I've been feeling crappy for a while, & found that it may've been due to overtraining. I have many symptoms, so I'm taking time off from weight lifting. Should I still do cardio in the meantime?
Depending how bad it is I would say have 1 whole week off from doing ANYTHING and then do some light cardio sessions (ie a decent sweat on) and then after the 2 weeks build back up to where you were. How long have you felt overtrained for. Some people may mistake over reaching with overtraining, which means a couple days off from doing anything and they'll feel right as rainn again
personally i dont believe in overtraining as big of an issue as others may consider it. Id say try and work through it a little longer and try and change up your diet maybe you arent getting the nurtients that your body is expending. work through it and your body will eventually learn to work with it. but dont listen to me if you have doubts... im just a guy off the internet telling you advice about your own body
You should continue with very light cardio just to keep active. Even if it is just walking or if you train in a martial arts with patterns. Light cardio will keep you active and help to give you some energy.
I wouldnt take more than 3 days off. Let your body fully recover and then hit it hard. But you may want to consider adjusting your work out regiment. I dont know what your workouts include, but if you feel like shit cause you are overtraining, then cut back your workouts in a day. Here's a few tips. Never do more than 1 hour of lifting. If you lift hard, you shouldnt be able to last that long. If you do both running and lifting in a day, have a minimum of 5 hours between them. If you dont let your body recover, you may have adverst effects. Drink a ton of water, get proper nutrition, and sleep for a minimum of 8 hours.
That makes me feel better, I always thought I was being kind of a pussy for crapping out after about an hour of intense heavy lifting