November 29, 2007 by jleeger.

Rest and Recovery, or Recuperation.

This is one of the most important acute variables to consider in a workout program.  Just as the rest between sets determines the effect of a particular workout, the rest between workouts will determine the overall training effect.  Too much rest with very little stress, and you won’t see any results.  Too little rest with too much stress, and you’ll suffer from overtraining.

While it’s tough to “overtrain” with bodyweight alone, it is possible.  The 5-minute Burpee Challenge, done several days in a row, is enough to burn out most people quickly.

The key here, is to listen to your body.  It knows when it needs to rest.  Pay attention to nagging aches and pains, and take a day off.  Take a hot bath or get a massage.  Go for peaceful walks in the woods (in a circle).

The muscular system is not the only thing that suffers from too much stress.  The nervous system suffers as well (they’re all really just one system - YOU).  Your brain needs a break from time to time.  I know that tradition is against this, but I really feel like this applies to my Bagua practice as well.  When I practice continually for months, and then take a week off from practice, I come back fresher, and usually with a greater sense of the movements I’m performing.  I feel like the time off gives me perspective on what I’m doing.  I could be wrong, though!  And what works for me isn’t for everyone else…

Anyway, have fun with your training, but listen to your body.  Take the time to rest when you need it.  It will help you in the long run.

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November 29, 2007 by jleeger.

First, the workout:

20 burpees

Max bodyweight rows

Max pushups

Max chinups (palms facing you - if you can’t do this, do underhand bodyweight rows)

Max dips

Max bicycle situps

Repeat 4x, then do

Side plank - 1 minute ea side x 3

Prone superman - 1 minute x 3

George mentioned that he’s focused a lot on pre-hab/re-hab these days.  I think most of us over the age of 30 are in that boat, having had injuries in the past that nag us or threaten to, and in general not recuperating as quickly from things as we did in our teens and twenties.

There are so many types of pre-hab/re-hab out there, it’s impossible to sum up.  One of the easiest and most accessible forms for both pre-hab and re-hab is massage.

If you can’t afford to get a massage on a regular basis (and I don’t know anyone who can), you can experience some of the benefits by working on yourself.  The best time to do this is right after a workout.  You can sit down and just start kneading your flesh from head to toe.  If you find sensitive or sore spots, use your best judgment.  If it feels like a knot, work on it a little more.  If it feels sore because of muscular stress (working out), be gentle, it’s trying to heal.

If you want to go a step further, invest in a foam roller - http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_4279_A_CategoryID_E_363

There are plenty of instructions you can find online for using them.  Essentially, you roll different parts of your body along the roll, which massages your muscles.  It’s good stuff.

Another good tool for pre-hab/re-hab are bands.  They’re basically rubber tubes attached to handles.  They provide instability around whatever joint you’re using them with, causing the stabilizing muscles for that joint to work harder, and your CNS to learn how to stabilize the joint more effectively.  Any “unstable” form of training is good for this - pushups on a stability ball, practice on uneven ground, whatever…

The thing to remember is, with pre/re-hab tools, the goal is pre/re-hab, it is NOT to get super strong doing those movements.  Stabilizing muscle groups and their accompanying tendons and ligaments around a joint are generally very delicate and sensitive.  The last thing you want to do is damage them while you’re trying to help yourself.  So go light, and be moderate.

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