How to approach Rest Day???

People that know me well know that i'm not one to rest, the best i'll do is an active rest which usually consists of an intense cardio workout...But my clients however, will say that I am precise and keen on rest when programming. Why the discrepancy? Because everyone is different and for 99% of the population rest is integral and absolutely necessary for the obtainment of physiological change. The body doesn't get bigger, stronger, faster while performing the exercise, it does so when you rest.

So knowing that rest is a MUST, now what? How should you approach your rest day?

Tip #1: Your rest day starts the night before! Knowing that you are 'taking the day off' the following morning doesn't mean you can slack off and go to bed at 3am and sleep in.

No, you must get to bed, if anything, earlier. Try to extend your sleep by getting to bed 30mins-1 hour earlier and, given you don't have to work, don't set an alarm clock. Let your body wake itself up when enough sleep has been obtained.

If you get up at 6am, good! Consistency is key and your body knows what is right for itself.

Tip# 2: Eat more protein! Don't go too ham on this one :), but make sure you reconfigure your macros so that the right processes are taking place.

When we train we, should, fuel ourselves with high glycemic easy to digest carbs and fats before training depending if we are weigh-training or running, and low glycemic carbs and proteins (3:1) post workout to appropriately hit the necessary nutrients for muscle protein synthesis and divert the breakdown of muscle fibres, all while promoting healthy weight balance.

However, on days off because we aren't directly forcing our bodies to perform strenuous activities it is in a state of repair. To facilitate muscle growth and avoid the addition of fat, we should increase protein intake to about 40% of our daily caloric intake, 50% carbohydrates, and 10% fats. This way the breakdown of the nutrients we are consuming is quick, easy on the body, and helps repair and recover better.

Tip #3: NEAT! What is NEAT, well NEAT stands for Non Essential Activity Thermogenesis. Which roughly translates to calories burned through non programmed exercise physical activity. So for the vast majority anything that is physical activity but isn't exercise; walking, gardening, shopping, light hike, catch, fishing etc.

By increasing our NEAT we can passively expend calories and keep our body in a balanced state (homeostasis). If we throw our feet up and relax on the couch all day we reduce blood flow, augment the chances of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), and metabolically put ourselves in a disadvantaged position.

Rest day doesn't = Don't do anything day. It = move lots, just not as vigourously.

So remember, move a lot, up that protein consumption (beans or steak alike), and get to bed early.

I hope these help you out. There are many other ways to capitalize on your days off so shoot me a message and I can help you optimize your rest days!

Enjoy! "Progression is built through consistency and tested by Passion"