By: Trevor Fullbright
Let’s air out some dirty laundry:
I’m burnt out from training.
Now don’t get me wrong—I love hard training. Most days, going to the gym and pushing myself is the highlight of my day. There’s nothing quite like smashing a brutal leg day. One-set hack squat workout of death? Sign me up.
But lately, I’ve been feeling pretty “meh” about training. And when I finally took a second to sit with that feeling, it hit me: I’m burnt out.
You might read that and think, “Come on man, if you really loved training, you wouldn’t feel that way.” I get it. If you’re riding a high in training right now, that mindset makes sense. But if you’ve been in the game for a while, you know burnout is real—and it happens to almost everyone at some point.
And guess what? That’s okay. Burnout isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you’re human.
In this article, we’re going to figure out what kind of burnout you’re dealing with—psychological or physiological—and more importantly, what to actually do about it.
What Does “Burnt Out” Really Mean?
Broadly speaking, training burnout shows up as persistent fatigue, stalled progress, low motivation, or irritability. It’s basically your body (or brain) waving the red flag saying, “Hey, something’s not right.”
We can break burnout into two main categories: physiological and psychological burnout.
Physiological burnout shows up in the body and can be easier to spot—look for:
It’s often the result of training volume or intensity exceeding your recovery capacity for too long—especially when deloads or rest phases are skipped (or ignored).
Psychological burnout affects your mental and emotional state, and because the signs aren’t always objective, it can be harder to recognize—watch out for::
This one often creeps in slowly and can hit even when your body feels fine. And sometimes, this mental fatigue can show up before your performance starts tanking.
Why Burnout Happens
Now that we’ve got the categories down, let’s look at why burnout happens in the first place.
1. Poor Fatigue Management
This is the big one. Not enough rest days, no deloads, skipping recovery work, never taking time off… It all adds up. Even if you're using something structured like the RP Hypertrophy App with built-in deloads every mesocycle, fatigue can sneak up faster than expected—especially if your life outside the gym is chaotic.
2. Diet Fatigue
Here’s one that often flies under the radar: being deep into a fat loss phase adds serious systemic fatigue. A prolonged calorie deficit means your body has fewer resources to recover from training. That fatigue isn’t just from hunger—it’s the physiological result of not having enough fuel to meet your body’s demands.
If you’re dieting hard and suddenly start feeling worn down, emotionally drained, and flat in the gym? It might not be the training—it might be the diet.
3. Life Stress
This is the sneaky one that hits the hardest. Work stress, family responsibilities, financial pressure, relationship stress, poor sleep… All of it piles onto the same recovery system your body uses to bounce back from training.
Even “good” stress—like planning a vacation—can be draining. And your body doesn’t differentiate between training stress and life stress. It all goes in the same bucket. When that bucket overflows, burnout shows up.
So… What Should You Do?
If you’re thinking, “Okay, I get it… but how do I fix it?”—don’t worry. I’ve got you.
The right move depends on how severe the burnout is. Here’s a breakdown of your best options, from least to most drastic:
Option 1: Take a Deload
This is the obvious starting point, especially if you’re physically fried.
If you’re not using a structured program with built-in deloads, here’s a simple way to run one:
That gives your body a chance to recover without fully losing momentum. And if you're dieting, pair your deload with maintenance calories to actually reduce fatigue.
Option 2: Refeed or Exit the Diet
If you’re in a fat loss phase and feeling totally fried, it might be time to hit pause. Eating at maintenance—even for a week—can dramatically reduce fatigue and give your brain and body a chance to bounce back.
This is one of the biggest mistakes people make: trying to deload while still in a calorie deficit. You can’t reduce fatigue when your recovery resources are still restricted.
Fuel the deload, recover properly, then reassess whether it’s time to keep pushing or switch gears.
Option 3: Active Rest Phase
If a basic deload doesn’t seem like enough—or if you’re mentally dragging—it’s time for something more restorative: an active rest phase.
I know that sounds terrifying to some of you. But here’s the thing:
You won’t lose muscle in two weeks.
What you will lose is burnout.
This type of break can reignite motivation in a big way. When your training drive has flatlined, this is often the fastest way to reset it.
Option 4: Maintenance Training
Sometimes, even an active rest phase isn’t enough—especially if life stress is still overwhelming. In that case, a maintenance training phase can be a total game-changer.
Here’s the truth no one talks about:
You can maintain your gains with a fraction of the work it takes to build them.
How much?
Research suggests you can maintain muscle with as As little as 1/3 to 1/9 of your normal volume. If your usual growth volume is 10 sets per muscle per week, one set might be enough to hold onto your gains.
That means you can drop to:
- 2–3 full-body sessions per week
- A few hard sets per muscle group
- Short, low-fatigue workouts that keep the lights on
This approach lets you stay consistent without draining your already-overloaded recovery systems. You’re not trying to progress—you’re just maintaining until life eases up and you’re ready to push again.
And here’s the best part:
A maintenance phase doesn’t have to last forever. It can be as short as one mesocycle, or stretch across multiple—whatever it takes for you to feel that itch to train hard again. You’ll know when it’s time to turn the dial back up.
Final Thoughts: Burnout ≠ Failure
Feeling burnt out doesn’t mean you’re lazy. It doesn’t mean you’re weak.
More often than not, it means you’ve been pushing hard for a long time—and you’ve earned the right to pull back.
Learning to manage fatigue and navigate burnout is part of being a smart, long-term lifter. It’s not glamorous. But it is one of the keys to making your best gains over time.
If you need help managing your training or making sure you're not pushing yourself into the ground, tools like the RP Hypertrophy App can give you structure, feedback, and support so you keep progressing—without burning out.
Find Trevor on…
Instagram: @Trevorxgage
