Rest

“Jack, I’m lifting harder than ever, eating cleaner than ever, I went and picked up some BEAST products, and I’ve been reading the blogs.  I feel like I’m doing everything right.  But, I’m still just not seeing the results.” I think at some point in life everyone has felt like this, everything seems to be falling in place and your preparation is nearly flawless, but you can’t figure out why, at the end of the day, your numbers just aren’t adding up.  You still haven’t lost or gained that pound, you still haven’t broken your bench plateau.  So why is it, why aren’t your results adding up if everything else is nearly perfect? Although it may be different for everyone, most of the time, the reason you aren’t seeing the results is because you’re not resting enough.  You’re not letting your body recover fully.  If you’ve hit a plateau and you’re not seeing the results you think you should, take a minute to think and ask yourself these quick questions; when was your last rest day?  How much sleep have you been averaging nightly lately?  Have I had time to sit down and relax? On average, and I know this isn’t possible for everyone, but I get eight hours of sleep a night.  I need it too, if I don’t get enough sleep my whole day reflects it.  My mind will be foggy, I can be over emotional, my lifts don’t go well, and overall I just don’t feel like myself.  It’s important to recognize this and try to adjust to it.  If possible, the fix is easy, work on getting yourself to bed earlier.  You will perform better and more importantly feel better. Although more rest may not be the answer for everyone, it’s a good place to start.  Try not to consistently be lifting 7 days a week.  Take a day off here and there.  Even though I still have the mentality that I need to be doing something every day, I personally consider 5 days a week of heavy lifting, 3 on, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off, to be my favorite split.  Everyone is different, and even that might be too aggressive for some people but if you find yourself struggling or in a rut, try and take some time off.  Even though it may be the opposite of what you want to do, your body needs it.   Jack Burdick is majoring in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota and along with hisweightlifting workouts, he competes in marathons and ultra-marathons (50 mile races) and is looking to earn a Cross-Fit title or to be recognized with The World’s Fittest Man title which is reserved for an ultra endurance power athlete.