Taking Unscheduled Days Off
There’s a common question that always arises when you’re training: “When do I take an unscheduled day off training; is it when I feel sore or tired?” Most people just suck it up and go train regardless of how they’re feeling. That usually ends up being a less-than-optimal workout, and in fact, it may have been better for growth if you had taken a day or two off to recover. Training is much like trying to get a suntan; it’s hard to get a suntan when the skin is already hot, red, and painful from being outside for too long. In other words, you can’t tan on top of a burn. It’s better to get out of the sun to recover. So too, sometimes it is best to get out of the gym and recover when you’ve pushed it too hard.
In order to be a little more scientific and accurate, you can use a subjective training stress questionnaire to really determine how stressed you are. It will also determine if should you take a day off because you need it, or if you’re just being lazy.
Subjective Training Stress Questionnaire
The following questionnaire has been designed to determine if stress levels are high enough to adversely impact the adrenal glands, creating symptoms of exhaustion and warranting a day off training.