Rest days and de-load weeks are as important as the training
itself.
Why?
When we exercise we break down muscle tissue and send our
bodies into a catabolic state. The only way for our bodies to repair is when we
are resting or sleeping (in addition to a good quality diet)
Lots of people think that doing more exercise will have a
greater effect on their weight loss/muscle gain, but, in most cases this is
exactly the reverse of what happens.
Exercise is a stress to the body. Stress creates cortisol.
Cortisol inhibits the breakdown of body fat. Can you now see why doing MORE
exercise can (sometimes) have a NEGATIVE effect on fat loss?
If you weight loss or body fat loss stalls, and I’m sure we’ve all
been there and experienced this, maybe, just maybe, you need an extra rest day
or a complete de-load week. For a de-load week, if for example you normally do
4 bootcamps & 2 PT sessions a week, for 1 week, you’ll only do 2 bootcamps
& 1 PT session. At first this will feel very odd, but trust me, I’ve seen
people come back stronger & more motivated from having an easier week.
An extra rest day or a de-load week will enable your body
to:
- Repair damage muscle tissue
- Absorb and utilise more vitamins & minerals
- Adsorb more water to the cells
- Give you a better sleep quality (linked to lower cortisol levels)
- Give your joints, tendons & ligaments a chance to recover
Speak to your trainer if you are unsure whether you need a
de-load week or an extra rest day.
Remember, strength & fitness isn’t built in the gym but
when you’re resting.......similar to abs aren’t created in the gym, they’re
created in the kitchen!
