Army Overtraining syndrome thoughts feelings?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 14:21:14 -0500

FM 7-22 Para 5-12. Causes Of Overtraining Syndrome And Overuse Injuries.
Safe progression for performance improvement is complex, involving many variables that impact success (entry fitness level, ramp of progression, total volume of activity, rest/recovery, and nutrient intake). Many of these variables can be controlled following the principles of precision,
progression, and integration, as well as, monitoring Soldiers in training and making training adjustments as required. Common mistakes to compensate for low performance and rate of improvement are the conduct of multiple training sessions, high intensity “smoke sessions,” and/or
excessive corrective action using exercise. All of these are detrimental to performanceimprovement and lead to overuse injury.

High Intensity/Volume Training Sessions
Soldiers commonly refer to these training sessions as “smoke sessions.” Many times in these types of sessions, the difficulty, intensity, and volume of exercise is too high and the purpose may be to punish Soldiers by bringing them to the point of exhaustion. This type of training is a dangerous practice that inhibits building resiliency because performance is degraded, motivation is lowered, and risk of injury is high. Thus, training sessions for the sole purpose of “smoking” Soldiers have no place in the PRT system. Many times, these sessions produce life-threatening conditions for Soldiers, such as, heat fatalities, debilitating overuse injuries, and rhabdomyolysis and may lead to permanent disability or death

Response by CW2 Joseph Evans made Jan 30 at 2014 2:39 PM

CW2 Joseph Evans — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 14:39:32 -0500

Not sure what you are asking here.

Yes it happens, way to often.

Drill Sergeants and NCOs assume a natural level of fitness and ability that has to be learned. Many Soldiers these days lack understanding of proper running form, choose a push-up position that risks injury to joints and Sit-ups also risk injury if done improperly.

Then there is the problem that if you do it to often, the old habits come back as the muscles get tired. FM-72 is a very well thought out manual based on sports medicine and science. The approach is valid, unless your intent is to put a Soldier on profile and get them medically discharged and on VA disability for the rest of their life.

Follow the FM.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Jan 30 at 2014 3:35 PM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 15:35:31 -0500

It's hard to give an absolute answer on this issue -- because lots of types of training can absolute smoke you through and through, but it's important for you to get to muscle/endurance failure so that you can get stronger the next time. That's where the gains happen. There is no "wait a minute, I'm exhausted" in the middle of a patrol down range.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 1 at 2014 8:14 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 20:14:47 -0500

Sounds like a "scientific" excuse to ban a little "remedial" PT

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2015 3:31 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 15:31:13 -0500

I'm still on the fence about overtraining. But HIIT becomes an issue with aggravated factors, such as improper rest, diet, form, etc.