By Michael Krueger
Burnout is like overtraining for your mind and spirit. There’s always a physical component, but it’s your head and your heart that are causing the bulk of your problems. The things that you once looked forward to and that brought you great joy are now so difficult to do that they cause you pain and paralysis.
Runners can get to the point where they stare at their shoes like they aren’t even sure what they’re for. Lifters will lie on their bench with a towel over their face so they can’t even see the bar. No matter which way they turn, nothing feels right.
Why does this happen, what can you do when it does happen, and what can you do to avoid it?
The Causes
There are probably as many causes of burnout as there are athletes. Burnout is nothing to be ashamed of; in a strange way, it shows you care and are dedicated to doing your best. Nutrition, sleep issues, injuries, overreaching, not enough time off, goal achievement, missing a goal, relationship issues, job pressures, and fear are just of a few of the common causes.
Burnout is frequently a part of overtraining as well, but it isn’t the same thing. You may still be making good progress day to day when suddenly your enthusiasm starts to wane and the next thing you know you can muster little more than a groan when it’s time to train. Interestingly though, if you do find the will to work out, it’s frequently a very good and productive session. Such are the complexities and contradictions of burnout.
During the winter, weather can be a contributing factor, particularly if you live where it gets cold and snowy and you normally train outdoors. Late sunrises and early sunsets don’t usually inspire you to get up and get going either. The hot and humid summer weather can have the same effect as the cold, so burnout isn’t limited to winter but it is more common.
Doing the same workout time after time is a great way to court burnout. Even those who like to know what comes next need to change things up occasionally. On the other hand, chronic routine changers also run up against burnout. They don’t see much progress so they assume the program is at fault and they switch to something else. Eventually they feel like they’ve tried everything and nothing worked, and soon burnout raises its ugly head.
Out of gym factors can be a contributing element as well. If your work schedule keeps preempting your training, it’s easy to get frustrated, and soon you don’t know what to or which way to turn. Relationships can put added pressure on training, and since you find both training and socializing pleasurable, something has to give. When you try to find balance, often someone gets cranky with your choice or your training suffers, and neither situation makes you happy. The harder you try to make it work, the less positive return you see, and burnout ensues.
When It Happens
Sometimes you can see burnout coming. All of a sudden your motivation goes south and your gains come to a halt. You’re not injured, but even a wrinkled sock or not having the “right” shirt can sidetrack you from the task at hand. The gym is too hot, the music isn’t to your liking, the lights are too bright, the other lifters are too talkative, etc. You want to blame it on everyone and everything around you, but soon you’ll see that you’re experiencing the early signs of burnout.
At this point, your training might still be salvageable. Pull out your logs and objectively look at how your training has been going. If your progress has been on track, your sleep has been good, and you’re eating well, then it might not take too much effort to nip this in the bud.
First, schedule a week off. Write it down in you log, and mark it on your calendar–seven days with no training. This may or may not appeal to you, but that doesn’t matter; do it anyway. It’s usually best not to tell everyone why you are taking this break. Because burnout is so personal and hard to explain, talking about it generally doesn’t make it better.
Now your task is to enjoy the free time you have given yourself. Eat what you want and sleep in if you can. Stay up a little later if that appeals to you; this is your week to recharge your batteries. If there are issues or chores you haven’t been dealing with and it would make you feel better to do them, then get them done. If you would rather not, then don’t.
If you haven’t been getting outdoors much, this would be a good opportunity to do that. Go for a noncompetitive walk. Don’t time it, and don’t walk briskly if you would prefer to stroll. Stop and talk to people if the opportunity arises and you want to talk to them. Don’t think about your heart rate; just walk, breathe, and clear your head.
After your decompression week, you may be ready to pick up where you left off, tweak your training a bit, or scrap it all and start something completely new. Listen to the voices in your head and notice how your body feels. Do you feel like you could take on the whole gym, or are you a bit hesitant? Getting back to the same old routine before you are ready is courting disaster. Pretending that everything is fine won’t cut it, either. You need to know for certain you are ready to get back in the game.
This is the time to really pay attention, because this is the only chance you may have to avoid really sliding into the self-pitying, dark world of total burnout. If this happens, you may have weeks ahead of you where you are unhappy, physically dragging, unproductive, and rather unpleasant to be around.
If you come to the conclusion that you are still not all there, take some more time off. If you think it is more serious than simple burnout and you could benefit from some professional help, either physically or mentally, then get it.
Avoiding It Altogether
Obviously, the best situation is to avoid burnout in the first place. This isn’t as hard as it might seem if you follow a few simple guidelines.
First, as always, make sure your sleep and nutrition are in order. Nothing will take you down the road to burnout like eating simple carbs, sugar, alcohol, and excessive amounts of saturated fats. Getting enough sleep is equally important, but getting too much can be just as damaging as not enough. I know your schedule can cause chaos when it comes to sleep, but contrary to some opinions, it has been shown that catching up when you can will make a big difference. Turn off your I-Pad, your phone, your TV, and your laptop and go to sleep.
Now take a look and see if you are scheduling enough time off from training. Sometimes people fall into the “if a little is good, more must be better” trap. Review you goals and create a training schedule that will get you to your goals while giving you enough time and energy for everything else in your life. You may find that your eight-week goal would work better as two cycles of five weeks with a seven-day break. Whatever gets you to your goal in one piece, physically and mentally, is the route to take.
Cross training may help to break up the routine of your training. I know that if you are a runner, the thought of swimming or biking may be abhorrent, but even swapping out one session might be enough to remind you why you like to run. Changing your method of weight training can make a huge difference in you willingness to attack the iron with new vigor. Getting out from under heavy weight and low reps and instead ripping through a few workouts with lighter weight and higher reps can be exhilarating. Trying something new, even though it might be difficult for you, is always worth the effort. Who knows? You might find a new fitness passion in the bargain!
Moving Forward
Of course, it’s best to stay as far from burnout as you can, but if it sneaks up on you, don’t despair; deal with it and learn from it. Write down the circumstances that got you there and then what you did to get yourself out of it and back on track. Remember, it can and does happen to everyone. It’s not fatal, and it can actually improve your performance and self-understanding moving forward.
Now, it you aren’t feeling strong and enthused about training, schedule a week off, eat some good food, take a nap, go see a movie, read a book, or just do something you enjoy on a day you usually train.
Trust me on this: It can be very liberating and good for both body and soul to get away from your training and play hooky once in a while.
Michael Krueger is an NSCA-certified personal trainer. He got his start in fitness training while serving in the United States Coast Guard. He works with firefighters and others in and around Madison, Wisconsin. He is available to fire departments, civic organizations, and athletic teams for training, consulting, and speaking engagements. He has published numerous articles on fitness, health, and the mind-body connection and was a featured speaker at the IAFC’s FRI 2009 Health Day in Dallas, Texas. E-mail him at MKPTLLC@gmail.com.
