Are days off essential?

[Ducatista]

I've picked up the pace a bit since the HC and am now at 220K for January. I've been erging 7 days/week (I did skip one day). My general routine is a single hour-long session each weekend day, and two half-hour sessions on weekdays, morning and after work.

I'm rowing at low-to-moderate intensity as I don't really care about my times, I'm just in it to burn fat and tone up—which is why I'm posting this in the Weight Loss forum instead of in Training. If I'm feeling frosty I'll pull as close as I can to my max for the first twelve strokes of each song, but that's all the further I'll push it.

Do I need to take the occasional day off, or can I erg every day? If you're thinking, duh, of course you need rest days, then I submit this: walking is my primary mode of transportation (the bike is purely recreational ), and I don't feel the need to take rest days from that.

Thoughts?

[leehamster]

I don't know what your base was before the Holiday Challenge, but I'm guessing from your question that this was a big step up in volume of C2 rowing.

I personally think it's healthy to have some variety of exercise besides rowing. Even when I was 18, lots of rowing would make me creaky. More so now. Overuse injuries creep up on you, and if not respected, can take you out of action for weeks.

But YMMV. So listen to your body -- if your lower back, or knees, or whatever hurt consistently, give yourself at least a day off. If you have a vacation scheduled (ski weekend, whatever), that can be a good break. My strategy is to run or climb stairs or do yoga instead of rowing at least a couple of days a week.

[PaulS]

While I think it's psychologically good to have a couple days away from the Erg each week, as suggested YMMV.

As long as you don't confuse "recovery" with "days off", and still manage to recover even while Erging every day, you should be just fine. I'm a big fan of active recovery, i.e. a sub maximal workout will help to speed recovery better than a complete day off, IMO.

[Bob S.]

If you have a vacation scheduled (ski weekend, whatever), that can be a good break.

Freudian slip? I suppose that it depends on what gets broken on a ski weekend.

Bob S.

[Ducatista]

I'm a big fan of active recovery, i.e. a sub maximal workout will help to speed recovery better than a complete day off, IMO.

Perfect! Sub-maximal is how I roll. On the erg, anyway.

Walking's my only other exercise to speak of, but I hoof it every day, so at least I have a little variety.

Thanks for your responses!

[michaeln]

Perfect! Sub-maximal is how I roll. On the erg, anyway.

Sub-maximal is pretty much the story of my life!

[albailey]

"Sub-Maximal" would make a great band name!

i find if i try to go 7 days a week on the rower i burn out and
start to make excuses not to row. i'm now a pretty steady m-f 5 days
a week rower. the weekend will include hiking, bike rides, tennis, etc.,
but i usually stay off the rower.

oh, that 'm-f' should be 'monday thru friday' - al.

p.s. ann, did you have a goal in mind when you started the january challenge?
i was shooting for 10k/day, which is a bit more than i did for the
holiday challenge. i'm still hoping to hit it, but time's running out!

[Ducatista]

"Sub-Maximal" would make a great band name!

Ha, I had the very same thought.

p.s. ann, did you have a goal in mind when you started the january challenge? i was shooting for 10k/day, which is a bit more than i did for the holiday challenge. i'm still hoping to hit it, but time's running out!

My JVC goals were more loosely defined:
- stay at or near my HC meters (which for me was the bare HC minimum... I finished the challenge w/200,030 meters )
- contribute measurably to the RPRG team total

I've done pretty well on both counts! The JVC meters board is a good motivator. I'm hoping that, once January's over and I've got 2+ months of the erg habit under my belt, I can maintain that m-f pace (and I don't mean Mon-Fri ) without the challenge board feedback.

Bonus benefit of the JVC: I'm less than 12K away from the 3 million mark. What do I get—a pair of socks or something? Guess I should check on that.

[albailey]

My JVC goals were more loosely defined:
- stay at or near my HC meters (which for me was the bare HC minimum... I finished the challenge w/200,030 meters )...

But Ann, the 'bare HC minimum' was 100,000!
congrats on the 3M!

[DavidA]

I've done pretty well on both counts! The JVC meters board is a good motivator. I'm hoping that, once January's over and I've got 2+ months of the erg habit under my belt, I can maintain that m-f pace (and I don't mean Mon-Fri ) without the challenge board feedback.

Bonus benefit of the JVC: I'm less than 12K away from the 3 million mark. What do I get—a pair of socks or something? Guess I should check on that.

Don't forget that in February there is usually the Valentine's Day row, which, admittedly, is only one day. In March there is March Madness. April has the Global Marathon Challenge. So, hopefully, a number of ways to help keep the motivation up

David

P.S. On a completely unrelated note, I thought I would just put in plug for my company which makes the software the Ducati uses to design their bikes.

[LJWagner]

Depends on frequency of really hard workouts. I would think a max of two a week, and not back to back. Every really tough workout earns a light workout afterwards, and occasionally a day off the 2nd day after.

[johnlvs2run]

In March there is March Madness. April has the Global Marathon Challenge.

Is this a rowing challenge? I must have missed it.

[Snail Space]

Hi Duc

You seem to row like I do: at low/medium intensity for moderately long duration. I row 40-60' at about top-end UT1 pace. I row for weight-control and general fitness/health.

I average about 2 rest days per week, but it's because I row at 05:00hr each morning so that I can do it without detracting from family time. I rarely sleep before 23:30hr so I gradually become more fatigued as the week progresses, and I miss training x2 per week to catch up on sleep. I don't feel as if I need days off for physical tiredness.

The session after a day off is invariably more spritely, and the pace is higher and feels easier. I always feel guilty for taking a day off.

Cheers
Dave

[BobD]

In any physical training you need recovery days as that is where your progress is made. During the exercise you stress your body more when you increase your exercise level. The body uses the recovery to heal any injuries and to ADAPT to the new level.

Additionally if you do not take recovery days (2 out of 7 is normal) you are in danger of overtraining. The results are of this are immune system deficiencies (those mysterious virus infections) and overstress which tends to make you prone to injury.

[stargazertechie]

Days off are essential! If you don't give your body a day to recover, you'll end up like me: in pain, fatigued, and ready to throw in the towel.

I'm a collegiate rower, and I decided to push the envelope during winter training. I ended up with a messed up back and extreme fatigue (and anemia, but that's another story)

Give yourself time to recover!