ConLaV’s BodyBlog

One of the things I have found that has gained more and more salience as a component of training and attaining ones goals has been blocking everything else out, and listening to your body. Since I have been training… whether it was sports in high school/college, or developing an aesthetic physique, I have never been good at knowing when to take a step back, even a little one. Improvement in this area comes with experience, and most of us are naturally this way, but it can come back and kick our ass if we neglect these signals. I usually will read something about athletes taking planned rest, or make sure to take a week off here and there. I always just said… YOU’LL KNOW when you need time off!, why plan rest when you may not need it? Well I think now it is a combination of both, whereas pushing through the end of the week when you literally feel like you could croak at any minute might be the best thing to bring about a new level you never thought you had. I also hear a lot about guys taking a planned rest period long enough to provide a break and guarantee total recovery… they also find that same new level of intensity… and some shattered personal records in the process. This is also something I’ve never experimented with because I always firmly believed that if your nutrition is under control and insurmountable levels of stress are absent, recovery is not an issue. Even when I go on vacations with my family I can’t seem to relax for more than a day… (when its a house on an Island with no cars, no stores, just beach and ocean- all you can do is RELAX)…But I digress. I think there comes a time when being so attached to a vision, a game plan, a hobby you love that keeps you healthy… can turn unhealthy if you’re not careful. What’s my point? I went in the gym a few months ago when these topical feelings were still lingering, and consequently…felt completely detached. I can’t tell you how many times myself, or people I know have talked about feeling really off that day, got to the gym regardless… and turned it into one of the best days in the gym they could remember. Happens a lot. There’s nothing I like better than crushing those negative thoughts with some heavy ass weight and making something of it. However, it was wasn’t like that last time. So I made the choice as I planned on taking this week off to allow for total recuperation, nothing was coming back… and I knew progress would only be stalled. This game is about improvement, no matter how small the increment, being stubborn and unresponsive to warning signs will only cause a setback in the end.