Prescribed Rest: the Medicine We All Need to Take with Pride

I received an important coaching question from one of our remote students. You see, Thursday is traditionally a middle distance conditioning day for DELTA BRAVO: the DEUCE Home Training Experience. Part of the training prescription was a series of two and a half minute long running efforts with four minutes of rest between each effort. Here’s what the student’s question said in the chat:

“Is the 4 minute rest an integral part of the workout design? If I’m feeling ready to go sooner?”

The lesson I shared with this gentleman is one that is critical for all of our students in all of our programs. If there’s one thing I see repeatedly missed by students, it is that our bodies have gears. Prescribed rest helps us reach gears that aren’t possible without it. 

For example, in the case above, if the student doesn’t feel he needs all four minutes of rest one thing is certain: he didn’t run hard enough. 

Notice how you train. You’ll likely fall into one of two patterns. You turn every workout into a jog-like pace. Or, you turn every workout into an interval where you come out hot, need to rest, show a burst of energy, rest, and repeat. 

Respect the rest period. 

Prescribed rest is there for a reason and is meant to change your behavior while you’re working. If you wish the rest was over sooner, you’re likely missing the intended gear of intensity.