rest days?

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knightreader
knightreader Posts: 813 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
i am looking for someone with more knowledge than me, which shouldn't be too hard... is it better to push myself during my workout, maybe over do it a little, and be too sore the next day to work out, or take it a bit easier during the workout allowing myself to workout the next day also. i am talking cardio and light toning. just started toning up, after losing a bunch of weight. but i find some days i will push myself trying to increase my cardio workouts, then am too sore the next day to do my cardio again and forcing a rest day to recover.

any advice?

thanks.

Replies

  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    i am looking for someone with more knowledge than me, which shouldn't be too hard... is it better to push myself during my workout, maybe over do it a little, and be too sore the next day to work out, or take it a bit easier during the workout allowing myself to workout the next day also. i am talking cardio and light toning. just started toning up, after losing a bunch of weight. but i find some days i will push myself trying to increase my cardio workouts, then am too sore the next day to do my cardio again and forcing a rest day to recover.

    any advice?

    thanks.
    Always keep intensity levels high.

    Weight training>Cardio

    If you're to sore, then don't work out. The gym is not going anywhere and you won't hinder progress. What hinders progress is injury.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    If you're to sore, then don't work out. The gym is not going anywhere and you won't hinder progress. What hinders progress is injury.

    Ditto.
    I try to rotate through muscle groups when I hit the weight room. The only group I work every time is core. Most gym days I swim at least 2 miles before weights. This get everything well warmed up and loose. Being in the Half Century club, I have found this to be the best routine for me. The only hard part can be figuring out how to eat 2000 calories between 8PM and bed time because I very rarely front load exercise calories.
  • Gunsentry
    Gunsentry Posts: 121 Member
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    Try separating your weight lifting and Cardio days.

    e.g

    Mon Wed Fri Cardio
    Tue Thur Sat Weights
    Sun Rest day.

    This will give your muscle groups time to rest and heal.

    However going all out all the time will have you over trained and not being able to recover which will lead to slow progression and probably injury.

    Decide also what your goals are and make a fitness routine that fits these goals you might only require 3 days a week routine.
  • knightreader
    knightreader Posts: 813 Member
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    thanks for the advice. i think i do need a schedule to follow. for the longest time it was just "work out when i can" b/c i never really knew what each day was going to bring. as i move in to a maintenance level of my weight, perhaps the 3 or 4 days a week of cardio will be enough to stay where i am. and tone the other days.

    thanks for everyones advice.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
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    what's a rest day?
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    For cardio it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are trying to achieve increased aerobic fitness then if you push so hard that you cannot work out the next day then it was too hard.

    There is a big misconception that the harder you push cardio the better your fitness will improve. That is not true at all and I expect many people are doing a lot of workouts that are counterproductive.

    Weight training is a different story.
  • Rachelle1016
    Rachelle1016 Posts: 61
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    I've trained for a half marathon before, and they will tell you rest days are very important. You muscles need to recover and build. It's in the building that you make progress. Now, that doesn't mean be a slob on your rest day. Maybe just change it up a little.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    For cardio it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are trying to achieve increased aerobic fitness then if you push so hard that you cannot work out the next day then it was too hard.

    There is a big misconception that the harder you push cardio the better your fitness will improve. That is not true at all and I expect many people are doing a lot of workouts that are counterproductive.

    Weight training is a different story.

    One of the hardest things I had to learn as a runner was to slow down, if you attempt every run at something approaching your race pace the only thing you're likely to do is injure yourself and quit running.

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