This week I decided to take a short break from the gym and spend time with my family for reading break. For exercise I went for walks with my mom and friends. The weather was super nice so it was great to get outside and get some fresh air. I went to the gym on Bowen Island once and did back and biceps. I went with a partner who was able to help me with my form on certain exercises, in particular half-kneeling cable vertical rows. Instead of pulling straight down, they instructed me to pull down while pulling my shoulder back. I was definitely about to feel the difference. It made the exercise tougher but I know I will get better results doing it this way.
Since I was using a different gym with different equipment, you will notice that I was only able to lift half the amount of weight I am normally able to lift. This is simply due to the machines being different. I was discouraged at first but my partner put my mind at ease by explaining that I am not weaker, I am just using a machine that is built differently than the one I am used to using.
I was worried that taking a week off would make me weaker and that somehow my muscles would forget how to lift as much weight as I have been able to. The truth is that rest days and time off from the gym will not make your muscles shrink, but it is actually important for muscle growth. Healthy Buffs: Making gains with your rest days by Health and Wellness Services from the University of Colorado Boulder shows that strenous activity can cause muscle breakdown. When we take rest days, we are giving our bodies the chance to build the muscle back up. If we do not take rest days, we are delaying our progress and may not see the results we want.
The article also found that rest days allow our bodies to replenish glycogen levels. Glycogen gives us energy and when we exercise, our glycogen levels decrease. If we do not give our bodies time to rest we do not refill this energy source. This causes us to feel tired and weak. If we feel this way during our workouts, we will not perform to the best of our abilities and will not see any progress.
Friday
- Lat pull downs (42.5lb different machine) 4 sets of 8
- Cable row (42.5lb) 4 sets of 8
- Straight arm bent over pull down (35lb different machine) 4 sets of 8
- Half-kneeling cable vertical row (30lb different machine) 4 sets of 8
- Bicep curls (20lb x 2) 1 set of 5, (15lb x 2) 3 sets of 10
Sources:
Healthy Buffs: Making gains with your rest days. (2018). Retrieved 1 March 2022, from https://www.colorado.edu/today/2018/11/13/healthy-buffs-making-gains-your-rest-days
Below is a video of me doing proper half-kneeling cable pull downs, as well as a picture from a sunset walk I took while on Bowen Island.
kalianaewaskow
March 11, 2022 — 8:43 am
Love to see it.
Great work adding your video in! It must have been nice to have exercised with a partner who can give advice/suggestions on specific movements. Being on Bowen Island would have been so beautiful this week, the weather was fantastic. I also enjoyed your research involving fitness and glycogen levels. I didn’t know much about this so I’m glad you included it.