Although the term “hitting the wall” is a running term, it can be used to describe the universal feeling of exhaustion during your personal sport. Regardless if you’re training for a marathon, a lifting competition, or a swim meet, at some point, your body may just hit the wall. Workout and training programs that were easy are now giving you a hard time, requiring much more effort to complete. Let’s take a look at the best ways to bounce back if you feel your body hit the wall or if you’re looking to avoid it all together.

4. Lighten the Load for a Bit

Take a look at your training schedule. How often were you in training this week? This month?

If you’ve been going at it with everything you’ve got for months, then this may be your body telling you to ease up just for a little bit. There are a few ways that you can hold back a bit with your training:

• Try simply reducing the intensity – If you’ve been lifting at 85% of your one repetition maximum, try 50% to 65% of your 1RM

• Focus on the muscle groups that are opposite of the ones that are fatigued – If you’ve been training legs 3 times per day, try switching it up and giving your upper body some attention

• Start doing low impact movements for a week or two – For example, instead of jump squats, try doing sumo squats

3. Try Recovery Supplements

If you aren’t already using supplements, this may be a perfect addition to your current program. There are several supplements that have been shown to boost recovery and improve intra-workout performance.

For recovery, you can try using creatine, glutamine, whey protein, and amino acids.

To boost your workout performance, creatine, alpha GPC, and caffeine may be able to help.

2. Take a Few Days Off

Rest days should already be a part of your workout program but when you’ve hit the wall, it may be your body’s way of telling you that you need more time off. If you’ve been training for 5 to 6 days a week and this has been going on for months, then it may be best to take a week off. This allows your body to fully bounce back so that you can return to your normal training schedule with full power.

1. Take a Look at Your Meal Plan

Nutrition is the key to the results you get. If you’re training like a crazy person but you’re not giving your body the nutrients it needs then you’ll eventually notice yourself hitting the wall. Are you a carbohydrate deprived runner? Are you skipping on protein as a weight lifter? Are you avoiding all types of fat?

Take a look at your meals for the last few weeks. See what you’ve been missing out on and start adjusting. You need a great deal of protein for recovery and repair. You need complex carbohydrates for fuel. Healthy fats, with an emphasis on monounsaturated fats, are important for EVERY type of sport. Working yourself to the bone is going to require you to increase your caloric intake. Use a convenient app like MyFitnessPal to track everything and meet your daily goals.

Tell Us What You Think!

Have you hit the wall before?

What did you do to feel better and improve training?

Let us know in the comments below!