Getting Proper Rest

Rest can have many benefits if you use it properly not only in the gym but also in your day to day life. If we rest too much we might not get the results we desire however if we don't get enough rest we can face some issues as well. By the end of this article you will have the knowledge to making the right choices with your rest and possibly make some slight adjustments to the training you are currently doing. 

To start off we can split things up between rest in the gym and outside of the gym in your daily lifestyle.

In The Gym

When we think about rest in the gym we think about the amount of time you take between sets and exercises but what does it actually do? The rest period you take between sets will allow recovery, replenishment of energy and removal of the build up of lactic acid (also know as lactate). In any given gym you will see different resting techniques, for instance one guy may be taking around 2 minutes between sets yet the person next to him may seem to be flying through their workout. Depending on your goal inside the gym will influence your rest period. As I mentioned in previous articles what may work for one individual may not necessarily work for you. For someone starting out you would want to consider using a 60-90 second rest guideline for between sets and can then make changes from that point on depending on the type of training you are pursuing. For someone who is wanting to do powerlifting you would want to look at taking a longer rest period and aim for around 3-5min allowing you to lift heavier weights. However for someone who is more focused on loosing body fat then you will want to consider taking a shorter rest period somewhere around 45 seconds. The reason why its a shorted rest period is that way you keep the heart rate elevated which will then help burn more calories in your workout. You can keep track of your rest periods by using a stopwatch on a smartphone or keeping an eye on the clock in the gym.

At Home

Now that we have a rough idea on what the rest periods are like inside of the gym its time to take a look at resting on your own time. It is recommended to take a rest period between workout sessions of 48-72 hours. That way it allows recovery and adaptation time for muscle tissue breakdown and energy replenishment. An example of this is say you train chest on a Monday, you will then want to wait until at least Wednesday until you train chest again, that way you allow your chest to have enough time to rest up. Another key thing to keep in mind is the amount of sleep you get per night. It is common for some people to feel overwhelmed with everything that may be going on in their life at a time and start to fall behind on their goals. Don't get me wrong this is alright as long as you get right back at it. I find personally when I go back to school and seem to have a lot more tasks that need to be done I had to take a step back at take things from a new approach. For me what I did was I took a week off for myself to focus on my academics but also work on developing a plan that will allow me to manage my time more wisely between school, the gym, the blog, as well as a social life. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed don't panic, take a moment to get a better understanding on whats going on, develop a plan, and then adapt. When things are getting tough never say "why me?", next time things get tough try the mentality of "try me". Everyone has struggles but its the way we handle these situations that make the difference. Its like saying I'm having a character building day opposed to saying I'm having a bad day. Keep up the hard work everyone!

Stick around and check out the comment section below and feel free to post any comments!

Ronnie Vercruyssen
"Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up"- Rocky Balboa