I took an unplanned rest day from working out.  As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t plan my off days in advance; I just let them happened naturally.  It’s kind of like when Caitlin talks about her blank training plan.  I totally love this idea because it always for the flexibility I feel like I need when it comes to working out.

Because I workout at 5:30 in the morning, I need to go to bed insanely early to make sure I get enough sleep.  (I’m a total disaster if I don’t!  Crabby, tired – duh, hungry, and sometimes I even get sick with too little sleep.)  Some evenings do not allow me to go to bed as early as I would like which makes waking up at the butt crack of dawn near impossible.  Those kinds of mornings I stay in bed and I’m totally ok with it.

Other excuses for taking rest days include being sore from previous workouts, too cold outside, or Zoey just wants to snuggle.  (What?  You don’t let your dog dictate your workout schedule or alarm clock?  Weirdo.)  Anyway, yesterday was a combination of it all: my legs were still sore from Monday’s workout, it was cold outside, I was up late the night before, and I wish I could use Zoey as an excuse, but I can’t.  She had to go potty, so I took her out.  Then crawled back in bed.

Some days, like today, you just have to prepare yourself to get outta bed early!

Today was one of those days.  I went to bed early and made it to the gym by 5:30 a.m.  I got ‘er done!  This week, the LiveFit workouts have changed from the previous two weeks.  Week 3 requires 5 days of lifting weights and each day has a couple of more exercises than before.  However, the routine suggests doing 3 sets of 10 rather than 12.  I usually do sets of 15, so this week I cut back to 12.

(original workout here)

Week 3 Day 3: Chest & Triceps

• Wide Push-Ups: 3 sets of 12
• Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 15 (10 pounds)
• Flat Bench Flyes: 3 sets of 15 (7.5 pounds)
• Decline Flyes: 3 sets of 12 (10 pounds)
• Bench Dips: 3 sets of 12
• Lying EZ-Bar Triceps Extension: 3 sets of 12 (20 pounds)
• Dumbbell Triceps Kickback: 3 sets of 12 each arm (7.5 pounds)
• Overhead Two-Handed Triceps Extension: 3 sets of 12 (20 pounds)

By the end of this workout, my arms were shaking and my triceps were bulging.  Ok, “bulging” may be a major slight exaggeration, but my arms sure were shaking!  As always, it felt so good to get my workout done early in the morning and set the right tone for my day.  Working out early gives me more energy, keeps me hydrated (I drink a liter of water while working out), and encourages me to eat more healthfully all day long.  I feel so much better!

When do you take rest days?  Do you plan them or let them happen naturally?