What Recovery Week Is and Is Not –
Recovery Week is:
· A time for rest to repair connective tissue and restore testosterone and cortisol levels (Elevated cortisol levels can INHIBIT weight loss.)
· A great way to improve the way the mind and body are feeling and break through plateaus
· Can help reduce inflammation in the body which could help reduce the likelihood of developing many of the common –itis’s.
Recovery Week is NOT:
· A Week Off. Recovery Week is and can be challenging in many ways other than going heavy and hard. Going out on your own on this week to continue training may only impede your progress. If you’re sore and tired going into a new phase, the likelihood of you being able to give your all is decreased.
· A fad. Deload weeks and recovery programs are incorporated in all strength and conditioning programs. Any program that is designed to help you improve strength and lose weight will have scheduled recovery days to allow your body to heal. You get stronger from recovering from your workouts. During a workout, you’re tearing and breaking down muscle so if you don’t give your body the adequate rest and nutrition, your progress will suffer.
How we deload in our program?
· Reduced volume and intensity – By shorten the length of your workouts and incorporating more soft tissue work and stretching, we decrease the amount of work being done in a session. For some this may sound counterproductive, but remember, progress is made over weeks, months and years, not from one workout. Patience is one of the most important qualities in building strength.
· Increased soft tissue and mobility work – If our bodies cannot get into certain positions, we cannot strengthen them. As adults who enjoy training hard, we are battling against hours of bad habits. Working at the computer, driving, texting, watching tv, standing at our kids’ games, etc. all can contribute to movement dysfunction. If a movement, like a squat, is painful or lacks range of motion, we should not and cannot load this pattern effectively to build strength and burn calories.
· Consistency – Every fifth week is a recovery week. This pattern holds true to allow us to build through a phase, recover, and start again. Remember, we said you don’t get stronger from your workout, it’s recovering from that workout. Do you ever notice that when you’re rested and not sore, your workouts are BETTER? That’s the goal behind recovery week. If you’re always tired and sore, you won’t make the progress you’re looking for.
2017 Recovery Template Explained:
Mobility Monday –
Mobility is the ability to move a limb through the full range of motion with control. Monday’s during recovery week will help to restore and enhance the mobility needed to perform movements used in our program. From squatting to pressing, adequate range of motion is necessary to load movements. Monday’s session will include foam rolling, stretching and mobility work. Groups will be lead through a series of movements working improve movement quality, joint strength and body control.
Sweat and Stretch / Yoga Tuesday –
Tuesday’s will combine foam rolling, stretching and conditioning to get your sweating and moving better by the end of the hour. Starting with foam rolling and stretching, the hour will build in intensity to include Animal Flow, bodyweight exercises and light conditioning.
Individuals looking for a traditional yoga class can also choose attend Yoga with Caitlin at 6PM.
Mobility & Movement Wednesday –
Wednesday’s will offer light strength training mixed with mobility work. You’ll be certain to feel the burn on Wednesday’s. One way to Deload is lower the volume and amount of weight used during a workout, so during this workout you’ll still see plenty of the same movements during a typical strength day. As you move through a circuit of exercises, you’ll be given active recovery work between rounds to keep the body recovering adequately while still giving you the burn you want!
Cardio Core Thursday –
Thursday’s will combine conditioning movements with core exercises. Each circuit will push you and time between sets of exercises will be filled with active recovery. The intensity ramps up as the week is coming to a close, so be prepared for a challenging session, but with just enough recovery work to provide you with what you need.
Density Circuit Friday –
Friday’s workout will be a full body workout similar to a typical strength day with simply less total load. You’ll have 30 minutes to complete as many rounds of the circuit as possible, all with proper form of course. Sweat, burn calories and feel recharged after this 30 minute session.
Saturday's Challenge –
Saturday’s will feature new challenge workouts, along with a few of your favorites from the past. Choose one 20 minute workout from the choices provided, crush it and get your mind right for the new phase coming up on Monday!
Still need some additional information on the benefits of recovery? Check out these resources…
Current Popular Fitness Magazine…
http://www.oxygenmag.com/article/rest-recovery-results-9835
Awesome resource for Women and Strength Training…
https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/blog/recovery/deconstructing-the-de-load/
Science…
http://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/jnp.10.2.230a
