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My trainer has a set schedule that I am supposed to follow. I'm in his gym for cardio/lifting on mon, tues, thurs & fri...rotating muscle groups. I am compliant with the weight lifting schedule but not as much with the cardio on the off-gym days, because I'm tired and my body needs the rest! When I'm feeling good, I have no problem doing cardio 6 days/wk.
In January I went on vacation. For one week.
No planned workouts. Just a lot of walking, swimming, snorkeling, one dive, and eating a LOT. We ate so much.
Came home and felt fat and sluggy...but my muscles GREW noticeably! They needed rest and to be fed.
Sleeping is what I need to work on next. Getting tons of sleep. I am terrible about this.
I will often exercise 7 days a week (lifting most days) and it really hasn't been a problem. I keep the big lifts to twice a week though (squats, deadlifts...)
I try to get seven hours minimum of sleep every night, but I'm not consistent. Every three months or so I'll take a week off from the gym, or significantly lighten the weight ("deload") and reduce sets/exercises.
What's helped me a lot is not only cutting down the volume drastically, especially with supplemental work but not obsessing over my workouts (Boxing) 24/7 like I used to. Plus, I simplified, minimized yet intensified my workouts, thus making them more enjoyable, but in an intense way. I have come to learn and realize over time that the most "sophisticated" or complicated workouts aren't necessarily the best or productive, at least for me.
I leave my job at the offfice when I go home, so i applied the same thinking to my fitness. Additionally, stressing over every little thing depletes your energy and recovery ability more than people can imagine. Stop and smell the flowers and enjoy life.
Some people confuse rest and recovery with just laying around and doing nothing else. While that is part of the equation it is not the big picture. There is the concept of "Active"Recovery" which consists of engaging in some sort of mild to moderate activity that is not related to the main exercise that you do but it allows your body to recover while giving you the opportunity to do something different that keeps you active and it can be a leisure activity at the same time. For example a slow to moderate walk around the neighborhood or a public park can provide activity and leisure while the body is recovering from a grueling workout. Certainly nutrition and proper supplementation are also part of the recovery process and that begins as sokn as the workout ends.
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