How common is overtraining?
Emily Ross
Published Jan 20, 2026
A condition of overreaching is common in athletes with an incidence ranging from 5% to 60%.
Can the average person overtrain?
Most likely, no. True overtraining is quite hard to achieve, and the human body is very efficient at trying to make sure it does not happen. IF you think you may be overtraining, I would ask you first to look further into your workouts/routine, your sleep and rest, and your nutrition.
How easy is it to overtrain?
If you're unlucky enough to develop true overtraining syndrome, it won't take you days or even weeks to get back in top form; it will take months. You cannot develop overtraining syndrome by only training 4-6 hours a week, especially if you're using methods that don't challenge the nervous system.
Should I be worried about overtraining?
Resting heart rate that's higher than usual, a reduced heart rate variability (taking longer to recover back to the baseline) Poor immune system function and higher chance of injuries. Irritability, depression, burnout.
What are 3 signs of overtraining?
Symptoms and warning signs of overtraining
- Unusual muscle soreness after a workout, which persists with continued training.
- Inability to train or compete at a previously manageable level.
- "Heavy" leg muscles, even at lower exercise intensities.
- Delays in recovery from training.
- Performance plateaus or declines.
Is 6 days a week workout too much?
Do not work the same muscles on consecutive days—allow them time to recover. Some people do well on a five to six day a week schedule, working only one muscle group each time. If you want to go the gym more often, you can...but don't work overwork tired muscles. They need the rest.
Is 12 hours exercise a week too much?
Exercising for more than 12 hours a week gives you the best chance of avoiding heart attacks, strokes, cancer and diabetes, experts claim. That is five times higher than the minimum activity suggested by the British Government and the World Health Organisation.
How many rest days should I have a week?
It turns out, exercise experts pretty much agree on the number of rest days people who are in good shape and exercising regularly should take: On average, you should be taking two days per week for rest and active recovery.
Do bodybuilders overtrain?
Overtraining, as far as bodybuilding is concerned, comes from training too hard, too often, or too long and not giving muscles enough time to rest, recuperate and grow. Training stimulates the growth that doesn't take place until you are resting and recovering.
How do you Recognise overtraining?
You may experience symptoms of overtraining that are directly related to exercise, including: Increased muscle soreness that gets worse the more you train. A plateau or decline in athletic performance. Inability to train at the level you usually do.
How do Bodybuilders not overtrain?
To prevent overtraining, schedule regular rest days after long or demanding workouts. Take a break from targeting a muscle group for 1 or 2 days if you do weight or resistance training. At the same time, don't allow for too much time to lapse between workout sessions. Have a rest period during your workout.
Is 1 rest day a week enough bodybuilding?
Bodybuilding. Bodybuilding, or weight training, incorporates rest days by rotating the muscles worked. After exercising a specific muscle group, let it rest for one to two days. This gives your muscles a chance to repair and heal.
How do you know when a woman is overtraining?
persistent feelings of fatigue, exhaustion, or low energy throughout the day. a decline in motivation and/or self-confidence. a lack of enjoyment in favorite hobbies and interests or other signs of depression. unusual moods or emotions, such as agitation, anger, confusion, irritability, and restlessness.
Is it okay to have 2 rest days in a row?
If you don't sleep well or long enough consistently for a few days, your reaction time, immunity, cognitive functions, and endurance will decrease, with compounds the symptoms of overtraining. Dr. Wickham says that two rest days in a row should be enough to reset the body back into a normal sleep schedule and cycle.
Is it okay to do nothing on rest days?
To be clear: the WORST thing you can do on your rest day is absolutely nothing. You want to aim for light, gentle movements. “Avoid strenuous activities which would put more stress on the body. Rest days can consist of normal activities such as walking, light cardio, etc.
Do bodybuilders take rest days?
The ideal training routine for those asking how many rest days between workouts bodybuilders should take is 4-5 times per week (as opposed to 6 or 7). Rest days are essentially growth days and allow you to reach your goals much faster.
Is 5 sets of 12 reps good?
Sets of anywhere from 4–40 reps will stimulate muscle growth quite well, but most research shows that doing 6–20 reps per set is the most efficient way to build muscle. Bodybuilders often use the middle of that range, favouring 8–12 reps per set.
Is 24 sets per week too much?
Dr Israetel's research shows that most muscles grow best with a weekly training volume of around 8–25 sets per muscle per week, ideally spread out over 2–5 workouts. However, this can vary between people and also between muscle groups.
Is 30 sets for chest too much?
Be sure to keep your weekly training volume (the total of your working sets) for chest between 12-16 total reps. If you find out you are performing more than 20 sets per week, there is a very good chance you are doing TOO much and are actually diminishing your bodies ability to build new muscle mass.
Is 2 hours of exercise a day too much?
Those who need to lose weight might need even more. Based on that, working out 2 hours per day might not be a very big stretch for most people. However, if you are new to exercise, a 2 hour workout can do more harm than good. Start with 15 minute sessions, then gradually at time as your body adapts.
Is 18 hours of exercise a week good?
Healthy adults ages 18 to 64 should get at least 150–300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75–150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. At least two days per week of muscle strengthening activity can confer additional health benefits.
Is 7 hours of exercise a day too much?
So, what exactly is "too much" exercising? Well, it depends on factors like your age, health, and choice of workouts. But in general, adults should get around five hours a week of moderate exercise or two and a half hours of more intense activity.
Is Push Pull legs a good split?
The push/pull/legs split is probably the most efficient workout split there is because all related muscle groups are trained together in the same workout. This means that you get the maximum overlap of movements within the same workout, and the muscle groups being trained get an overall benefit from this overlap.
Is it okay to work out every day?
A weekly day of rest is often advised when structuring a workout program, but sometimes you may feel the desire to work out every day. As long as you're not pushing yourself too hard or getting obsessive about it, working out every day is fine.