Feeling Burned

[LimieJosh]

I made a note in my log about how everything felt "off" during my work out yesterday. I got through pretty much everything I had planned on doing, but it just all felt like a life and death struggle. And this, with the exception of 5 sets of cleans, was supposed to be a general light/recovery day. I simply put it down to the effects of doing some good work on monday, after all, that is why we program a light day in the middle of the week.

However, I'm still wrecked today. I got out of bed and my quads ached. I picked up some boxes at work and I had a pump in my back extensors like I had just pulled twice my body weight. I got into the gym just after lunch for a planned light cardio, mobility and stretching session. On a thursday this usually consists of 10 mins progressive intensity on a bike, 5 mins SMFR on the calves and hams, a 20 (includes 5 mins additional progressive warm up) minute interval session on the stair mill finished with some general SMFR and stretching. When I sat down to do the SMFR I was inundated with hotspots. However, I felt so fatigued in the arms and shoulders that even holding myself up and manouvering myself into position was difficult and physically taxing. When I finally got onto the stairmill I had to quit after about 7 minutes without even once working up to the top intensity. I went back to the mats with my PVC pipe and I was so tender it was like the first time I had ever done it. I had to put my wet t shirt over my face to stop others being able to see me weep like a child.

I have absolutely no idea where this came from. I dont have any sort of cold, my sleep wasnt off, my food intake hasnt fallen, and I didnt do anything more strenuous than normal on the tuesday either. I have been at this long enough to know that sometimes some session are just inexplicitly shitty, so I wont overly fret about it, although I am slightly apprehensive about getting through tomorrow's session. More than anything I thought this was an opportunity to start a general discussion about how others handle these sorts of days, what people do to faciliate recovery in time for the next session and even what triggers people have identified (other than the obvious didnt eat, didnt sleep, did too much other shit when I should have been recovering) to bring about these sorts of days?

[Ello]

It depends on the severity of it.

For most of these days,

I just tell myself to "MAN THE FUCK UP",
stop thinking about it,
take an energy drink (straight caffeine works too),
Eat an enormous amount of something (just to rule out the possibility that I'm not eating enough)
And sleep extra.

On those days that I just feel HORRIBLE, where simply moving my bodyweight gives me trouble, I just take the entire day off to relax.

No lifting
No chores
No going out

Just sit back and relax at home.

[RobCor]

Take a week off. How long has it been since you took a break?