For this week’s installment of our Get Fit Challenge #TrainerTipThursday, Stage 3 Fitness‘s Angie Willet stresses the importance of rest and recovery when working out:
“One thing I like to say to my clients, ‘If results are what your after, then it’s not just about the exercises or workouts that you do, it’s about the effort behind them.’ I love an intense workout and I also love when I can help someone realize that they can work much harder than they ever thought possible. However, if you’re working out intensely most days of the week, then you could be running the risk of not really getting results at all. Have you ever lost your motivation because you’ve either hit a wall and aren’t getting results, or you’re just plain exhausted? Then maybe you need to take a look at your time spent resting and recovering. During our workouts, muscle tissue breaks down and our energy gets depleted. But with proper hydration, supplementation, nutrition and sleep, it’s during rest and recovery that our body actually becomes stronger and adapts to the stuff we are putting ourselves through in the gym. So, ask yourself, ‘Am I hitting the gym on a regular basis, but not really getting stronger?’ ‘Am I seeing any progression in the form of using heavier weight, completing more repetitions, or performing a more advanced version of my norm?’ If the answer is yes to the first question and no to the second, then I would suggest taking a good look at your workout program and implementing a strategic and purposeful rest and recovery phase. Because when it’s all said and done, we want all the hard work that we put into our intense workouts to pay off, don’t we?”
Angie has been a Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor for more than 18 years, and holds certifications with ESA, AFAA, and F.I.R.E. She has been with Stage 3 Fitness, which focuses on a three-stage workout — burn, build, repeat — for nearly four years. “Health and fitness are what I know and love, and it’s a big part of who I am. But people are my passion, so naturally this line of work is the best way to combine the two.”
