[livi]

In terms of athletic performance its no secret that "too much" will render less result than "too little". There is perfectly simple (well rather complex) explanation for that in terms of chemical / hormonal response to training.

I have learned the hard way myself. Been training boxing and weight lifting for many years. Took a loooong time for me to understand that recuperation, in a sense, is far more important than the amount of exercises.

Every time I end a phase of very light (or none) training, I am stunned with the fast gains I make when hitting the heavy irons again. That, as well as a renewed level of energy, better sleep etc.