Do Your Resting

Sorry about the title.  It might not even be a phrase in English but I was going with a theme this week.  Anyway, to get the most out of your workouts, you need to rest.  Rest gives your body a chance to heal.  Hopefully, each day you are beating up your body a little bit.  Your weight training broke down your muscles.  Your cardio training broke down your muscles.  Your yoga broke down your muscles.  The only way for your muscles to heal is to rest them.  Your training isn't what makes you stronger, your body repairing your muscles is.  You need rest between sets and intervals.  You need between workouts.  You need rest at night.  You need to take a regular break in your regimen too; or at least take it easy.

Why Do You Need Rest

The harder you work, the more you break down or catabolize your muscles.  If you keep pushing them without giving them a chance to heal through rest will only lead to injury.  Rest allows the muscle to heal, stronger than ever. But it takes time.  Rest also helps you clear your mind and stay focused.  As you sleep, you also rest your brain.  You give it a break from all the stresses of the regular day and then you can come back better than ever.

How Much Rest

If you're just talking about rest between sets, that can be minimal, but you need a chance to get fluids and oxygen back in.  If you are talking about resting after a rough resistance workout, you should take off at least a whole day.  That means, if you work your chest on Monday, you shouldn't hit it again until at least Wednesday.  Over the long term, even with rest days, if you're working hard, your body will need a little longer break.

The Top 5 Reasons to Rest

1. Healing.  If you keep pushing your muscles day after day, they will just keep breaking down.  Rest gives your muscles a chance to heal.
2. Strengthening.  When muscles heal, the scar tissue makes them stronger.  When your muscles are stronger, you are a stronger person.
3. Relaxing.  Sometimes you just need to chill out.  Rest and relaxation go hand in hand.
4. Focusing.  Rest helps clear your mind.  When you get enough sleep, you let go of all of the stresses that are clogging your brain.  You'll be able to focus more on what you really need to be doing, including your workouts.
5. Growing.  The healing of your muscles' scar tissue is what causes them to grow.  If you keep breaking down your muscles, all you're doing is breaking them down.  If you give them a chance to heal, you give them a chance to grow.

Now that you understand why you need to rest and what it will do for you, plan it, schedule it, and

Get Your Rest!!!.