Welcome to the "Keep it Simple Newsletter". With an unbelievable amount of information bombarding us from every direction these days, the goal of this weekly newsletter is to present a simple common sense tip that can be applied to your daily cycling.
Ride safe, strong and be healthy!
Rest versus Active Recovery
Simply put, you improve your fitness "as a result" of what you do, NOT what you do. That is a subtle difference but very important to understand. "As a result" implies resting your body and mind after applying stress. This is where fitness gains are realized.
Let's first define the terms that I use in your training program Active Recoveryand Rest, and then list some guidelines as to which one applies.
Active Recovery is taking an easy day, but still riding or in some cases, another sport.
Rest is completely off the bike or a complete day of rest from any sport.
And with most training approaches, every athlete is different and it depends on various factors. Here are some guidelines:
It's been my experience that most athletes need at least one day of total rest during the week. This is mostly driven by having to take a mental break and getting away from the bike.
How much you rest depends on a variety of factors like time of year, age, goals, and current level of fitness.
If you are feeling good, both mentally and physically, active recovery is preferred. It loosens your muscles up, gets the blood flowing and helps transition to a higher intensity workout the following day or days.
How long and how intense your active recovery is depends on a variety of factors like fitness level, goals, etc. For example, if you are starting your training up again, after a break, riding on those easy days is perferred.
One week may require rest, another may require active recovery. Again, it depends on where you in your training program and level of fitness.
Of course, each athlete is different. Next time we chat about your training, we can discuss when to apply each.
