What is an "Active Recovery Week" in STS?

[Newwmn3]

Hi fellow Cathletes! I have almost reached the stage in STS (6 1/2 month program) where Cathe is telling me to "take an active recovery week". Can someone enlighten me as to exactly what this is and what is entails? I typically workout 6 days per week: 3 days of STS and 3 days of Hiit, Metabolic Hiit or some high-intensity kickboxing. Yoga on the 7th day. I can't imagine having no workouts for an entire week. I think I'd go batty! So can anyone help me figure out what this "active recovery week" should look like? And is it really necessary???

Thank you!

Christin

 

[MomInVT]

My understanding is that you take a full week off heavy lifting to give your muscles time to recover. So you could do your 3 cardios and then do a yoga practice (or take a walk or a cross-country ski or whatever) on the days when you'd otherwise be lifting. I think weights in the context of a metabolic/lighter circuit workout -- where weights are essentially just getting your heart rate up and adding a bit of toning -- would be fine (but probably not every day). Of course, you could also take a total rest/yoga week: sometimes it can be helpful to 'shock' your body with gentle kindness.
That's my impression -- others can chime in and correct me if I'm mistaken.
HTH,
Roz

 

[carolmcf]

I agree, you definitely still work out during active recovery week, some lower intensity can give you a variation. I found kickboxing workouts, and steady state cardio like step, running, or spinning could make a change from all of the high intensity interval training.

 

[lisa_la_machina]

What Roz and carolmcf said! For me the recovery week is all about changing the intensity in the cardio and, since I can't stay away from weights for an entire week, doing 1 or 2 circuit-style or total body/high rep weight workouts (no splits). I also do keep up the core work and add extra stretching.

I also use the recovery week to use some of the DVDs from other instructors that sit on my shelf collecting dust during the 3 STS Mesos (I typically use STS weights + Cathe cardio exclusively during the Mesos). It's a good time for me to revisit Kelly Coffey Meyer, Amy Bento, Tracey Staehle, Patrick G, and others.

Best of health and success during your STS journey. It's an incredible program.

Lisa

 

[nckfitheart2009]

Active week for me is no weight at all.

If you can not stay from resistance, I would suggest a very light resistance twice during the week.
Yoga, any form of stretching, walk, swimming etc...

Also it is the time to level down the intensity during cardio. No imax during that time.

 

[Newwmn3]

You ladies are the best! This helps me a ton and I am very glad to hear that I shouldn't feel like I "have to" take a week off from exercising completely. I will just have some fun mixing it up, trying some of the unopened workout DVDs I keep putting off doing because I adore Cathe so much and lay off the weights for a week. I have a feeling I will be totally craving getting back to STS long before the end of my active recovery.....

 

[nckfitheart2009]

You ladies are the best! This helps me a ton and I am very glad to hear that I shouldn't feel like I "have to" take a week off from exercising completely. I will just have some fun mixing it up, trying some of the unopened workout DVDs I keep putting off doing because I adore Cathe so much and lay off the weights for a week. I have a feeling I will be totally craving getting back to STS long before the end of my active recovery.....

Trying out unopened workout is a great idea.
That is my plan next time I re-embark on STS.
That way I won't have the horrible feeling of not giving 100% while trying out new workout

 

[Cre']

I am on my second round of doing STS and I try to increase my Cardio more during that time. [emoji115][emoji41] I know the feeling of not wanting to not do anything for a week, that would drive me crazy.[emoji45]. However, the rest sometimes is what we need to completely re-energize.[emoji123].


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