Over-training can lead to serious injury, chronic fatigue, and even muscle loss.

Over-training is very common amongst athletes and particularly bodybuilders, since they figure that training as much as possible is the fastest way to massive muscle gains.

This couldn't be any further from the truth however...

Training too much, or at too high of an intensity will lead to over-training.

Now this doesn't mean you don't have to put plenty of effort in to see some decent results... Whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete, or just someone that wants to add some additional mass to your frame, you need to train hard and be consistent-that's a given. In order to get the most out of your genetics, you have to progressively overload the muscles by increasing the weight and / or intensity of each weight training workout.

The problem is however, that many of us increase the intensity of our workouts or get insufficient amounts of rest, or even worse, a combination of both. The trick is finding the right balance between workout volume and intensity, and rest and recovery. Simply put, this means that if you are in a state of over-training, you are much more likely to get sick. Since you will have to skip workouts while you are sick, your muscle building progress will slow considerably.

The Effects of Over-training on the Metabolic System

Here is a list of how over-training can effect the metabolic system. These symptoms are the ones that are most commonly discussed, and are ones we can't ignore:

* Micro tears in the muscle

* Chronically depleted glycogen levels

* Slow, weak muscle contractions

* Depleted creatine phosphate stores

* Excessive accumulation of lactic acid

* Extreme DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)

* Tendon and connective tissue damage

So you must get the point by now... Over-training effects the entire body, and can seriously impact the results of your muscle building program. You have to determine how much weight to lift, how many repetitions and set to perform for every single workout.

You need to use your own judgment in this case, based on your recovery ability and your recovery methods. This is one of the most important meals of the day. Skipping breakfast is very catabolic, and can promote muscle loss.

* Never let yourself get hungry. If you're trying to build muscle mass, you have to constantly feed your body quality foods so that it never has the chance catabolize muscle tissue.

* Unless you are trying to build muscle and lose fat, make sure you have eaten prior to your training session and are not hungry.

* Have the largest meal of the day within an hour after your workout. Do this every single workout!

* Consider taking proven supplements like creatine, and antioxidants to increase performance and fight free radicals.

* Eat every 2-3 hours to ensure that your body remains in an anabolic state.

* Keep glycogen levels at full capacity to inhibit muscle tissue breakdown.

Rest & Recovery

Rest and recovery is essential when it comes to avoiding over-training.

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Vince Delmonteis a competitive fitness model and personal trainer, as well as the author of No-Nonsense Muscle Building, a complete guide to building muscle for the hardgainer.

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