How Much Exercises Is Too Much?

As the days get warmer many of us are looking to burn as much fat as we can and gain lean muscle mass to achieve a better physique. You see it all around this time of year, the gym is packed, the cardio machines are all occupied, everyone is trying to go as hard as they can to get into shape within a few month before summer gets here. We definitely need to put in our work during training, but is there such a thing as training too much or over training? At what point does exercise go from giving you great benefits, to causing you great harm?

Lack of sleep
Loss of appetite
Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
Muscle fatigue
Frequent Inuries
Inflammation and tissue breakdown
Depression
Mood changes

First and foremost before you start going crazy doing 5 hour workouts it's important to make sure you are eating 100% towards your goal. No matter how much you train if you are eating the right amount and types of foods and getting the right amount of rest, you wouldn't over train. Your meal plan is 70% of your results, so it doesn't really make sense to add more exercises because it won't help much. You can actually lose more muscle mass than body fat if you are training excessively and not eating appropriately, and this can cause loose skin. Another tip is to gradually increase your exercises, don't go from walking 15 minutes daily, to full blown sprints at the track. For one you will probably just injure yourself because your body hasn't been prepared for that type of high intense exercise. Also even if you did do the sprints then what will you do after your body adapts? you don't have to go to the hardest thing, take your time and take the juice out of every stage. If you've been walking for 15 minutes daily then now start doing 30 mins, then maybe once that's easy start jogging then eventually you can do sprints. This method will gradually evolve your body and get it stronger to be able to handle the harder workouts.

If you are feeling any of the aforementioned symptoms then it's possible you are over training. Make sure you are eating right and drinking enough water, and increase your exercises gradually only when you are seeming to plateau. Keep working hard and see you at the beach this summer!