As you plan out your training over the week, how many days do you set aside to not include a workout? (Does that seem a little ironic? It sure isn't!)
A phrase we embody at THP is "an athlete can only perform as well as they are recovered." That means you don't have to emphasize GO GO GO all the time – allow yourself time to rest for your body to adapt!
In fact without appropriate rest, you might actually be working against all your training efforts.
To start, the importance of sleep cannot be overemphasized. Not only as an athlete, but also as a growing human, your body requires 7-9 hours of sleep. It's during sleep when your muscles are really able to repair themselves to adapt to grow faster and stronger.
Next are the increased nutrition demands while you're training. What you eat and put into your body literally become the building blocks for every part of your body, so why not build your body with only the finest materials? In order for your body to perform at an elite level, you need to fuel appropriately – that means eating enough to keep your gas tank full as well as choosing high-quality foods to keep your motor running efficiently. The more you train, the more you need to eat!
Both sleep and nutrition contribute to recovery to keep your body strong. On the flip side, not honoring your recovery needs and pushing it too hard can lead to decreased gains or even injury risk. Take care of your body and become a resilient athlete with at least 2 rest days in the week. You can also adapt your workouts based on how recovered you feel and how full your battery is. Read more about that here!
Ask us more about recovery! We're here to support you and optimize your performance!
Team THP
