Taking Days Completely off...No exercise!!!

[creedseebas]

So I'm relatively new to all this MMA stuf. I'd like to think that i have goo dwork ethic and i'm usually the guy pushing everyone else in th egym or in the dojo. I do have great self-discipline. Here's the thing though. I have been working out hard, at least twice a day for the last month or so and my body is just totally tired.

I decided to take 2-3 days off completely from anything that was exercise related. Just to give it some rest and time to recuperate from all this work. Now being how i am, i immediately questioning whther this is the smart thing to do, or if its just wussing out. I find mysef asking whether the pro's would be taking days off like i am. Cuz i know they take like one day off a week but i'm taking like 2 or 3 days off starting yesterday and ending tomorrow.

Is this acceptable if i just feel really tired form intense workouts twice a day everyday for like a month straight, or do i need to NEVER take this much break time again cuz it's just straight wussy?

[Rudy Richter]

Every once in a while you need to take a few days off, even if it's just to get your passion back.

[JT RIPPER]

in addition to the body needing rest and recovery, your CNS (central nervous system) needs a break as well. if you're pushing your body that hard, eventually you're gonna break. a professional athlete knows how hard to push himself but he will also know when to back off on the training. you have to learn the way your body works and figure out the right amount of rest you need during the week so that you never get into the situation you're in now. it'd be perfectly ok to take 1-2 days off per week. i'm assuming in addition to fight training, you're also doing some type of weights and/or cardio/conditioning work as well, right?

now, even after your 3 days off, if you dont feel ready to come back to training, thats still ok. basically, thats your body telling you that its not time to come back yet.

more questions...are you eating enough to support the kind of training you're doing? are you sleeping enough per night?

[Ian Coe]

You grow stronger when you rest.

If you've been killing yourself mentally and physically taking a rest will help to reset yourself and get the passion back (and help prevent niggling injuries become permanent ones)

[NeoOsiris]

Yeah its no big deal if you rest for a few days. I've taken the last 4 days off cause of some nagging injuries, let em heal and stuff. I usually take one full rest week like every two months to let everything heal and get me wanting to go back to the gym.

[Nihilistic]

its all about avoiding over training. take a couple days off and ull come back in better shape then before. just remember tho, eat properly on ur days of.

[creedseebas]

awesome.... actually i just went back into the gym today and i felt GOOD!!!!

i've been dealing with shin splints cuz i guess i'm still getting used to the type of conditioning this fighting life leads but fo rthat i've just switched up my exercises a bit so to allow fo rthat to heal while i still kick my butt in the workouts. Thanks for all the advice!

[Girljock]

Rest is a good thing...and shouldn't be though of as whimping out....or weak. Unless of course.....you rest is about three months long

[TXTAPOUT]

i would say with doing that much you should probably take one day off every week to just chill and relax. this will allow your body to heal properly and allow you to keep plugging away at the gym like you continue to do.