After coming out of a long dark and wet winter, it’s vital you come into the spring as fresh as possible.
Many of you train 5-6 times a week with us, and this will usually mean that you are in great shape, that you have improved substantially over the winter and there’s a very strong chance that your fitness is at its all-time best.
Sometimes though we all hit a wall and we don’t know really what to do about it.
Our motivation goes down a bit, we can’t get a constantly good performance out of ourselves, and we wonder whether we can hit the heights anymore.
We may see people who we have been training with pull slightly ahead of us, and we may lose our enthusiasm to stay with them. This is a sign that you need to step back a bit.
A great answer to these problems is to train LESS for a while in terms of days.
Cutting back to three days a week for a month or so can make all the difference.
On your days off, try doing different things, enjoy yourself whatever you want to do, and you will give your mind a good rest from your programme.
The result from this type of approach is that you start enjoying your training much more again.
When you hit those three sessions a week, they tend to be of much higher quality again because you will realise again what you are really capable of.
You will start to make gains again and your body will thank you for getting off a schedule that you needed a break from.
I usually find that a month is usually enough, and then most of those who have cut back feel ready to step it up again and hit extra days again.
You can feel the rest has done them good, and most people go on to reach new personal highs in their next cycle of training.
Training in different cycles is very common with professional athletes, who find it an absolute must to peak for their events.
Training smart and taking days off when you need them will always keep you close to your peak, and keep you mentally fresh just when you need it.
