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. And that is exactly what I’ll cover in this article.
The Effects of Over-Training on Bodybuilders

First, let’s take a look at some of the effects of over-training and how one can prevent over-training from happening in the first place.

The Effects of Over-training on the Nervous System

Over-training effects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the following negative ways:

• Higher resting heart rate
• Weak appetite
• High blood pressure
• Weight loss
• Trouble sleeping
• Increased metabolic rate
• Irritability
• Early onset of fatigue

If you are experiencing more than one of the symptoms outlined above, you may be in a state of over-training, and should evaluate your routine as soon as possible.

The Effects of Over-training on Hormone Levels

Many studies have indicated that over-training negatively effects the levels of hormones, as well as the hormone response in the body.  Since hormones play such an important role in the muscle building process, this can have a detrimental effect on your training progress.

Over-training has been shown to:

• Decrease testosterone levels
• Decrease thyroxine levels
• Increase cortisol levels

The increase in cortisol levels along with the decrease in testosterone levels is a deadly combination, since this leads to protein tissue break down. This will ultimately lead to a loss of muscle tissue.

The Effects of Over-training on the Immune System

perhaps one of the most alarming repercussions of over-training is it’s negative impact on the immune system-you’re bodies first defense against harmful viruses and bacteria.

Over-training can drastically decrease the levels of antibodies and lymphocytes in your body, making you much more susceptible to illness.  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.

Now let’s take a look at the different types of over-training, and what we can do to prevent it.

Is it Worse to Over-Train With Cardio or Weight Training?

Any form of over-training is a bad thing, however, I’ve personally experienced both types of over-training and can honestly say that over-training in the weight room is much worse, and much more prevalent than over-training through cardiovascular training.

Here are some of the reasons why:

• In order to grow, muscles must fully recover from their last workout, every workout.  If you are over-training and work the muscles before they have fully recovered, you will break down the muscle tissue before it has rebuilt-making it impossible to build muscle!

• Over-training with weights makes you more susceptible to nervous systems hormone and immune system issues, which all pose serious health risks.

• It can lead beginners down the wrong path, perhaps wasting money on unnecessary supplements, or even worse, steroids.

I personally believe that only competitive athletes such as swimmers, runners and bikers run a serious risk of reaching a state of cardiovascular over-training, since there are often training for two or more hours daily.

The bottom line is that it is much easier for the average person to over-train while weight training than while cardiovascular training, and I think the effects can be more serious.

How do I Determine if I’m Over-training?

Determining if you’re currently over-training is fairly simple.   If you’re in tune with your body, you can often see the signs of over-training before they get serious.  If you are losing interest in workouts, are having trouble sleeping, and feel weak and irritable, you may be in a state of over-training and should take a week or more off.

If you are experiencing two or more of the symptoms outlined earlier in the article, this should raise a red flag.

Another variable you can use to determine if you are over-training is by tracking the performance of your workouts.

Has your physical performance improved compared to your last workout?

For example, let’s say last workout you were able to perform 8 pull-ups using your body-weight, but were only able to perform 6 pull-ups the following week.  This means that you have not “out done” your previous workout, have not fully recovered, and therefore are likely over-training.  You nave to re-asses your program and make modifications so that you see progress every workout.

How Can I Prevent Over-training?

n order to avoid over-training, you need to take a multi-faceted approach.  Determining the correct training volume and intensity, eating the right foods, and getting the right amount of rest and recovery must all be taken in to consideration.  Now let’s take a look at each of those factors in more detail.

Correct Training Volume

Determining the correct training volume can be difficult, especially when you are first starting out.  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.  Remember that the goal is that you improve every single workout, and if this isn’t happening, you have to decrease the intensity of your workouts.

This is where many people go wrong though.  You begin your workout and realize that you have not fully recovered.  You can either continue to train at a lower intensity than the previous workout, or skip the workout entirely.

As hard as it may be, skipping the workout is the right way to go.  Just turn around and go home!  Your body is telling you that it needs more rest, and you must listen to it!

There is no point in training at a lower intensity, further breaking down the muscle tissue.   By doing this you will increase your risk of injury, and make it harder for your body to fully recovery for your next training session.

Proper Nutrition

Your diet plays a huge role in your muscle building program.  It helps regulate hormone levels, provides energy, and provides the raw building blocks that are used to create new tissue.

Here are some dietary recommendations that will limit the chance of over-training:

• Do not skip breakfast.  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.  Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, and that you are on a consistent schedule.  As for recovery time, it’s important that you have days off between weight training workouts.  Try to have one rest day between weight training workouts, and never train the same muscle groups on consecutive days.

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Why? Because just about every chest and shoulder exercise works the triceps secondary. And almost every back exercise works the biceps secondary. So, the following three things should be done when doing your workout routines and splits:

First, do exercises that will work the chest, triceps and shoulders on the same day. Also, do the biceps and back on the same day so that it is ok if the secondary muscles get worked that day, because your doing them anyway.

Second, separate those muscles that work a secondary muscle so that they are far enough apart. That way, they will not over train you. As an example, take this in mind, you may do Chest on Monday while Triceps can be done on Wednesdays, and shoulders Friday. Also, these can be done; biceps on Monday with chest, and back Wednesday or Friday.

Third, you may do chest and triceps Monday, and shoulders Thursday, and back and biceps together on Friday.

It must be kept in mind that developing the right weightlifting workout routines and splits and programs does not have to involve hard science. All it would take is to understand the basics and it would be easy to create one’s own.

After keeping this important reminder in mind, it would be crucial to bear these other basics.

Starting slow is often right. This means that do not go into the gym with the goal of lifting the heaviest weight that you would be able to. This is bound to be counterproductive as it would not help if you find yourself in the hospital immediately a day after your first workout.

Also, it is important to feed yourself a diet that encourages muscle growth. This would often include protein into your food intake. Eat more lean meat and dairy products while keeping away from fat, sweets, fried food and alcohol. Indulging in these foods would not help us build our muscles.

For beginners and professional weight trainers, long patience is a must if it is their goal to achieve the muscle mass they have always craved for. Many trainers fail in meeting their goals to develop muscle mass simply because they lack the needed patience. Keep in mind that lack of patience is a big no if you are taking workouts. It does help if you are overeager to gain muscle mass early yet you do not do anything at all.

Patience is the only key to a successful weight training program. Also, trainers must tell themselves that they should also keep in mind that consistency, discipline, knowledge and determination will also help in achieving their goal.

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Therefore, any muscle builder must keep in mind that any weight training that he does, or any amount of supplements will only go to waste if he is not able to feed his body well enough. It would be impossible to put on weight until the body is supplied with more calories other than what it is able to use as energy.

Most important of all, it would be best to find out first how much food consumption is enough.

We can use a couple of ways to find out how much we need to eat to start gaining weight. The following method may be used to discover this basic fact.

The first step is to keep track of the calories we consume for a couple of weeks. We should keep a record of every food that we put into our mouth during that time period. To obtain the daily amount, calculate the average out the total calories that have been consumed.

Once this has been obtained, add 300-500 calories to your daily caloric intake. Keep at this caloric count for a couple of weeks. If there is no improvement, add another 300-500 calories after a couple more weeks. Continue doing this system until you start to gain.

Also, it would be best to get an ideal representation of each of the major macronutrients, namely; protein, carbohydrates and fat, into your diet will go a long way to make sure that there is successful muscle build up.

Another method related to diet that would help gain muscle mass is altering when and how to eat. People have gotten used to the habit of eating 3 big meals a day. This should be altered by eating five or six meals a day. This way can help the body stay in an anabolic state (building tissue). In addition, this can also discourage excessive body fat gains.

It is also important to know that are times when the body is most in need of good nutrition. Look at it this way, after waking up in the morning, the body has gone 8+ hours without getting any food as fuel. At this point it has likely entered a catabolic state or the breaking down tissue to use for energy. It is important to immediately eat a quality meal upon waking to re-enter an anabolic state.

Some foods are preferred than others because of their ideal breakdown of the important macronutrients for muscle mass buildup. Two foods that are typically associated with muscle building and bodybuilding are chicken and tuna. The reason bodybuilders have such a fondness for these foods is because they have very ideal macronutrient breakdowns. They are both high in protein and low in carbohydrates and saturated fat.

Because of its high protein content, it is ideal because muscle building involves need protein especially those that are obtained from lean and white meat. Chicken and tuna are the typical examples. So they are usually seen in the plate of muscle builders.

These diet tips are but some ways to build muscle fast.

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A successful bodybuilder must have a mix of desire, determination, patience, and healthy curiosity to transform a person from a couch potato into a muscle man.

Every successful bodybuilder must always begin with the desire to engage in a workout routine. Many people go about their lives wanting to engage in exercises but failing to do something about it. First things first, if we want to build muscles then we should tell ourselves that we need to lift weights to achieve it. We cannot have the result we want simply by wishing it to happen. Also, other people may want us to develop the muscles we need, but we must do the weightlifting ourselves. So, the first and most important thing to a successful program is desiring or wanting it.

Having decided to begin with a muscle building program, it is now important to follow through with the determination to finish it. Many bodybuilders commit the mistake of starting fast on a program then they start to lose steam. Overeager new bodybuilders go the gym looking for the heaviest weights then finding themselves injured and unable to continue with their workout program. A determined bodybuilder begins with a slow yet calculated pace. Then he remains determined to finish the program that was designed for him. It is important to sustain the momentum that was started. It is given that muscles will be strained and sore. But this is the idea behind muscle building. If the muscles do not feel sore anymore then they are being trained anymore.

A successful bodybuilder has to be determined to withstand this uncomfortable soreness by getting enough will power to go back to the gym and getting at it again. He must keep in mind the picture of the ideal body he wants to achieve. If that picture is developed inside his head, then there is no doubt he would be able to sustain his determination to continue with his program to the end result he wants.

It is said that patience is a virtue. This holds true even for bodybuilding. Results from weight training do not happen in a click of a second. A bodybuilder must be patient enough to stick with a program to gain the muscle size and strength he wants. This way he would be able to make his weight training routine a priority and keep his workouts as efficient as possible.

Finally, the right attitude towards the best muscle building must involve a healthy dose of curiosity. A bodybuilder must be curious enough to find out for himself the available techniques that would best suit his needs. This way, he is able to learn more and innovate his program into a better workout program.

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It is very important to eat soundly because a sound muscle building diet will not only increase the number of calories you consume, but it will also include a variety of the most ideal food that will nourish the body as well as build muscles. It must be kept in mind that a nutritious diet consisting of the right foods is very important because taking the wrong kinds of food, little calories, or the wrong ratio of macronutrients will surely hamper the effort to build muscles.

Whenever eating, it is important not to eat too fast. Eating too fast prevents us from chewing our food well enough. This way, we are unable to digest the food properly. For example, some food takes more chewing movements before they are to be swallowed. For one, steak needs to be chewed for about 70 times.

One practice that many bodybuilders are guilty of is skipping meals. It must be said clearly that anyone undergoing weight training should never skip a meal. Look at it this way, the body needs extra calories as it builds muscle mass. Missing even just one meal a day will mean that the body will not have the needed calories to build muscle. As such, make sure to have meal replacement bars and shakes readily accessible. Keep them ready at the work place, in the car or with you when you are on the move to ensure that not a single meal is skipped.

Another important part of any bodybuilder’s diet is water. It is important to rehydrate the body by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Consuming water is important especially because he is now consuming more food. The body needs water to help breakdown foods. Also, it also needs to eliminate toxins that build up as a result of the metabolic process.

Every bodybuilder knows that it is important to include high protein food into his diet. However, it is important to choose the right food that is rich in protein. Having said this, it is crucial to understand the important role that macronutrients play in the diet of the bodybuilder. It is important to know how carbohydrates, fats and protein are able to help build the muscle tissue that the bodybuilder wants.

Knowing this, it is important to choose the best muscle building food into our diet. Lean meat and dairy should be included the bodybuilding diet. Also, as some food should be included into our food choices, some other types of food should be avoided at all costs. Some of the food that should be avoided includes friend food, sweets and alcoholic beverages. Always keep in mind that learning which foods should and should not be a part of the bodybuilding diet is very important.

Lastly, know the proper amount of food needed as you go through weight training exercises. Make sure to have only enough and not too little nor too much.

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The reason for this is quite clear and simple, that is, many people who take on a gym program have mistakenly idolized professional muscle men and women to a fault. Clearly put, they try to imitate the buffed bodies of many of their gym idols without fully understanding the rudiments of muscle building.

Thus, it is important that he learns how to build muscles safely and naturally. To disabuse their minds from seeking methods that would turn them into copies of the muscle men and women they idolize, it would be best to teach them valuable lessons that would turn them into what they aspire to be, sans injuries and visits to the medical clinics.

It must be noted that many of these so-called muscled demigods do not follow the natural way of how to build muscles. They tend to employ methods beyond the physical capacities of the average person. At times, they overexert their muscles without even so much as an injury. For the regular person though, the routines they follow would be too much. More importantly, people forget that these professional bodybuilders are genetically-gifted individuals. Therefore, any average Joe who desires to turn himself into a hunk has to set attainable goals. The following are some practical tips on how to build the dream body we desire without any painful and costly injuries.

First, never strike out on your own. It would be best to get the assistance of a professional muscle trainer. It helps a lot if a novice will be honest with his trainer. He must clearly state his goals. A qualified trainer will disabuse the new muscle builder from any goals that is beyond his ability to achieve. As such, he would design a program that is within the capacity of the new muscle builder. Likewise, it would be best to state any injury that may have been suffered in the past or chronic and acute medical conditions that he may have. This way, any life-threatening incident is avoided.

Second, it is important to keep tabs on what to eat. This does not entail starving because it is important to consume food in order to lose weight and build muscle mass. Rather, any new muscle builder should cut on foods that are laden with starch and fat. It would be best if his diet is full of protein derived from vegetables and lean meat.

Third, the body must be kept hydrated. Without doubt, water is an essential component of building muscles. Doctors suggest that we take in at least eight glasses of water daily. However, it may necessary to take an extra glass or two if we tend to sweat profusely.

Finally, never ingest any supplement without the advice of a medical professional. It is crucial never to compromise our general health for any momentary gain in muscle mass.

Anyone seeking to know how to build muscle must keep these simple yet workable tips to heart.

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We might actually learn some basic weight training techniques by watching friends in the gym as they use their own techniques to build bigger muscle. But sometimes what you see is not actually safe. We must keep in mind that incorrect weight training technique can lead to sprains, strains, fractures and other painful injuries that may hamper weight training efforts.

Any routine other than the right one will surely result in wasted money and time. Or worse, it might result in seeing the weight trainer ending up in the local hospital. To avoid suffering either of the two, the following may be incorporated in the regimen of every weight trainer.

First and most important of all, if you are just getting started, work with a professional weight training specialist. This may be a physical therapist, athletic trainer or other fitness specialist who is familiar with proper weight training technique. If you have been using weights for a while, it might even be wise to schedule some time with a professional trainer just to demonstrate your weight training technique. This way, he would tell you if you are doing the right thing and he might identify any changes you may need to make.

After this most important requirement is met, keep the following tips in mind:

1. Begin with a weight that you can lift comfortably for 12 to 15 times. Most people, can build strength just as efficiently as can three sets of the same exercise with just suing a single set of 12 repetitions with the proper weight. Keep in mind that as you get stronger, you can gradually increase the amount of weight.

2. It is important to lift weight using the proper form. Keep in mind-the better the form, the better the results. If you are unsure whether you are doing the right form then it would be best to ask a trainer to check if you are doing it right.

3. It is important to breath properly. Never fall into a temptation to hold pour breath. Holding your breath can lead to dangerous increases in blood pressure. Rather, breathe out as you lift the weight and breathe in as you lower the weight.

4. Maintain balance in all of the major muscles by working all of them. These would be the abdominals, legs, chest, back, shoulders and arms. Also, it would best to strengthen the opposing muscles in a balanced way. For example, the front of the shoulder and the back of the shoulder.

5. It is best never to overexert oneself. Therefore, it would be best to avoid putting the same muscles to a strain two days in a row. You might work all of your major muscle groups at a single session two or three times a week. In some cases, it might help if you plan daily sessions for specific muscle groups.

Weight training routines that follow these tips stand a better way to build muscles.

Every new bodybuilder wants to build bigger muscle fast because they want to see the results so they pump iron fast and quick. Unknown to them this is a mistake.

So the first tip is simple-Relax and Start Slow. Think of it like this. If you get injured during your first workout, you would have to stop your exercise program. If this happens then you are bound to lose whatever gain you have achieved in your workout.

During your initial week of chest workouts, it would be advisable to take things a bit relaxed by using moderate weights. Lifting heavy weights at the very start would be too much and would only cause muscle injury. Although it would appear that you may not have worked out much, by the day after your initial workout, you will certainly feel some soreness in your chest muscle.

After having done this, you need to develop a weight program that works the pectoral muscles really hard. This can be done by beginning with three sets of 10 reps for three kinds of chest exercises. This could either be bench press, flat bench flies and push ups. Keep in mind though that it is important to warm up and stretch your pectoral muscles.

The proper food is an important part of the workout. So it would be best to eat a diet that promotes muscle growth. This could be done by increasing the amount of protein in your diet. This is important especially after the workout because it helps build and repair the tear in the muscle. Repairing this tear in the muscle starts the build up in mass.

However, getting the right amount of protein needed for building muscle fast may be difficult to get if we only eat our normal food. To get the chest muscle we want, it would be best to use whey protein and drinking a protein shake at least twice a day. The ideal time for the protein shakes would be immediately after the workout, and another about 12 hours after the workout.

Also, rest is important in building chest muscle. You must remember that lifting weights slightly causes some tears in the muscle fibers. After these tears heal, they become stronger and bigger. Thus, it builds muscle mass.

It is important that you rest after an intense workout. Generally, it would be best not to do chest workouts two days after training. In fact, if the muscles feel sore, it would not be alright to lift weights using them.

Lastly, keep in mind that pectoral muscles will recover faster. If this happens yet you keep to the old workout program, then you would not be building any muscle at all. It would be okay to increase the weight and increase the repetitions to do away with this problem.

Also, the rotation of the exercises should also be modified. Keep in mind that it is important to keep on changing the details of the workout until it makes you sore again.

Follow these tips and you will build chest muscle fast.

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