Rest days. You might love them or you might hate them, either way they should be an intricate part of your training.
Unless you participate in a low impact sport like chess, deciding against having rest days as part of your training program is asking for an injury.
Rest days allow your body time to recuperate. When we workout we place physical and mental stress on our bodies. Over time this impacts our muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, joints, and mind. At some point during your training you’ll surpass your bodies ability to recover from all of the built up stress. This is where recovery and rest become an intricate part of your training.
We will define “rest day” simply as: deliberately taking time away from the stress you’re putting on your body during training. This will allow your body time to “catch up” to the stress it’s undergoing on a continual basis.
For the past 13 years I’ve stuck largely to the same rest day principles that I learned while in high school weightlifting: Lift heavy a few days a week, and spend every “rest day” playing, and being active. Lately I’ve seen a lot of people using their rest days to sit around, and not do anything because they are “recovering”. In fact in a few Facebook groups I’m part of I asked what people do on their recovery days, and most people said something along the lines of “kickback and watch football”. If you’re aiming for average, and this type of recovery works for you, go for it. If that type of rest day worked for me, I would feel that I’m not pushing myself hard enough. If you’re aiming to become the best version of yourself, that isn’t recovery, and if you want to progress in your training and your life, you must progress in your recovery.
If you rest, you rust.Helen Hayes
Unless you’re recovering from a surgery, or are physically unable to move, you should be doing a minimum of these 5 things on your rest days.
- DO SOMETHING PHYSICAL. Take half an hour to an hour to do something physical that you don’t normally do. Make sure it’s something that you have fun with. If it’s not fun, what’s the point? This can be a brisk walk, swim, bike ride, rowing machine, or even a light workout if you wanna still be in the gym on your rest day. Check out the recovery workout below.
- Relax your mind. Listen to an audiobook, podcast, or meditate. Do something that will help you get your mind of the daily stress of life.
- Self Myofascial release, check out the foam roll portion of the workout below. I would recommend this daily, but spending more time with it on your rest day(s).
- Eat and hydrate. This isn’t a cheat day. It’s not a time to binge on whatever you want. Make sure you get in some good nutritious food, and a lot of water.
- Sleep. Get at least 8 hours of sleep, and don’t be afraid to take a nap. This applies to every day, not just your rest day.
Recovery Workout
You’ll need a foam roller, and a lacrosse ball.Take some time and really just let yourself relax during this.
Starting with your feet: Standing or sitting put the lacrosse ball under the ball of your foot. Apply as much pressure as is comfortable and start rolling around, anytime you feel a spot that needs to be released push in and hold for at least 30 seconds. Do this on both feet.
Now lay down with the foam roller, you’re going to work from the bottom up, starting with your calves, move to your shins, adductors, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, glutes, lower back, upper back, stomach (if you have a basketball I like to use this on my stomach), pecs, and finally your neck.
This should be 15-20 minutes of foam rolling.
After this let’s move into some yoga stretches.
I’m new to yoga, and I love it. I altered this flow from one I found online, if you’re a yoga pro, forgive me if it doesn’t quite flow.
Child’s Pose
Table Top
Cat
Cow
Table Top
Downward Dog
Twist (both ways)
Forward Fold
Low Lunge with one leg
Plank
If you’re still feeling like doing more, or you really just want to be in the gym do this complex that was written by Jason Ferruggia. Today your goal is going to be to move slowly and really feel your body, every spot it aches, every spot you’re sore. If the barbell is too much drop it and just do the movements with your body. Next time you’re looking to kill yourself in the gym and burn some fat add some weight, and go as quickly as you can.
A complex is where you choose multiple exercises and perform them back to back without resting. For the purposes of this, put down the barbell if it’s becoming tough. You’ll repeat each of these movements 6 times before moving to the next.
Deadlift
Hang Clean
Front Squat
Hang Snatch
Overhead Squat
Front Press
Bentover Row
Romanian Deadlift
That’s it. Let me know what you do for your recovery day or if you’d like a video of me doing this recovery workout in the comments below.