With summer approaching, gym bros and gals are in full swing with their no excuses content. And whilst that’s sometimes needed to make meaningful progress in the gym, there’s a time and place. Powering through when your body’s asking for a break isn’t hardcore – it’s stupid.
If you’re wondering when to sack the gym for a day or two, here are the signs you need to watch out for:
Illness
No one likes being ill, especially when we’ve got abs and biceps to build. Still, pushing through with the gym whilst ill won’t help. It’s likely to make things a lot worse. Your body needs all that time to rest and recover, not running around waiting for someone who’s had ‘two sets left for about an hour.
Mental Exhaustion
Getting in shape requires a healthy dose of mental focus. Maintaining the right form and all requires staying in the zone, something that’s quite hard to do if your brain’s just not up to it. When day-to-life creeps in, leaving you mentally (and physically tired), rest up, safe in the knowledge that it’s okay not to be okay. Plus, the gym’s not exactly going anywhere – so relax a bit, okay?
Plateaus or poor performance
Allow me to set the scene: everything seems like it’s going on track. You’re getting your protein in, progressively lifting more and more each week. Hell, you’re even getting the recommended snooze time a night (is it 7 or 8 hours?). But then suddenly, it all stops. Doing more of the same won’t help. Listen to your body – take a little break.
Constant injuries
Injuries are an unavoidable part of a physically active lifestyle. Carrying one isn’t a sign of bravery. It’s stupidity. If your particular niggle doesn’t cause any specific pain, then fine – plough through. But if it does, pushing through will only make things work. So that break, you’re worth it.
Taking a break: deload or cold turkey
The easiest way to take a break from the gym… is to take a break from the gym. Quitting cold turkey’s hard – but it works. Going gymless for a week or two can do wonders for your rest and recovery. Whislt you’re away, continue to eat and sleep well.
If you find yourself unable to stay away, take time to deload. Basically, perform the same workouts – but decrease the load and intensity. Use less weight, do fewer sets – just do less.
Also, ditch the guilt
Taking time out to prevent mental and physical burnout is part of the circle of life. Forget the stupid hashtags and endless motivational talk – and stop feeling guilty. And trust me, your progress won’t disappear.
Ditch the guilt and rest, it’s never that deep.
Once you’re back – here’s everything you need to know about structuring your training split.