I come in. As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, I help active individuals and athletes identify movement limitations, reset their recovery, and fine-tune their plan for real results.

Let’s get you out of that rut—and back to progressing.