Work vs Rest

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, rest is just as important as work - but you can’t have success without both.

How much work? How much rest? That’s where people get confused.  Personally I love working out, so 5-6 days a week of physical activity sounds good to me, but that is not a set in stone rule for fitness success.

Here are my TEN WORK/REST COMMANDMENTS

1) Enjoy your workout. If you don’t like working out, find a sport of physical activity you do like. Finding a trainer that loves fitness so much and can inspire you to love it is also helpful. They do exist I know many, but they are not always the norm.

2) Start slow and build. If you came from nothing, no activity and are thinking of starting a fitness routine, aim for 3 non-consecutive days a week. After that you can try the method of 3 days on 1 day off. Or you can do what I often do training M-F and taking the weekends off.

3) You can have too much of a good thing. Conversely if you came from training 6 days a week and you’re not getting the results you want you may be over-training or training incorrectly, have a poor diet, have a hormonal imbalance or other imbalance in the body. All these should be evaluated by a health and/or fitness professional.

4) Rest means rest! Don’t run around like a mad person on your rest day stressing out and trying to get everything on your to-do list done. There should be one-two days a week where you’re only job is to relax and enjoy your life. (I need to pay attention to this commandment the most!) P.S. Relaxing and enjoying your life does not mean staying out til 2am getting trashed on Redbull & vodka. That is not recovery.

5) Work means work. You rest hard so you can work hard. 10-20 minutes of pushing it hard is much more beneficial than 1 hour or being lazy and not getting out of your comfort zone. 45 minutes is plenty for a workout, warm up included if you are actually working hard. If you are not familiar with High Intensity Training (HIT) or lifting heavy stuff, or some sport that requires intensity then get with a trainer that is and learn how to really work out. It’s not easy… but if it was easy everyone would do and be happy with their healthy bodies.

6) Variety is the spice of life… and the spice of exercise too. Don’t you dare do the same boring routine every week. Not only will that make you bonkers but you will never challenge the body and therefore never see results.

7) Fuel up!  Don’t work out on an empty stomach, you body will burn muscle for fuel if you do which defeats the purpose of your workout. The best time to work out is about 2 hours after a balanced meal, but if you are hungry you can have a small snack about an hour before and probably be okay.

8) Recover in 60 minutes. Don’t wait to replenish your body. If you are not hungry for a meal right after a workout opt for a small snack that is mostly protein and a small amount of carbs like a scoop of whey protein (w/ water) and a pear or banana. Faster recovery means better muscle building and more energy for your next workout.

9) Sleep for success. You body needs 7-8 hours of sleep a night. The best hours to sleep are 10pm-6am. You will recovery better mentally and physically if you aim to be in bed by 10pm.

10) Listen to your body. It’s good to push yourself and being a little sore going into the next workout is not horrible, but if you feel pain during a workout, stop and get is evaluated by a health professional. You need this body to work well for you the rest of your life. Treat it well.

24 June 2010 ·

• Tags
• exercise
• recovery