Rest

    The most difficult thing for me to factor into my workout regimen are Rest Days. I do not like them, no, I do not. It is a tough sell, convincing Body that rest is essential. Brain understands the theory, but Body rebels. Even on days such as today, when I am tired, sore, and bruised from a long weekend of arduous, physical training scenarios at Academy, Body is pissy that Brain made us leave all the workout gear at home. Instead of racing home, or to the pool to get in a long solid workout, we are heading to a  relaxing evening that will include a hot tub and a nap. Body keeps whispering, "You know, we could pick up some workout gear at the thrift store, maybe just get in a little Pilates and Yoga, maybe some ab work, or even an easy run." No! Body needs rest to allow muscles to recover from the intense physical demands of the last 48 hours, and the previous week of training. Muscles must have down time to reap the benefits of a hard workout.
    To become stronger, improve fitness, build speed and power, requires several things:
1. A physically demanding workout, not an easy peasy, gentle 30 minute workout. We're talking an hour or two, or three, of pushing the muscles to the point of exhaustion and a little beyond.
2. Nutrition. I have said it a bazillion times, you need rocket fuel to feed the machine. Good food, not garbage: Garbage in = Garbage out. You have to eat nutrition dense, simple, minimally processed foods to rebuild muscles torn down through hard workouts. And in a balance of protein, carbs, and fats that works for your own needs. There is no magic formula, it is trial and error. I eat a lot of fruit and veg, lean protein, and complex carbs. It works for me.
3. (and this is my nemesis) REST. You must allow the chance to Rest and Recover. The reason we get stronger is that a strenuous workout actually tears down the connective tissue between muscle strands, and the body reacts by making the muscle stronger to protect itself. But this takes about 48 hours. I cheat this a bit by alternating my workouts. I do not work the same muscle set 2 days in a row (except on the rare occasion that I swim 2 days in a row), upper body one day, legs the next, etc. I allow 48 hours of recovery time to allow a muscle group to recover before the next workout. Rest includes plenty of Sleep, which I never seem to get, especially these days, and Down Time. A proper workout schedule will actually have one day of nothing, just Rest. I do not like this day. But I am learning.
    On a day like today, tired, sore, and bruised, when breakfast was black coffee and Aleve, it is a bit easier to convince Body that we can take the day off. That it is okay to rest, We will not lose tone, or pack on the pounds, or backslide. No, we need Rest to Recover, so that tomorrow we will be even more awesome.