If you're feeling like you're coming down with the flu after working out, it's likely because you're training like you're bulking but eating like you're cutting. In other words, you're pushing your body hard in the gym, but not giving it the fuel it needs to recover. When you keep hammering your body with intense workouts while staying in a caloric deficit, you're not giving yourself enough to rebuild, which eventually catches up with you. That’s why you start feeling run down, achy, and just plain sick after training. This is a sign of overtraining.
Overtraining is bad news because it doesn’t just stall progress—it can actually lead to detraining. You might be thinking you're grinding hard, but if you overdo it, you begin to lose muscle, strength, and overall performance. No one wants to undo all their hard work just because they’re training too hard without proper recovery.
So how do you avoid this? First off, listen to your body. If you're constantly exhausted, sore for days, or feeling sick after workouts, it's time to back off a little. Rest days are crucial. Your body grows when it's resting, not while you're grinding. Don't forget to mix in some lower-intensity days as well. Every workout doesn't need to be an all-out war.
Food also plays a huge role. If you're not eating enough calories, especially from proteins and carbs, your body has nothing to work with when it comes time to recover. This is especially important if you're training hard—your body needs fuel to rebuild muscle and refill your energy stores.
And yes, the timing of your meals matters too. Eat something before you work out to power through your session, and make sure you get a solid post-workout meal or snack within an hour after training. This helps your body recover faster and reduces that sore, achy feeling.
Balance is key—train hard, but fuel your body and give it time to recover. Otherwise, you’ll end up working yourself into the ground, literally.
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