When I am programming training I have two distinct schedules that I work off of. I first have my scheduled program which if done straight equals 10 workouts a week.
Let me be the first to tell you that that is an insane workload and I don’t recommend it to anyone. I’m also a little crazy but that’s another story…
The second biggest variable to my training program is my rest cycles.
I follow a strict 3 days on, 1 day off protocol that is independent of of my training.
What does this mean? I have a workout programmed for every single day of the week, with two-a-days set for three of those days. So as it stands Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday, now, through the next six weeks.
Now lets look at this through the lens of three days on and one day off. So 3 weeks of programming now looks like this: Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Rest-Friday-Saturday-Sunday-Rest-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Rest-Saturday-Sunday-Monday-Rest-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Rest-Sunday, and so on through the 6 week cycle.
This does a number of things for me.
- It cuts my weekly workouts from ten down to 6-7, a much more manageable number
- It forces me to take recovery more seriously knowing that that is what these cycles are for.
- It keeps my mind fresh. This rotating work/rest cycle has no scruples, some weeks it cuts my two-a-days, other weeks it cuts the easiest workouts, but knowing I get a day off keeps me actively involved with it.
- It gives me time for my second great love which is golf.
Working every day is retarded. Working Smart is better for you and your state of mind.
Photo credit: Foter.com