All the gear but no idea, The importance of a rest day



All the Gear but no Idea- The Importance of a Rest Day


No matter how good you look in your gym kit and no matter how motivated you feel, sometimes you just need to take a rest day!
Nike kit says yes, muscles say no!

Why?

The importance of a rest day is huge when it comes to meeting goals and toning your body. When exercising, you create little tiny tears in the microfibres in your muscles. This is not a problem nor an injury. In fact this is necessary in order to make gains. It is in your rest time that these tears repair and in doing so, muscles become stronger. WIthout an adequate rest, you will continue to wear the body down and not see the adaptations that you want.

Diet on a Rest Day

This brings me on to what to do on your rest day. Just because you are not exercising does not mean you can slack on your nutrition. In fact this is the most important time to eat clean. Protein is required to repair the muscle damage in order to make your gains. You don't necessarily have to have lots of protein shakes, but it is good to intake a decent portion of protein with each meal.

My Experience

Today I had a gym session with my trainer Mitch. I got changed into all my cool Nike gear and went off to the gym feeling positive. However, after working hard in the gym yesterday, I could tell my muscles were tired. I hit the wall within my second superset and really had to push through the pain to get through the set (split lunges and rope slams). My legs were burning up only 10 minutes into the workout and it was at this point I realised tomorrow will have to be a rest day.

 Let go

Going to the gym and exercising can become like a drug. It is addictive and you do crave the rush of endorphines and release of tension that you get during and after a workout. However, it is extremely important to remember to take time out to recover. Otherwise you will eventually lead to burnout. If you keep working hard without any rest then eventually your workouts will become pointless. You won't have the strength or energy to train and you won't get the best out of your session. I would suggest taking two days out the gym a week, but if you feel you need more, by all means go for it.

My Advice


But remember the golden rule. A rest day doesn't mean you can rest when it comes to nutrition. Eat protein and cut down on the carbs. Give your body the fuel it needs to rest up, in order to smash it the following day!







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