Burn Out! Part 2, The Personalities

If you read my last article, you’ll know that burnout is a syndrome. It is not just one symptom, but many that are linked and signal that something might be wrong. However, these clues may be a little nebulous, so another way to recognize burnout is to identify personality types, and then assess if the specific symptoms of burnout are occurring. If you are a certain “type” it is, of course, not your fault, but you might tend to get sucked into the burnout syndrome. Here are some typical personality types, see if you can identify yourself, and then read Burn Out Part 1 and see if some of the symptoms match you?

• Average Joe – You have been successful in your first bout with consistent viable training and now tend toward a “more is better” attitude and thus slip into burnout, believing that what worked for you initially will work for you forever. You also have a great social connection at the gym and wouldn’t miss a day for fear you will lose your accepted, recognized place and sense of community.
• Type “A” – You always work out in the wee hours of the morning so you can get that daily workout off “the checklist”. You’ve just gotta beat that last PR and will always strive to be your best, even at the cost of health. You are a typical Type A, being regimented with everything you do. You want to look good and will overachieve in the other 100 things you do EVERY DAY.
• Athlete – You are a college grad that competed as an athlete in school or you were “semi-pro”. Since you’ve graduated you don’t compete any more. ( Time to get a job!) So, you look for a different platform to satisfy your competitive drive. There are expectations from all sides, because you are seen as “amazing” to the “average Joe”. And, if you were amazing before, you will be amazing again and wow!! Everyone in the community wants to spectate! You will succeed in your post career endeavors with sport and training. The question is: At what future cost? You, the athlete, get the double whammy with burnout, because in order to have been good in your sport, you most likely had to work at an unhealthy level for consistent peak performance in the past. Now, the urge to compete is taking you to that place for the second time. But now, the chances of falling into burnout are greater for you – the older athlete.
• Never Was – You were successful as a scholar and never had time for athletics. Your were the kid that was always picked last for team events in the school yard. Your new-found enthusiasm in your new path of being an “athlete” has completed your bucket list of things to “be”, and now you can show those “jocks” who’s boss!
• Addict-You were an addict – alcoholic, meth, food or sex, but are now recovered and your potential for trading in your old destructive addiction for the new athletic one is high, and though exercise is a great trade, you tend to do it at an extreme addictive level.

I have listed some personality types that you might find in your sporting communities, your gym or in yourself! These types might tend to drive themselves to a burnout stage. If you have identified yourself, get some self assessment feedback and see if you are being driven beyond the benefit of health with incessant training! If you are a trainer, you might take a hard look at where a client who is overdoing it might end up in 5-10-20-30 years. Is what they are doing or what you are dishing out for that person appropriate? Will it help them, or is it harming them? The bottom line for this athlete is to assess, self-assess, and get some objective feedback from a trusted source, plus some basic lab testing to see where he/she stands. From there, you will have a base for monitoring your level of training. Be mindful that the turn around will be easy if you catch the burnout bug early! Keeping the level of your activities “safe and sane” will save you from health complications down the road.

No Equipment Needed Workout:

*10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 with a 50M sprint between each set.

*Please warm up appropriately.