In the pursuit of peak fitness, many athletes walk a fine line between optimal stress and harmful overload. This week on the 5 Star Fitness Quickcast, we dive into a core concept of athletic training: fatigue. Beyond just feeling tired, we break down the complex physiological reality of fatigue, distinguishing between its peripheral (muscle-level) and central (nervous system) forms. More critically, we unpack the difference between overreaching (a temporary, sometimes beneficial state) and the long-term danger of overtraining. Learn the objective and subjective warning signs—from a simple change in your grip strength and resting heart rate to shifts in mood and sleep—so you can train smarter, prevent burnout, and sustain continuous progress.