Day 3 Rest/Recover
mattjd70
Posts: 106 Member
What I've loved about these little get-togethers --- It's about sharing ideas, learning, thinking...and then applying it to our own lives, taking control of our own health. In the end, would we really trust it to anyone else?
So, again, don't do what I do or think you're being told to do. Read, think, apply.
With that said, amid the nonsense in the fitness world....there are a few good observations. One in particular resonates with our first "Recovery" day.
And that is:
The problem with people's fitness programs is that they go TOO LIGHT on HARD days, and TOO HARD on LIGHT days.
Let's dissect.
Too Light on Hard Days:
People want to do like 3-5 hard sessions a week. (for whatever reason...they eat too much, they like the rush, they feel like "sweatin' it out"). That's just goofy. It is impossible to GO HIGH INTENSITY that many times a week. So the reality is...they go hard on Monday, are still feeling tired on Wed. so the 'hard' work is 'meh', then Fri again is barely intense output, and Sat. is just draggin' *kitten* pretending to work hard.
Their last 2-3 workouts of the week, even though they think they're crushing it, probably look like this:
https://youtu.be/MoeX0RlmpWE
Truth. No lie. Slow motion (yes, that's the Gossamer episode).
A HARD day is a HARD day...So hard that we need to prepare for it...So hard, we're hoping it doesn't come around again for a while.
High Intensity (hard days) is only a worthwhile stimulus if the body is ready to accept. Piss poor high intensity gets same old same old.
Stimulus quality must be absorbed.
Too Hard on Light Days:
That same mentality drives people to take the light day, where the system is supposed to be recovering, and turn it into intensity.
The 40 min. run "feels" too light so they start doing Fartleks. The spin bike or rower is too easy, so they bang out Tabatas.
<url=No funny video, just picture me saying "I'm off today," eating 2 Hungarian Nut Rolls and then running 10x400m at the track.></url>
{Oh! I love that video! I remember watching that as a kid, it was on after the Flintstones.}
Truth. No lie.
Now, an entirely different energy pathway is invoked. It's all out of whack...and then our bodies don't transform, we plateau or whatever.
Stimulus quality must be absorbed.
Of course that's my armchair opinion, do what you want and think is proper in your Workout Plan, but consider what puts you in the best position to benefit from the stimulus?
Last, I think Recovery/Rest can be alot of things. It can be totally off, light walk, yoga/active recovery (or anything "low intensity"), light jog/bike then bodyweight and bands, practicing something, playing...you get the idea.
Peace! (tomorrow...IF post)
So, again, don't do what I do or think you're being told to do. Read, think, apply.
With that said, amid the nonsense in the fitness world....there are a few good observations. One in particular resonates with our first "Recovery" day.
And that is:
The problem with people's fitness programs is that they go TOO LIGHT on HARD days, and TOO HARD on LIGHT days.
Let's dissect.
Too Light on Hard Days:
People want to do like 3-5 hard sessions a week. (for whatever reason...they eat too much, they like the rush, they feel like "sweatin' it out"). That's just goofy. It is impossible to GO HIGH INTENSITY that many times a week. So the reality is...they go hard on Monday, are still feeling tired on Wed. so the 'hard' work is 'meh', then Fri again is barely intense output, and Sat. is just draggin' *kitten* pretending to work hard.
Their last 2-3 workouts of the week, even though they think they're crushing it, probably look like this:
https://youtu.be/MoeX0RlmpWETruth. No lie. Slow motion (yes, that's the Gossamer episode).
A HARD day is a HARD day...So hard that we need to prepare for it...So hard, we're hoping it doesn't come around again for a while.
High Intensity (hard days) is only a worthwhile stimulus if the body is ready to accept. Piss poor high intensity gets same old same old.
Stimulus quality must be absorbed.
Too Hard on Light Days:
That same mentality drives people to take the light day, where the system is supposed to be recovering, and turn it into intensity.
The 40 min. run "feels" too light so they start doing Fartleks. The spin bike or rower is too easy, so they bang out Tabatas.
<url=No funny video, just picture me saying "I'm off today," eating 2 Hungarian Nut Rolls and then running 10x400m at the track.></url>
{Oh! I love that video! I remember watching that as a kid, it was on after the Flintstones.}
Truth. No lie.
Now, an entirely different energy pathway is invoked. It's all out of whack...and then our bodies don't transform, we plateau or whatever.
Stimulus quality must be absorbed.
Of course that's my armchair opinion, do what you want and think is proper in your Workout Plan, but consider what puts you in the best position to benefit from the stimulus?
Last, I think Recovery/Rest can be alot of things. It can be totally off, light walk, yoga/active recovery (or anything "low intensity"), light jog/bike then bodyweight and bands, practicing something, playing...you get the idea.
Peace! (tomorrow...IF post)
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Replies
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I'm away on vacation with plenty of time to workout so taking a rest day is harder than at home. At home, Wednesday is my rest day. I so look forward to it b/c I know I don't have to get up so early. Here, it's tougher b/c feel like I'm sitting around. Hope to golf this afternoon as my leisure activity if it warms up a bit.0
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I really like this post, I absolutely dread interval days. Because I know if I do my best I'll be either dry heaving, puking, or lying in a ditch!! LOL! The mental preparation and self-talk to get through those workouts is really the only thing that gets me through those workouts...the physical part is the easiest part. So-to-speak. It's funny when I was following the 12 week plan for my race last year, it had only one built-in true rest day, and that was two days before the race. But, what she did include in the program were "active recovery" days every week, whereby you cycled in Heart Rate Zone 1, at less than 90rpm and / or less than 90 wattts of power. So I get it, because it worked!!! Good stuff!! This idea of active recovery is new to me, I don't know much about it, but it seems to have some benefits.0
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