Combating Burnout As A Powerlifter
Burnout. It’s a feeling we’ve all likely experienced in some facet of life and one we want to avoid when possible. No one craves pure mental exhaustion, depletion of motivation and excitement: where the most typically mundane tasks feel like impossible feats. Yet, it often occurs at one point or another. This experience is shared among athletes in any sport- and that includes Powerlifting. Especially balancing a sport that primarily serves as a hobby- with life's many stressors- can be challenging. When warning signs of extreme fatigue and lack of interest are left unaddressed & ignored, this can become a longer-term issue. However, with the right tools at your disposal, an honest check-in with your headspace, and education around the causes of burnout, you can be set up for success to forge a supportive path rather than an overwhelming one. Let’s discuss what burnout looks like and tips to help prevent it from derailing & debilitating you.
What is burnout, and how can it impact you?
"Burnout" is a term that’s thrown around many social media circles, it’s become a buzzword at this point- and can take on many different meanings. Let’s define what it means and how it can impact you as an athlete.
We conceptualize burnout as "chronic stress/fatigue that doesn't go properly managed." This idea typically originated from the workplace setting- which is very real and highly prevalent. However, this feeling can ensue from many different sources. Essentially, anything that consumes a significant portion of your time and energy- is at risk of burning out at some point. Especially for strength athletes, whose sport is a pure hobby and done out of passion, yet is also very taxing- you can become over-stressed.
We all experience fatigue and stress daily, it’s the nature of both training- and- life in general. And this feeling is positive: it’s how our body adapts and improves to the stimuli we place on it:
You go into the gym, lift heavy, and disrupt your current state-
Which leads to fatigue over time,
But then you recover and return better-
So the cycle repeats.
Yet, the key aspect of the above definition is “not properly managed.”
When exhaustion becomes long-lasting, inescapable,
Motivation comes to a halt,
Previous excitement for your interests becomes lacking,
And every minute task feels impossible-
Those are all signs of burnout. It’s an impending, dooming load that you can’t bear, one that is too great for your body to adapt to & doesn’t diminish in the expected timeframe.
When you begin to feel yourself climbing past your limit, when it all feels overbearing, address that immediately. Stress can be controlled and managed, but only if you’re aware of it.
Powerlifting should add to your life in some way, not ruin it.
It should be a safe space for self-expression, not a source of discouragement.
The pros should always outweigh the cons because you’re in it for your individual gain.
If you reach a point where that’s no longer the case, it's time to change something.
-For one, burnout destroys your motivation and enjoyment of the gym- which somewhat defeats the whole purpose. When your training lacks meaning or significance- it’s far less gratifying.
-Your injury risk increases: as excess stress can contribute to pain and injury levels.
-You’re far less likely to stay in the sport, and the experience can put some athletes over the edge of never participating again.
These symptoms can last for months, again, when gone unchecked- so it’s something we want to get ahead of & bring awareness to. Below we’ll discuss some ways to go about this, so you can continue using Powerlifting to support you as an individual- and follow the path with your best interest at heart, long-term.
8 Tips to Help Prevent It
Check in with your body every so often.
The number one way to help mitigate excessive burnout is to bring consciousness to your experiences and check in with yourself. Fatigue and exhaustion only become long-term issues when unaddressed, so acknowledge things before they worsen. A simple way to implement this process is by aligning it with your training. At the end of every block, go through a checklist:
-How is your body feeling physically? Any pains or long-lasting fatigue that have come up?
-How are you feeling, mentally, toward your training? Are you excited to get your lifts in, or does it constantly feel like a dreaded chore? Do you leave the gym feeling better than when you came in?
-Are you still on track with your goals? Have they changed? Do your progress markers still motivate and excite you?
If the answers to these questions are negative, that’s a telltale sign that something may need to change- whether your programming itself, recovery, goals, etc. Don’t ignore the red, flashing signs your body provides- listening and adapting is the intelligent course of action: and the one that you'll thank yourself for down the road.
2. Embrace variety in your training.
Squat, bench, deadlift. Squat, bench, deadlift. We perform these three movements repeatedly: it’s the nature of our sport.
Some athletes enjoy this repetition for long periods: the chase of unlocking that next number is ever-motivating.
However, many experience boredom at some point, especially after multiple meets in a row (or even just a single prep). In this case, continuing to train the same way feels more stressful than exciting.
Variety can help keep you engaged and ready to come back to the gym to get to work. It also sets you up for successful meet preps in the future: building up other qualities can prevent staleness and make you more well-rounded as an athlete.
-Throw in some Front Squats, Opposite-Stance deads, overhead movements, and specialty bars: which all support your strength development, but keep things interesting,
-Try Oly or Strongman for a cycle, giving you entirely new skills to learn and progress in,
-Spend a period focused on hypertrophy training, providing a different mindset and approach to the gym- while creating a foundation to build on in the future.
Including more exercises that excite and motivate you can be what you need to stay focused and inspired. If it’s all shit you hate- or the same shit over and over- that can become too repetitive for some athletes’ brains: this level of individualism must be considered.
But, even for those who love SBD, changing things here and there will help ensure continual progress.
3. Prioritize food and recovery variables.
Some of the main predictors of burnout include being underfed, sleep-deprived, and/or exhausted for months on end. You cannot perform well when you feel like shit, unable to take care of yourself. And this decreased performance creates a negative feedback loop:
Outside of the gym, you’re not fueling or recovering properly- so your energy and motivation are already lacking,
In the gym (typically a source of stress relief and comfort), your poor habits are reflected- and strength begins to stall out or decrease,
You feel discouraged and doubtful about your performance, destroying your confidence and self-belief, and you’re less likely to prioritize yourself- because there’s seemingly no point.
Your decisions when you leave the training hall directly impact your success inside of it, so being intentional is one of the best ways to continue reaping the rewards of your hard work. After all, it’s devastating to feel like your efforts are going nowhere simply because you’re not eating enough or taking your sleep seriously.
We all experience difficult life periods- where maintaining our habits becomes nearly impossible. Job stress, mental health factors, loss- many events in life impact your ability to show up fully. During those hard times, don’t let all of your habits dissipate- and remember that something is always better than nothing. Look for ways you can improve your lifestyle, even if seemingly small:
-Maybe you can’t cook all your meals ahead, but you can pack snacks during the day- so you're consistently fed.
-Maybe you can’t sleep 8 hours per night right now, but you can go to bed 30 minutes earlier than you currently are.
-Maybe you can’t do every self-care activity in the book, but you can take 10 minutes daily to relax.
Life is rarely, if ever, perfect, and your recovery doesn’t need to follow the arbitrary Instagram Influencer model- it just needs to be focused on pouring back into yourself in whatever way you can. Those small efforts directly pay off in the gym, and when you lose them vs. maintain them- you’ll notice a stark difference in how you feel and perform.
4. Take an off-season, and make space for other activities.
Prioritizing off-season is one of the most important tools in preventing athlete burnout. Meet prep demands significant intensity, energy, and specificity- and it’s simply not sustainable year-round. Off-season allows you to train productively, supporting your strength goals- but in a more manageable and flexible fashion. Not only is your training less razor-focused and fatiguing, but this phase also provides an opportunity to put more energy toward other activities you enjoy, that violate the specificity principle of meet prep.
When you’re not prepping for a meet, make time for non-SBD forms of movement that excite you. These could be boxing, pole, jiu-jitsu, dancing, running, etc. A priority on variety and taking a mental break can help refresh your brain, feeding your soul & restoring stress levels.
That way, you feel excited when it comes time to compete again. Prioritize this time to preserve your sanity.
(For more info on off-season, check out our blog post here: https://www.ironsidetraining.com/blog/training-post-meet-embracing-your-off-season )
5. Find the training+competing frequency + schedule that works for you.
A predominant factor of longevity in Powerlifting is sustainability. This sport is a long game, and it’s a lifestyle sport- meaning that your energy dedicated to it must be something you can maintain consistently.
Bear this in mind when choosing where to prioritize your time. A simple example is the time of day you train- some athletes thrive in the early morning, while others prefer evenings after work. Choose whichever allows you to feel most energized in the gym & works with your schedule.
The same goes for training frequency. If you can realistically train 3x per week with near-perfect consistency, don’t push for four (unless it’s 100% needed). Create a schedule that you can stick with.
Apply this mentality to your meets, as well. Most athletes find a sweet spot at around two meets per year- as this allows you to experience competition, reflecting your progress, without being too much to manage. 3+ meets may put you at risk for burnout, and one meet can work for some- but may not feel like enough for others. (For more info on this topic, check out our blog post here: https://www.ironsidetraining.com/blog/powerlifting-discussion-how-often-should-you-compete )
Ensure that your meet preps align with your phase of life, too: don’t commit to prepping during a period full of vacations and busy work nights- you’ll overexert yourself and be disappointed with the result.
6. Set smaller goals rather than only focusing on the large ones.
As Powerlifters, we love numbers. We crave those mind-blowing milestones, dreaming of their reality and stepping closer to achieving it every damn day, sharpening ourselves to make them happen. It’s what we chase, each PR representing an improved version of ourselves & everything we’ve endured in the process.
These goals are valuable and important- they help keep us motivated and driven- and mean a whole lot when we reach them.
But only pursuing goals that could be months and years away can breed discouragement, making it difficult to focus on the present.
To mitigate this, set mini-goals for your lifts in the next weeks-months. That way, your efforts will feel more rewarding, and you’ll simultaneously build toward those larger targets you ultimately want.
Maybe you’re currently working on your front squat or close-grip bench- set a rep or weight goal in these lifts.
If you’re in a volume phase, aim for rep PRs.
If your goal is technique, celebrate confidence and proficiency gains.
Determine what your main objective is in the current moment, and stay focused on it. This mentality gives you the same “chase,” yet helps you feel gratified from your training on a more regular basis; rather than solely extreme spurts every so often- when you hit an SBD PR. The reality is that most of our training isn’t built on 1RMs, so if that’s all you emphasize, you may feel as if you’re going nowhere. These smaller goals add up over time, and before you know it- that next milestone will be broken.
7. Manage training intensity.
Training intensity is a primary factor contributing to fatigue, so ensuring that it’s properly managed is essential for your performance and success.
Intensity describes how heavy the loads you’re lifting are. This variable is often conceptualized in percentages- but can also be characterized by feel.
Going into the gym to hit heavy numbers day after day is exhausting- and detrimental to your longevity. Of course, this style is taxing on your body, but it also wears on your mind.
It takes a lot of focus and energy to psych yourself up for a big lift on the regular, constantly fighting through difficult loads. Over time, this mental fatigue can hinder your performance- and therefore, become distressing.
To mitigate this, adjust your training intensities. Not every lift day should be super heavy- spending ample time training submaximally (in the RPE 7-8 range or roughly ~65-80% of your 1RM) is far more sustainable in the long run. If one day demands higher intensity, it doesn’t make sense for all reps on the other days to be super heavy too. For example, your Monday squat might be an RPE 9, whereas your Friday variation falls to an RPE 7.5 This allows your body to recover during the week- and your mind to mentally prepare for that heavier load.
If training feels too intense, at a rate you can’t maintain, discuss with your coach and make changes as needed. Especially if you’re in a life phase where external stress is high, maybe you’re struggling in your personal life, your program should reflect that- and decreasing the load on the bar can help keep you consistent.
8. Have a conversation with your coach and lean on your support system.
Having guidance when you’re experiencing burnout is highly beneficial to you as an individual. Don’t go through it alone- regardless of how self-sufficient or independent you are, we all need help, especially when we’re not feeling like ourselves.
Knowing that you have people on your team is an affirming and comforting feeling- and one that everyone deserves.
Whether it’s through your coach or teammates, share your thoughts and emotions with another soul, and that action alone can help you feel better. There’s often a lot of shame and guilt around the feeling: we think it’s best to just “push through,” that our decreased motivation or stress tolerance makes us “weak,” so vocalizing this sentiment can help you navigate those thoughts.
These individuals are here to provide support and advocate for you, helping steer you on a better path- rather than your pit of self-sabotage. It’s also difficult to be objective in our situations, and another perspective can be all you need to get back on track, excited about training again.
To go fast, go alone.
To go far, go together.
If you want to be in this sport long-term, get yourself a team that inspires and encourages you.
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Burnout. It’s a dreaded sensation we’ve likely become familiar with at some point. This feeling can seep into athletics, even Powerlifting- when warning signs go unnoticed. The impending fatigue and debilitating stress are experiences we all want to avoid, and being aware of your situation can help you do that. How you structure your training, your approach to the gym, and your general lifestyle, can all contribute. Essentially, the experience is an overload of stress: so managing those variables is how you get ahead of it. Know that you’re not alone on this journey, it’s something that many athletes undergo at some point, and with the right tools, you can build for a successful future. It all comes down to taking care of your brain and body, so you can pour into the things that matter.
