honeybunch1
Cathlete
RE: Recovery Week Ideas
Back to this finally - it's 2:15AM and I have some time:
I don't actually plan recovery weeks - I don't even do rotations, I just mix it up all the time, or did when I was doing taped weight workouts. What I do now that seems to prevent the need for "recovery" is to do 6 days of cardio, at least 2 or 3 of which are very intense (by that I mean my own Ciruit Training classes which leave one panting on the floor and maybe one Cathe or Christi Taylor step tape) and the other days I walk, but I walk at a fast pace and walk hills - no leisurely walks for me!
Here's the most important part, IMO, when you walk, listen to music that energizes you. In my case, that's Southern Gospel, in particular, XM Channel Enlighten 34. I walk for an hour (a long walk is key) - I really do get a "walker's high" and find my stress is relieved. Walk so that when you're done you're sweating, so it's not a wimpy walk. Walk to the beat of the music and get lost in it so you're concentrating more on the music than the actual walk, just don't let yourself slow down.
The moral of this is: don't kill yourself with intense cardio all week, but do get moving no matter what. If you don't have a pedometer, you may want to consider getting one and only use it on your "recovery" weeks to make sure you're still getting enough activity to prevent weight gain. That old 10,000 steps measurement is a good goal to strive for.
I used to mix weight training tapes - heavy and endurance types mixed up in the same week. I adhere to the notion that you should do a different workout every time you venture into your workout area. This really lessens burn-out and boredom.
It's also good to give yourself what I call an "exercise vacation," which means no planned workouts (for me that's about every 7-8 weeks), just move enough to get in your 10,000 steps per day. During that week, no weight training. And don't worry about turning into a Pillsbury Dough person at that time because during that week, you need to really pay attention to your eating - portion control, and lots of fiber, which your should be doing anyway. Increasing your fiber intake will really help your weight loss and it's going to help keep you full longer.
I don't know if you were looking for something more specific, but this is what I know works from personal experience. I tell the people I work with that what I give them is the result of years of trial and error, and I'm saving them time so they don't have to fumble around seeing what works and what doesn't. I work primarily with women, and I have the same problem areas every women does so I'm my own best guinea pig!
Hope this helps.
"You can't win them all - but you can try." - Babe Zaharias http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/musik/music-smiley-004.gif[/img]
Back to this finally - it's 2:15AM and I have some time:
I don't actually plan recovery weeks - I don't even do rotations, I just mix it up all the time, or did when I was doing taped weight workouts. What I do now that seems to prevent the need for "recovery" is to do 6 days of cardio, at least 2 or 3 of which are very intense (by that I mean my own Ciruit Training classes which leave one panting on the floor and maybe one Cathe or Christi Taylor step tape) and the other days I walk, but I walk at a fast pace and walk hills - no leisurely walks for me!
Here's the most important part, IMO, when you walk, listen to music that energizes you. In my case, that's Southern Gospel, in particular, XM Channel Enlighten 34. I walk for an hour (a long walk is key) - I really do get a "walker's high" and find my stress is relieved. Walk so that when you're done you're sweating, so it's not a wimpy walk. Walk to the beat of the music and get lost in it so you're concentrating more on the music than the actual walk, just don't let yourself slow down.
The moral of this is: don't kill yourself with intense cardio all week, but do get moving no matter what. If you don't have a pedometer, you may want to consider getting one and only use it on your "recovery" weeks to make sure you're still getting enough activity to prevent weight gain. That old 10,000 steps measurement is a good goal to strive for.
I used to mix weight training tapes - heavy and endurance types mixed up in the same week. I adhere to the notion that you should do a different workout every time you venture into your workout area. This really lessens burn-out and boredom.
It's also good to give yourself what I call an "exercise vacation," which means no planned workouts (for me that's about every 7-8 weeks), just move enough to get in your 10,000 steps per day. During that week, no weight training. And don't worry about turning into a Pillsbury Dough person at that time because during that week, you need to really pay attention to your eating - portion control, and lots of fiber, which your should be doing anyway. Increasing your fiber intake will really help your weight loss and it's going to help keep you full longer.
I don't know if you were looking for something more specific, but this is what I know works from personal experience. I tell the people I work with that what I give them is the result of years of trial and error, and I'm saving them time so they don't have to fumble around seeing what works and what doesn't. I work primarily with women, and I have the same problem areas every women does so I'm my own best guinea pig!
Hope this helps.
"You can't win them all - but you can try." - Babe Zaharias http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/musik/music-smiley-004.gif[/img]
