• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Generation Iron

Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network

  • Movies
  • Original Content
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Pre-Workout
      • Fat Burners
      • Testosterone Boosters
      • Creatine
      • Protein
      • BCAAs
      • Multivitamins
      • Omega-3
      • Joint Supplements
      • Super Greens
      • Meal Replacement
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Foam Rollers
      • Best Massage Guns
    • Programs
      • Best Online Workout Programs
      • Best Workout Streaming Services
      • Best Home Workout Programs
  • Equipment
    • Cardio
      • Treadmills
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Stair Climbers
    • Fitness Accessories
      • Best Apparel
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Weightlifting Shoes
    • Strength
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Complete Home Gyms
    • Training
      • Best Knee Sleeves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
      • Best Weightlifting Wraps
      • Best Weightlifting Gloves
  • More
    • About Us
      • Our Team
      • Our Experts
    • Advertise
    • Franchise With Us
    • Exercise Guides
    • Athlete Profiles
    • Podcasts
    • Power 30
    • Bodybuilding Awards
    • Supplement Awards
  • Shop
Opinion

Fatigue: Overtraining Or Just Making Excuses?

by GI Team Updated by GI Team on Apr 25, 2017

Generation Iron Roelly Fatigue
This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure policy).

A look into CNS overtraining and whether or not it’s a real problem.

Is fatigue a legit excuse for pulling back on your training? Is your body really fried or do you just not have the right mindset?  Let’s get one thing out of the way right now – bodybuilding is supposed to wear you down. You are putting stress on your muscles so that they can grow back stronger. This isn’t supposed to be easy. Actually, it’s supposed to be really, really hard.

So how do you know when you are really overtraining? When have you pushed so far that you are actually hurting yourself and your progress? Before we start kicking your ass with some truth, let’s take a look into one major aspect of overtraining. It’s called central nervous system overtraining or CNS overtraining for short.

What is CNS Overtraining?

There are two ways to wear yourself down into fatigue. There’s muscle fatigue, which is pretty straight forward. It’s when you don’t give your muscles enough time to recover before your next workout.

The second option is overtraining your central nervous system. This effects the entire body as the central nervous system is in control of generating all of the muscular contractions you perform. If you fry your CNS, it leads to overall fatigue of the body. You’ll feel weak and slow – just an overall sense of exhaustion.

The worst part about all of this is you have less energy in the gym, further preventing you from being able to push your hardest during workouts. The usual reason for CNS overtraining is too much volume and intensity with too little rest in between. Throw in stress that comes from the pressures of everyday life and you might go into a nervous system overload.

How to Combat CNS Overtraining Fatigue

Let’s quickly go through some major things to keep in mind in order to prevent overtraining. The key thing to remember is that the time you need to rest is proportional to the intensity and volume of the workout you are putting yourself through. This might be obvious, but the more you work in the gym – the more you need to rest.

Speaking of rest – you need to make sure you get a lot of honest to goodness sleep every day. While it’s easy to try and squeeze as much time out of the day by removing some hours off of your sleep schedule, it’s vital for a bodybuilder to get 8 hours of sleep in order to truly refuel for the next workout. Staying up late in order to get more work done is not the best way to making progress.

It’s also important to learn how to delegate your time. There is only 24 hours in a day. It very well might be impossible to get everything done that you want within that time period. You want to get stronger? Lifting 10 times a week does not equal ten times the muscles. You should only be lifting 4-5 times a week. Period.

Cardio is also a great way to make sure that your body can handle the system shock of working out so hard every day. Cardio exercises will increase your heart rate – thus making your entire body more capable of pushing past the next limit.

Do You Really Have CNS Overtraining Fatigue?

If you look over the few tips we just gave you on how to prevent from CNS overtraining, you might be thinking to yourself, “This is all very obvious stuff. But I still feel like crap every day.”

You know what the real problem is? It’s definitely not CNS fatigue. It’s your mindset. Odds are your nervous system is probably fine. You’re just tired from working so hard and you know what? You just have to deal with it.

There’s a world of a difference between a real total body shutdown and just being tired. People often use words like “overtraining” and “CNS fatigue” as excuses to pull back and baby themselves a little bit. Don’t be that person. Don’t be a wimp. As long as you are intelligent about your workout, your diet, and your rest – you will not have anything standing in your way of major gains except yourself.

Do you think overtraining is more excuse than a reality? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on our official Facebook and Twitter pages. Unless you’re too tired.

About GI Team

The GI Team is here to provide top news and original content for the new generation. The generation of bodybuilders who are pushing the sport to bigger and better places. Join The Movement. Become a part of Generation Iron!

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Get the Latest

Stay informed with the latest news, product reviews, & expert advice.

Popular Reviews

  • best protein powders

    The Best Protein Powder Supplements of 2025 (Tried and Tested)

  • Best Creatine Supplements For Bulking & Muscle Growth of 2025 (Personally Tested)

  • top x pre workout

    The 14 Best Pre-Workout Supplements of 2025 (MD Reviewed)

  • best nitric oxide booster

    Do Nitric Oxide Boosters Work?

Trending Articles

  • female fitness models

    18 Best Butts On The Internet (Updated 2024)

  • ronnie coleman the king workout

    Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s Complete Bodybuilding Workout

  • The Ultimate Mike Mentzer Workout and Diet

  • Chris bumstead's 2024 workout and diet plan

    Chris Bumstead’s 2025 Complete Bodybuilding Workout & Diet Plan

Popular Now

  • best protein powders

    The Best Protein Powder Supplements of 2025 (Tried and Tested)

  • female fitness models

    18 Best Butts On The Internet (Updated 2024)

  • Best Creatine Supplements For Bulking & Muscle Growth of 2025 (Personally Tested)

  • top x pre workout

    The 14 Best Pre-Workout Supplements of 2025 (MD Reviewed)

  • best citrulline supplements

    The Best Citrulline Malate Supplements for Performance and Pump

  • ronnie coleman the king workout

    Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s Complete Bodybuilding Workout

Generation Iron

Generation Iron is the first and only digital network delivering health, fitness, bodybuilding, and strength sports content. We deliver premium content with the biggest names in fitness and provide expert coverage, reviews on top brands, workout tips and trends in the worlds of fitness, health and strength sports.

Strongman Corporation
Vladar

Sections

  • Trending News
  • Original Movies
  • Original Content
  • Supplement Reviews
  • Equipment Reviews
  • Exercise Guides
  • Nutrition Guides
  • Athlete Profiles

More

  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Our Experts
  • Advertise
  • Franchise With Us
  • Podcasts
  • Power 30
  • Shop

CONTACT

Generation Iron Brands LLC
134 West 29th Street Suite 902
New York, NY 10001
Email: [email protected]

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X / Twitter
  • YouTube

© 2025 · Generation Iron · Disclaimers · Privacy Policy · Accessibility