It’s Springtime in the Las Vegas Valley. As temperatures start to creep up, you can observe outside plants, trees, and flowers starting to awaken from their brief winter slumber. It is recommended that you prune and cut back the overgrowth or dead parts of the bush to allow for more vibrant growth. The same holds true for backing down your training intensity periodically, so your body can then take a leap forward with new growth.
Every 4-5 weeks we back down the training intensity in our small group training at the studio. It is either welcomed with a smile as members enter and see a green sign posted with “Throttle Back”, (acknowledging a week of lower intensity workouts), or frowned upon, as some feel the lower intensity workouts will hinder their strides toward continued improvement. For those that fall into the latter, the following is for you.
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Recovery can be broken down into 2 categories, active and passive. Passive recovery is when the body is completely at rest. Active recovery is when you take a lower intensity approach to your exercise. Both are required. An example of a week that includes both may be as follows:
Monday High intensity interval training (HIIT) w/ resistance
Tuesday High intensity interval training (HIIT) w/ resistance
Wednesday Low intensity cardiovascular training (brisk walk or hike) or mobility work
Thursday High intensity interval training (HIIT) w/ resistance
Friday Rest day
Saturday High intensity interval training (HIIT) w/ resistance
Sunday Rest day
It should be noted that the HIIT workouts should be 25- 40 minutes in duration and the lower intensity workout can extend into 1 ½ hours in length.
Following the above example, you will still need to amplify recovery every 4-5 weeks where the HIIT workout intensity is diminished 10-15%. Due to the benefits gained from HIIT workouts (fat loss and strength improvements) many people tend to opt for those types of workouts. As with all good things, too much of any good thing is not positive in the long term.
The passive recovery days are beneficial for connective tissues (ligaments and tendons) and joints. Resistance training has a multitude of benefits, but if not monitored can cause disruptive damage to joints. One of the common signs of both over-training and over-usage is joint pain. Passive recovery days also play a role in mental recovery. I’m a big proponent of consistency with all exercise programs. I take a broad view and try to navigate people to look at their fitness in the long term. I also acknowledge that will-power is a muscle and, at times, requires rest and time to recover.
What you need to know about active recovery and performing exercises at a lower intensity is that the goals are to keep muscles flexible, elimination of toxins such as lactic acid from within the muscles, increase blood flow, and to help keep you on your routine. So even if you feel you are taking a step backwards, remember you will soon be able to open your stride and take bigger steps forward.
I’ll see you at the studio.