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What is a "rest day"?

mclarentmclarent Posts: 784
edited October 2008 in Training, fitness and health
I wonder - is a rest day any day off your bike?

I mean, if you did a core, weights or stretching session, would it still be a rest day?

Do I need an intervention?
"And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
- eccolafilosofiadelpedale

Posts

  • VividVivid Posts: 267
    Its a day when you rest and don't put any strain on your body or muscles, rest days are just as important as any workout day and you need to treat them with respect.

    I would also have a 1 week break every 2 or 3 months.
  • damage36damage36 Posts: 282
    A rest day would be something like a recovery spin, maybe with some core. Weights is not a rest.
    Total days off are only necessary every few weeks. Or if you're ill.
    Legs, lungs and lycra.

    Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
  • richaricha Posts: 2,020
    At the moment its Monday to Friday.
    Rich
    Twitter. Transalp Blog. Surrey Hills Project.
  • TheGreatGatsbyTheGreatGatsby Posts: 818
    rest days are just as important if not more so than training. Its during these periods off the bike that your body repairs itself and muscles grow stronger in response to your training. Active rest is something like a one hour very low intensity leg spin and some people find this beneficial to the healing process as it stimulates blood flow to the muscles without putting strain on them. Resting will is not only necessary for muscle repair but it also prevents the onset of over training and slow demotivation of riding a bike day in day out. Most racers will take 2-4 weeks of rest after a hard season and gear themselves up for the base training through the winter preparing for the nest season.

    You may find that knocking back your training in the last week of every four may also help if your training is of a high intensity but if you ride just for fun or commute you may find a steady ride/rest regime every week may work better for you.

    However the best rest is total rest. No strain on your body or HR. Light to moderate walking or just 'being'. Into these rest days decent nutrition and if you want some core work/yoga/stretching. No resistance training. And plenty of good quality sleep.

    I personally find rest days harder than training days but know that they do my body good and give it the stuff it needs in order for me to keep hammering it for the other 6 days of the week.

    Gats
  • Gavin GilbertGavin Gilbert Posts: 4,019
    Rest days include commuting to work as long as I keep my HR below 65% Max (failed yesterday!), and also include gym work as my core strength sessions never raise my HR above 60% Max.

    I probably only do 1 day in 10 where I manage to avoid any form of exercise.
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