REST and RECOVERY

I've been fielding a lot of questions lately about how much rest you should get and how often you should train. So I figured I would take some time and explain a few things. One of the secrets behind why CrossFit works is the intensity level at which we workout. CrossFit will never become "EASY", but you will become more proficient at it. So if at any point what you are doing in the gym gets "EASY" you are not working hard enough and your intensity level is sub-par. There are many reasons why your intensity may be sub-par, nutrition, lack of sleep, lack of rest, etc. I will get into the other two at a later date. We have to let our body's rest and take a break from our intense training. I don't have an exact rest plan for everybody, but what I do recommend is to listen to your body, if you feel like you can't come into the gym and push yourself as hard as you did the day before, you most likely need a day off. Don't be the person who says "It hurts to train, I just don't feel it today, but I have to workout". Remember pain is different from the discomfort of training at intensity. We have to respect pain, so check your ego and let yourself recover and heal properly. Time off not only helps you recover physically but mentally as well, you can often come off of a rest and recovery period in a better and stronger mental state. Just remember rest and sleep are different, I will be posting an article about sleep soon as well. Rest days should be rest days, do not workout at all don't even think about training on your rest days. I hope that helped to clear up a few things, if you still have any questions please just ask.