Recommended Rest Day Activities?

[litebulb]

Hey guys,

My current training schedule (with an aim to bulk up) is as follows:

Training Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Rest Days: Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday

Question is, what should I be doing on rest days? Should I basically be sitting on my arse all day "resting", or is it OK to go for a "slow & steady" swim, and do yoga/core/flexibility work on EACH of my rest days?

What kinda things do you guys do on your rest days...?

 

[M Kelly]

Either of those options are fine, it all depends on the DOMS you're feeling and whether or not you have had sufficient sleep/fuel. Yoga is beneficial as it will increase your joint range of motion, which results in the muscle having to activate harder when performing repetitions (half reps = half muscle as you know).
Don't forget we train for fitness too, so ensure you improve your cardio-respiratory fitness as well

 

[Kyle Aaron]

It's very common to have a routine of alternating resistance and cardio training days. For those wanting to bulk but increase or maintain fitness, less intense cardio; for those wanting to lose fat, more intense.

More and more resistance trainees are doing flexibility and/or core work like yoga, pilates, etc. It bores me but lots of people find a lot of benefit in it, helps recovery, improves flexibility.

Swimming is an excellent exercise in many ways, having both aspects of resistance training and cardio in it, the cool water also helping recovery from weight training, and being low or no impact, good for people with joint problems, or extremely obese people, etc.

 

[Zarkov]

I cycle,swim or go for a walk.None of these I consider training.I do them because I love them.Swimming is usually a slow 1 or 200m followed by 5-10 mins in the jet spa and repeat as many times as i fell like it.And as Kyle said,the water is very soothing the day after a hard workout.
i just try to do something physical.

 

[Fadi]

Hey guys,

My current training schedule (with an aim to bulk up) is as follows:

Training Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Rest Days: Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday

Question is, what should I be doing on rest days? Should I basically be sitting on my arse all day "resting", or is it OK to go for a "slow & steady" swim, and do yoga/core/flexibility work on EACH of my rest days?

What kinda things do you guys do on your rest days...?

Do whatever makes litebulb lights up! See, now you've got to give me your first name!

Ok, here's what you've said so far:

Age: 23 (but I've got the body of a 16 year old...yeah..shameful!)

So you weigh 73kg and you think it's shameful. What's shameful about it? Not enough muscles? Muscles need a reason to exist and grow; give them that then sit back and admire your labour's (none shameful) kick arse fruits!

Goal(s) you alredy HAVE reached? Finding a gym buddy, signing up to Ausbb, and agreeing not to quit until I am a lean 82kg wrecking machine

Noe we are ALL your buddies! That's a great attitude you have there (I'm not gonna say your name)!


Well done. Talk soon Champion.




Fadi.

 

[megaphoenix]

Is there anything "stupid" about alternating weight training days and high cardio days?

eg: the "odd" days of the month are where you lift weights, the "even" days of the month are when you go for runs or skipping or things like that?

i've gotten a little belly from eating too many noodles (which ive stopped now) and i rarely ever have rest days, so i figure i should do whats best. plus i assume i should still have my daily protein requirements even on my rest days, right?

 

[Bluey]

diet should be the same everyday.

 

[megaphoenix]

yeah thanks. So even i go from high cardio to weight lifting to high cardio to weight lifting, etc, i should just stick to my "post workout" routines and such (i drink a high protein shake)