This is where my dilemma about “overtraining” comes in.

So at my previous job, I was literally right beside an Olympic Training Center—close enough that athletes would knock on my window and wave. We shared a common area for lunch, so I got to spend a lot of time around them.

These athletes trained every single day, all day. Sure, they varied their routines, intensity, and rest, but they never skipped a day. And even their “light” workouts would kick my ass.

Some might argue that Olympic athletes are just genetically predisposed to handle such a workload. But from talking to them, they didn’t really think that was the case. They felt that the genetic part came into play for hand/eye coordination, height, bodycomp, balance, etc. But not training intensity, they felt that was just mental.

Now, I train every day too—though not always at full intensity, but pretty close. Then I think of other examples like construction workers or inmates who put in hard physical work day in and day out. I know of inmates who spent every single day working out while serving time.

Medically, there’s definitely a point where too much training can become harmful. But I think it’s a lot harder to reach that point than people often assume.

That said, I’m not a doctor, so don’t take my word as advice. Always do what works best for your own body and well-being.