So, what about your rest days?

My priority is traithlon performance. I do no weight training. And I SBR more like 3/3/5 (or 3/3/6 or 3/4/5 or something like that). Rest is important. Whether that means a "rest day" is less important. It may, or it may not, require a "day". And it may, or may not, need to be regular (weekly, etc). I prefer to take my rest days when I happen to need them (either for "other commitments" or because "my body needs it").

If you like to do other activities (like tennis), you just have to see how it fits into your schedule and how much added rest it may require from other training activities.

Here is my two cents. A rest day for me is no strenuous type of exercise, especially S/B/R. On rest days I will play catch with the kids, bump a volleyball, shoot some hoops, but nothing that gets my heart rate up. I don't weight train at all, but do some sit ups and obliques when watching TV.

I found that if I train 6 days a week, I am always fatigued and the generally quality of my workouts suffer. I am still following the same training plan, but have moved some workouts to double up whenever possible to make sure I train 5 and rest 2 days a week. For me, it has worked well.

A rest day is exactly that, a day of rest... no lifting etc. You need to let your body recover to take advantage of the training your putting in, and you need to take care of life so that doesn't get in the way of training.

I really try to get in a rest day once a week. If not than I try to make sure the day I am supposed to rest is a day with lighter workouts. Life just pops up and messes with training once in a while so I just make those adjustments. If you are training enough though you will tend to look forward to the rest day you have scheduled.

The rest days are also those mental days that help you stay focused. So really do try to put them in.

Your body will tell you when you need a rest day or maybe even a few, Ignore it at your own peril, ignoring it will usually result in a rest anyway due to some form of injury. A rest day should be Just that No Strenious Physical activety period if possible at least in My book. I sometimes go 2 ,3 weeks with out taking a rest day and then I might take 2 or 3 rest days in the same week sometimes, it all depends how I am feeling and what the Boss Is telling me about his condition today. I try to be as flexable with my training as I can as well, It is not written in stone that tuesday is run day, or wed is swim & bike day, Ect,Ect,
some weeks I might get 4 swims, 3 bikes & 2 runs, the next it might be 4 runs, 2 bikes , and, 2 swims, the week after it could be 5 swims 3 bikes and no runs, as long as the averages are working out similar over a month or two, I figure that's OK.

Edited by RRH_88 2013-05-20 2:52 PM

If I feel the need for a rest day I work out in the morning of one day and then not until the afternoon oif the next.....there ....36 hours...rest.

thanks for the input guys

I quite like the idea of working AM one day and not working until PM/evening of the next. That gives almost 36 hours break between workouts

If i adjust my schedule carefully, i think i can include one or even 2 of those per week

I typically have a busy schedule and quite honestly its more stressful to me to have to squeeze in 2-3 workouts on my busier days so I can a "rest day" on my busiest day that gives me no rest at all. I do have a coach and I have been at this a long time now. my "rest day" is a day with a lighter workout and only one workout. Learn to listen to your body and do what makes you happy ad works well with your life

I typically take one "rest" day per week. (in quotes because I have a very active job and live in a developing country with no car, thus lots of errands on foot. The only time I truly rest is occasionally on vacation and when I'm really sick!) Fridays I usually don't swim/bike/run. I usually do a strength workout, but it's mostly maintenance/injury prevention stuff rather than lifting that would make me sore. Occasionally if I'm feeling sore or it's really hot, I'll do an easy swim of 1000-1500m. It's not a "workout", just a leisurely cooloff. I often use the extra time to catch up on work from the week or plan the next week. And sometimes I just go have a beer. Friday "off" works for me as owing to job demands, traffic, pool hours, and climate, ALL my long workouts (SBR) are on the weekend (long run and long swim Saturday, long ride and usually brick run Sunday). Then I don't train again until a Monday PM swim workout. It works for me. YMMV