How restful should a rest day be?

topcattim

For the first time in my cycling life, I'm following a proper training schedule, in this case the Carmichael Time Crunched Cyclist. It has several rest days a week. I've been going to the gym on some of these rest days, doing a bit of weight training. As I understand it, the purpose of a rest day is to allow the body (or more accurately the muscles that have been tired in training) to recover so my theory is that it is ok to go the gym on rest days just as long as I'm not using my leg muscles e.g running, rowing, leg pressing but instead am just doing upper body work.

But it occurred to me that I may have this wrong and that perhaps a rest day should be a total rest day. Any advice?

fish156

If you're wanting to go to the gym on your rest days, perhaps you're training isn't focussed sufficiently on your non-rest days?

Following a rest day, come back feeling that you've missed riding and want to apply yourself to whatever session you've got planned.

For me going to the gym on my off days and it would all just merge into a mediocre blur and I'd soon get stale.

The most I do on a rest day is to lightly turn the legs over and stretch.

We're all different though.

topcattim

Fair point fishie. I certainly wouldn't want to go the gym to ride a stationary bike or anything like that, but the old upper body thing could do with a tidy up and the weight training gives me a chance to try some housekeeping!

rozzer32

topcattim wrote:

For the first time in my cycling life, I'm following a proper training schedule, in this case the Carmichael Time Crunched Cyclist. It has several rest days a week. I've been going to the gym on some of these rest days, doing a bit of weight training. As I understand it, the purpose of a rest day is to allow the body (or more accurately the muscles that have been tired in training) to recover so my theory is that it is ok to go the gym on rest days just as long as I'm not using my leg muscles e.g running, rowing, leg pressing but instead am just doing upper body work.

But it occurred to me that I may have this wrong and that perhaps a rest day should be a total rest day. Any advice?

So you just sit around all week?? I could follow that program!!

A rest day should be just that, rest. Although my coach gives me two types of rest.

Total Rest - No time on the bike at all
Active Rest - A gentle hour on the bike and low intensity. Just gets more blood to your muscles and helps flush the crap out so to speak.

topcattim

rozzer32 wrote:

So you just sit around all week?? I could follow that program!!.

Yup, its based on 6 hours a week, with 3 rest days. I have no idea yet if it is improving my cycling or not, I'm only two weeks in.

rozzer32 wrote:

Although my coach gives me two types of rest.

Total Rest - No time on the bike at all
Active Rest - A gentle hour on the bike and low intensity. Just gets more blood to your muscles and helps flush the crap out so to speak.

What I'm really wondering is whether it is ok for me to do non-cycling exercise on my rest days. Anyone know?

twotyred

You're only 2 weeks into the plan. I've never done the Time Crunched plan but all those who have say it ramps up substantially towards the end and they're glad of the rest days. For my training I'm always glad when a rest day comes along as I usually feel I need it. Remember the rest days are when you get fitter. For rest days my coach advises rest or a really easy recovery spin on the bike and maybe a bit of core work.

colinsmith123

+1 If you are following TTCP correctly, by week 6 to 8 you REALLY will be glad of those rest days. I find the hardest of any training programme is resisting the temptation to do a bit more. Don't! As has been repeated many times, 'You don't get fitter by training harder, but by resting.

ShutUpLegs

Remember the heart is a muscle as well, and needs rest.

Tom Dean

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Remember the heart is a muscle as well, and needs rest.

Do you recommend complete rest or active recovery?

ozzy1000_0

i would rest on the rest days! as the intensity increases through the program you won't be able to make the most of the workouts if your tired. i've done one of his programs and the fatigue builds. i tried slotting in extra SS work outs thinking it'll be ok but then i just ended up not being able to give it my all on the hard sessions.

mamba80

I think you should try the extra gym session (as you are not cycling and for the reasons you give) BUT if you cant complete the next work out at the right intensity then back off, remember that the 6hrs is the min and if you add up the max time spent riding he recomends then you get nearer 8hrs/per week, so depending on what program and how long you ride, will give you your answer.

ShutUpLegs

Tom Dean wrote:

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Remember the heart is a muscle as well, and needs rest.

Do you recommend complete rest or active recovery?

Define passive or active recovery.

colinsmith123

To the OP, Chris Carmichael explains the recovery times for efforts and these are allowed for the in schedules.
He is your coach (albeit in book format), why would you not want to follow his advice?

Trust in the coach, and trust those that have done TCCP, when we say, 'rest'.

liquor box

I find that if I have had a really hard ride, the best thing I can do is the following day to go for a swim for an hour or so, this seems to refresh my legs more than doing nothing the next day.

I read somewhere that nobody has ever built muscle from exercise, it is the rest AFTER exercise that build muscle. Rest is important!

Muffintop

I usually do a little on my rest days if my legs are sore, walk a bit more or a slow pootle on the bike - not really breaking a sweat even. Loosens my legs off.

Mx

sagalout

Rest day - as the saying goes, don't stand when you can sit, don't sit when you can lie down, and never, ever go up stairs

doyler78

sagalout wrote:

Rest day - as the saying goes, don't stand when you can sit, don't sit when you can lie down, and never, ever go up stairs

So find a gym with lift and bench press then

topcattim

colinsmith123 wrote:

To the OP, Chris Carmichael explains the recovery times for efforts and these are allowed for the in schedules.
He is your coach (albeit in book format), why would you not want to follow his advice?

Trust in the coach, and trust those that have done TCCP, when we say, 'rest'.

Colin, I think that you, and perhaps a few others in this thread, may have misinterpreted the question I am trying to ask. I'm not asking how long I should rest between intervals. And I'm not wondering whether I should do a bit of gentle cycling on the days that the training plan has down for rest. I understand the point about the muscles needing a chance to recover, and that that is what leads to greater power and endurance.

I'm asking a different question. On the days that I should be resting my cycling muscles, does it cause any harm to use different muscles, through upper body weight training?