One thing that's often overlooked is that you can't ALWAYS train hard! You have to balance periods of high intensity training with periods of low intensity training. Each of your muscles require a different length of rest time between workouts.

Your larger muscles need longer recovery time than your smaller ones; short workouts are easier to recover from than long workouts; and, your fast-twitch muscles (the ones that give you explosiveness) take longer to recover than your slow-twitch muscles (the ones you use for endurance).

Here's a list of recovery facts to remember:

• Big muscles take longer to recover than smaller ones.

• Fast twitch muscles take longer to recover than slow twitch.

• Guys recover faster than girls.

• You recover faster from slow movements than from fast movements.

• You recover faster from low intensity training than from high intensity training.

• Young people recover faster than older folks.

• Recovery is speeded up considerably by eliminating (or reducing) the "negative" or "eccentric" portion of the lifting movement.

• Sound nutrition and ample rest allow for more rapid recovery.