Rest days ??

[Lolken]

So i started my new routine at the gym based on information i have found on this site.

4 sets, 10 reps

Dead lifts, squats, bench press, pull ups, planks, and some other stuff i just felt like working in. I plan on doing this on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, because i cant hit the gym on Fri, Sat, or Sunday =( i will do push up, pull up/chin ups, planks, BW squats, ( BW deadlifts ?) on my weekends.

My question is .. that while im pretty sore today and know i should rest, is there anything i should be doing on my rest day, besides sitting on my booty ?

[bigm141414]

Mobility WOD

Some good stuff to get you more stretchy. Also, walking or jogging can be done too as long as you don't go over board. And bodyweight stuff too is good again as long as it is not over done.

[Loren Wade]

Bigm said exactly what I was gonna say. MobilityWOD and walking.

[Lolken]

sweet thanks guys =)

[tigersheart]

and play...don't forget to go play, whatever that is for you. Don't make it a work out, but climb something, light jog, walk, some light sports that you enjoy maybe?

[This is Seth]

Video games... and that mobility stuff. But mostly video games.

[JanObe]

Video games... and that mobility stuff. But mostly video games.

This made me laugh... but then I remembered that the Wii and Kinect XBox have games to make you more mobile. Hmmm... not a bad idea

[batty1of3]

yah that alwasy gets me too on rest days i have no idea what to do with myself

[Oklibrarian]

I work out at 6 AM (if I don't it doesn't happen) so on my rest day (Monday) I sleep in an hour. However I might start rising at my workout time on Mondays to clean house and/or do mobilityWOD or a Yoga video (Netflix instant has a few). That's a beast for the next challenge though.

[alice-on]

I was just riding my bike a bit for fun on rest days, but after my body adapted to the new workout and stopped being so sore I started doing interval running on alternate days, with one day during the week to do technically nothing (or ride my bike). Being sore right now means you should probably just take your days off and let your muscles repair. I would ease into the extra stuff.

[Oklibrarian]

Yeah, the definition of a rest day is to rest. Any activity should be considered optional--listen to your body.

[Lolken]

so i wasn't expecting to be more sore today... i don't want to, but i feel like i may need to rest today also.

I can barely walk, i couldn't imagine trying to lift!! is this common, to be so sore for two days? Its really showing that i never work out my lower body.

[bigm141414]

so i wasn't expecting to be more sore today... i don't want to, but i feel like i may need to rest today also.

I can barely walk, i couldn't imagine trying to lift!! is this common, to be so sore for two days? Its really showing that i never work out my lower body.

Common with people who are newish to lifting or who went too hard the last time out.

Honestly it gets better the more you lift. There are times when i have gone to the gym sore but afterwards left great because the weight stretched out all my sore muscles in a way that resting couldn't.

[airen123]

lI do ow intensity cardio for me on rest days-I lift heavy 2-3x a week. light jogging, elliptical are fine. I do feel the sore when I do HIIT stuff on "rest days".

[Lolken]

Common with people who are newish to lifting or who went too hard the last time out.

Honestly it gets better the more you lift. There are times when i have gone to the gym sore but afterwards left great because the weight stretched out all my sore muscles in a way that resting couldn't.

if i do go today.. which i really want to.. should i keep the weight the same as on Monday ? or take down a notch? i want results haha.

[airen123]

don't do the same exercises if you're wanting to go hard...add weight by the week, not every time you work out...your body has to get used to the resistance... just my opinion.

[Lolken]

don't do the same exercises if you're wanting to go hard...add weight by the week, not every time you work out...your body has to get used to the resistance... just my opinion.

I don't want to add weight ha ha.. not today.. but technically, i'm wondering if i should keep with the same weight or reduce. I will probably do the same routine to get used to it. like what are the rules with reducing weight ? should you ever do it ? Usually i would never reduce, but im sore and dont know the proper thing to do =) Right now i'm thinking that I will keep it the same as monday, weight and reps, and do what i can.

[rtalencar]

if i do go today.. which i really want to.. should i keep the weight the same as on Monday ? or take down a notch? i want results haha.

What are your goals? What are you trying to acheive?

[airen123]

I keep it at the same when I'm sore. don't reduce...think of it as stretching out the sore. but only if it's a "feel so good sore", not the kind where it really is painful.

[Lolken]

What are your goals? What are you trying to acheive?

tone, and well developed everything ha ha.. my immediate goal is to get this routine down, eliminate the soreness, and start to add weight to my dead lifts and squats.

[Lolken]

I keep it at the same when I'm sore. don't reduce...think of it as stretching out the sore. but only if it's a "feel so good sore", not the kind where it really is painful.

Thanks for the advice airen123!! .. I think your right.. We will see where it gets me. One good thing I noticed is that when i stretch the pain goes almost completely away.. until i sit back down at my desk and get all stiff again haha.

[rtalencar]

I'm just a voice on the internet, so take my non-expert advice with a grain of salt:

1) Tone: this has a lot more to do with your diet than it does with your workout plan (although lifting is important). To 'tone' you want to decrease your bodyfat and maintain what muscle you do have. Eat at a calorie deficit, and make sure you get adequate protein and fat (send me a PM if you want more detail). To maintain--and in some select cases build a small amount of-muscle while eating at a deficit you need to engage in resistance training. You're working on getting into a groove with a workout plan now, make sure your diet is solid and you'll reach this goal in time.

2) Increase weight to squat and deadlift: Since you're not specifically geared towards increasing muscle mass (you'd need to go through a bulk cycle to do that most effectively anyhow), your goal here is a strength increase. If you like 4 sets of 10, stick with what works for you, but I would suggest at least considering lower rep routines. Starting Strength and StrongLifts 5x5 are great programs and are well oriented towards increasing your lifts efficiently. They also work well in conjuction with a fat loss plan (albiet your gains will be much slower than someone eating at a surplus, for obvious reasons). 10 rep sets are more geared towards hypertrophy, which is great for increasing the visual aesthetics of your muscles but don't increase your raw strength quite as quickly.

You mention "Dead lifts, squats, bench press, pull ups, planks, and some other stuff".

Based on your constraints, in your position I would lift heavy Monday and Thursday. I'd still go to the gym on Wednesday (and on Tuesday actually) but would work on other things.

One option:

Monday - Squats 5x5, Bench Press 5x5, Deadlift 3x5

Tuesday - (Pushups, Pullups, Planks) in a circuit would be hardcore, Cardio (HIIT or steady or whatever, but I would probably go with lighter)

Wednesday - (Pushups, Pullups, Planks) in a circuit would be hardcore, Cardio (HIIT or steady or whatever, but I would probably go with lighter)

Thursday - Squats 5x5, Overhead Press 5x5, Pendlay Row 5x5

Friday-Sunday - Rest, Fun/Outdoor Exercise

A second option, which adds a hypertrophy session, I dunno about this one though:

Monday - Squats 5x5, Bench Press 5x5, Deadlift 3x5

Tuesday - (Pushups, Pullups, Planks) in a circuit would be hardcore, Cardio (HIIT or steady or whatever, but I would probably go with lighter)

Wednesday - (Pushups, Pullups, Planks) in a circuit would be hardcore, Cardio (HIIT or steady or whatever, but I would probably go with lighter)

Thursday - Squats 4x10, Bench Press 4x10, Deadlift 2x10

And finally, if you don't mind splitting up your workouts (this will take longer, as you'll need more time between exercises):

Monday - Squats 5x5, Bench Press 5x5, Overhead Press 5x5, Pushups, Planks

Tuesday - Deadlift 3x5, Pendlay Row 5x5, Pullups, Planks

Wednesday - Squats 5x5, Bench Press 5x5, Overhead Press 5x5, Pushups, Planks

Thursday - Deadlift 3x5, Pendlay Row 5x5, Pullups, Planks

Friday-Sunday - Rest, Cardio, Fun/Outdoor Exercise

All have strengths and weaknesses, the last is probably the most injury prone. The middle one misses some muscle groups. My personal favorite of the three would be the first, but it also could be improved. It's difficult having 4 days straight for lifting, but not impossible. Play with it, good luck.

[Lolken]

Thank you so much for the advice rtalencar .. i really appreciate it!!

I like your ideas and as with everything i get on the internet, it will be assimilated and made part of the collective haha. i sent you a PM =)

[This is Seth]

Common with people who are newish to lifting or who went too hard the last time out.

Honestly it gets better the more you lift. There are times when i have gone to the gym sore but afterwards left great because the weight stretched out all my sore muscles in a way that resting couldn't.

This is not entirely true.. Second day of being so sore I dreaded climbing the stairs to my room. Though a lot of that has to do with taking two weeks off.

I'm just saying; if you keep pushing your body, you'll continue to be sore. But, you'll grow to love it. And cherish it. And try to get that feeling back.

As for what to do, go work through it. If it's normal DOMS, like mine at the moment, the work you do will loosen up all your jibblets and make you feel a whole lot better. My session tonight sure did.

[Lolken]

This is not entirely true.. Second day of being so sore I dreaded climbing the stairs to my room. Though a lot of that has to do with taking two weeks off.

I'm just saying; if you keep pushing your body, you'll continue to be sore. But, you'll grow to love it. And cherish it. And try to get that feeling back.

As for what to do, go work through it. If it's normal DOMS, like mine at the moment, the work you do will loosen up all your jibblets and make you feel a whole lot better. My session tonight sure did.

That's exactly what I did.. It felt great for the first few hours after.. then, later in the evening and this morning i was sore again, but its getting better and stretching helps more today than it did yesterday.

Its just funny that i can barely walk my hams are so sore!! everything else i can deal with.. but damn going down stairs, i use the hand rails like an old woman.

this is what i get for never working my legs. i can deal haha.