Training hard is a flex. Training into the ground is a trap. This free Overtraining Risk Calculator estimates a 0–100 Overtraining Warning Score using your weekly training load and common recovery signals like sleep, soreness, stress, mood, resting heart rate changes, and performance dips. It’s built for quick self-checks, screenshots, and “should I take a deload?” decisions.
Be honest. This calculator works best when you think “what was my last typical week like?” rather than your best-case week. If you’re unsure on an input, pick the closest option and run it again with a different guess to see how much it changes.
Your Overtraining Warning Score is a 0–100 number designed for one job: quickly estimating whether the way you’re training right now is likely to outpace your recovery. It’s not a medical diagnosis and it won’t tell you “you have overtraining syndrome.” Instead, it looks for the pattern that usually comes before that point: rising load combined with worsening recovery signals.
The calculator uses a simple weighted model. Think of it like a checklist where some items matter more than others. Training load matters, but so do the signs your body gives you when it’s struggling to adapt. The score is built from two big buckets:
We estimate a “training load” using hours per week and average intensity (RPE). RPE is a 1–10 scale where 10 is maximal. For example, a week with 6 hours at RPE 6 is generally less stressful than 6 hours at RPE 9. We then add a small penalty for very high session frequency because frequent hard sessions can limit recovery even when total hours look reasonable.
hours × intensityThe calculator converts that into points from 0–40. Very low load weeks will be near 0–10 points. High load (a lot of hours, high intensity, many sessions) can approach 40 points.
Recovery points reflect the most common “early warning signs” people notice when training is exceeding recovery. These signals can show up even when your workouts look fine on paper:
Each category adds points. For example, sleeping 8 hours tends to add very few points, while sleeping 5–6 hours adds more. Likewise, “performance improving” adds almost nothing, while “major drop for weeks” adds a lot. When these signals stack, the score rises quickly—which is exactly the point.
After load points and recovery points are combined, the result is clamped to a 0–100 scale and mapped to a clear label:
Important nuance: a high score doesn’t mean you’re “weak.” It means your current inputs suggest you’re not recovering as fast as you’re training. The fix is often boring and effective: slightly lower intensity for a few days, sleep more, eat better, and retest.
Inputs: 5 hours/week, 4–5 sessions, moderate intensity (RPE 5–6), sleep 7.5 hours, no HR change, soreness 1–2 days, stable mood, low stress, consistent fueling, performance stable.
Why it scores low: Load is reasonable and the recovery signals are good. Even if you’re training consistently, your body appears to be adapting. This is the sweet spot where you can keep building.
Inputs: 7 hours/week, 6 sessions, hard intensity (RPE 7–8), sleep 6.2 hours, +1–3 bpm resting HR, soreness 2–3 days, mood “a bit off,” moderate to high stress, fueling mostly okay, slight plateau.
What it means: This looks like classic overreaching—not necessarily a disaster, but a warning that you’re living at the edge of recovery. Small changes matter here: drop intensity for 3–5 days, add sleep, and you’ll often see the score fall.
Inputs: 10–12 hours/week, 8 sessions, very hard intensity (RPE 9–10), sleep 5.5 hours, resting HR +4–7 bpm, soreness 4–5 days, irritable/anxious, very high stress, often under-fueled, noticeable performance drop.
What it means: Not one thing—everything. This is where people get sick, injured, or burn out. The best move is to reduce load quickly: take a recovery week, keep movement easy, and rebuild from a healthier baseline.
Inputs: 3–4 hours/week, 4 sessions, hard intensity, sleep 5–6 hours, high life stress, low mood, under-fueled, performance dropping.
Why it can still score high: Overtraining risk is not only “too many hours.” Low sleep + high stress + under-fueling can make even moderate training feel crushing. This example is a reminder: recovery is part of training.
The best way to use an overtraining score is as a trend, not a single verdict. Run this calculator once per week for a month. If your score climbs week after week, your body is telling you something—usually before you notice it in injuries or long-term plateaus.
If your score is elevated, don’t change everything at once. Start with the biggest levers:
Think of it like a smoke detector. It doesn’t tell you exactly where the fire is—but when it’s loud, you don’t ignore it.
Overtraining is what happens when training stress repeatedly exceeds recovery. The early stage is often called overreaching (you feel tired, performance stalls). If it continues, it can become a longer-term problem where performance drops, mood worsens, sleep suffers, and you’re more injury-prone.
No. Some soreness is normal—especially after new exercises. What matters is duration and trend. If soreness never resolves and you feel “heavy” every day, that’s more concerning than one tough session.
Because sleep is when your body actually adapts: muscle repair, nervous system recovery, hormone regulation, and mood stability. Low sleep can make a normal program feel like too much.
Not necessarily. Resting HR can rise from travel, dehydration, illness, anxiety, alcohol, or heat. This calculator treats HR change as a supporting signal, not the whole story. Look at it alongside sleep, soreness, mood, and performance.
Reduce intensity for several days, add sleep, improve fueling, and consider a deload week. If symptoms are persistent or severe, talk to a qualified coach or clinician—especially if you have dizziness, chest pain, fainting, or abnormal shortness of breath.
Often yes, but think “easy and restorative.” Walking, mobility, technique practice, easy zone-2 cardio, and light lifting can all support recovery. The goal is to stop digging the hole deeper.
Because under-fueling can look exactly like overtraining: fatigue, low mood, poor sleep, poor recovery, stalled performance. Eating enough—especially protein and carbs—often fixes the problem faster than adding more supplements.
Weekly is ideal. Daily changes can be noisy. If you’re in a hard training block or you feel off, you can check twice a week (e.g., mid-week and weekend) to catch rising risk early.
MaximCalculator provides simple, user-friendly tools. Always treat results as educational estimates and double-check important decisions with a professional.