Most coaches emphasize the importance of strength training, talk about how to properly combine different exercises and loads, and how to correctly alternate them so that the weightlifter can show maximum results. But in this article I would like to consider the reverse side of the coin - in which cases you should not go to training and why sometimes such a step helps to get the best result.
I am a supporter of a reasonable approach to training, so I believe that high results can be achieved only if you strictly follow all the key health rules. Let's look at five good reasons not to go to training today:
- You are sick.
Some coaches believe that the runny nose does not apply to serious reasons for skipping training. In this case, you should warm your body well and enhance blood circulation to recover faster. However, a weightlifter must remember that it is necessary to reduce power load to a reasonable limit in order not to overload the body weakened by the disease. If the sportsman temperature is higher than 37.5°C (99.5°F), exercises with a barbell should definitely be postponed. Listen to your body: If any pain in the body is felt, if you have chills and coughing, sneeze or breathing difficulties - these are symptoms that will definitely prevent you from exercising properly.
- You didn't get enough sleep.
Sleep is the main and most effective way to restore the body after a grueling and prolonged exercise. In addition, when we sleep, our body rebuilds and adapts to the new changes that have occurred to it during the day.
If a weightlifter is actively training, he needs at least seven to eight hours of sleep. One of the most effective options for a quick recovery is to fall asleep before midnight, so the weightlifter should go to bed at 10 pm. If he sleeps four or five hours, that's enough. However, such lack of sleep should not be delayed, otherwise the body will not have time to fully recover. So if you slept only two or three hours today, it is better to rest.
- You are injured.
In no case should you ignore the injury that is currently in a "sleep mode". Strength training is often the cause of micro-injuries that need to be treated, otherwise they will become chronic. If the athlete feels constant pain or discomfort in a certain position or under a certain load, he should visit a qualified doctor. If you have to miss a workout, it won't hurt you much. After all, overtraining can have much worse consequences in the form of serious injuries and the termination of a sports career.
- You have a hangover.
I am not a fan of alcoholic beverages and if we talk about the professionalism of the athlete, which is expressed in his attitude to training on the eve of important international competitions, then no violations of the established regime are allowed. But life is very unpredictable, and different situations happen. After an “evening's rest”, you should not train. The body has lost a lot of water, and during training you will be tired of severe dehydration and disturbances in the work of the vestibular apparatus. Moreover, you may even be at risk of fainting if you work at full strength in such circumstances. So it is better to take care of hydration of the body and skip training to avoid unpleasant consequences.
- You are overtrained.
The weightlifter should not train until exhaustion. Many athletes say that if they go to strength training five times a week (which is definitely too much for anyone who has a job and some household chores), then in each of these workouts they need to train at the limit of their capabilities. Therefore, sportsmen sometimes forget about the importance of good rest and proper nutrition. So, if you go to the gym five times a week, two workouts can be as intense as possible, two at medium intensity, and one must be at low intensity, i.e. focused on recovery.
When overtrained, a weightlifter experiences severe muscle pain due to micro ruptures of microfiber. Also, this condition may be accompanied by nausea, drowsiness, dizziness and physical collapse. It takes forty-eight to seventy-two hours for the body to recover from such a "system failure."
Frankly, weightlifters often miss strength training for two main reasons: poor organization and laziness. In our dressing room once hung a sign that read:
Two reasons to skip the training:
- You are ill.
- You got sick and died.
Definitely not one of the best jokes, but this is how we lived!
Wish you all good health and big loads!
Keep your Body Warm and Mind Cold!
