Rest & Recovery Conclusion

My first week back into the gym is finished. After taking 7 days off from all training, I decided to slowly get back into my routine instead of rushing back into it. As for the results, I felt that my muscle endurance and cardio had dropped off. It took a few sessions to get back into the same level of training intensity I was training with prior to taking a break. My weight quickly shot back up to 225 LBS. Day by day each muscle group started to fill out nicely. I definitely noticed my chest and abs benefitted the most from the time off. I feel they may have benefitted the most because they have gone through a lot of strenuous workouts over past half year. I feel my physique has really peaked this week. I would strong recommend resting your body and allowing it to fully recover. Often times a few days is not enough to recover. Sure your weight is bound to drop, but remember that is majority WATER WEIGHT, that will all come back within the first few workouts. I found the results were so beneficial to the body and mind that I have decided to adapt a new strategy to my training. I plan to take a week off to rest the body every 6 months of intense training. This will help break through future plateaus. I cannot suggest how important is it to listen to your body and let it rest/recover every once and while. You will be pleasantly surprised with the results.