Ask the Experts - Fitness

Answers from John Shepherd:

Q. I’m 60 and aim to stay reasonably fit and strong for life. I’m in my third year of serious training and in the last 12 months use a rowing machine, do weights and walk up and down hills. I have noticed that after short enforced lay-offs, say a couple of days, I experience a pleasant sensation of coming back to exercise invigorated. Alternatively, after several days of pushing one activity pretty hard, I find I’m generally tired. Could you explain?
David Calvert (Tasmania, Australia)

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Answer:

David, What you are experiencing happens to anyone training seriously for sport or fitness purposes regardless of age and relates specifically to how the body adapts to training. After any workout your body needs down-time to recover. A tough workout will require more time than a less tough one. The more workouts you perform and their intensity will also have a significant effect. At this stage I have to point out that it’s when you are not training that your body adapts (ie grows stronger) – many people wrongly assume that this happens during your actual workout. So, after CV activity, for example, you’ll need to replace your muscle fuel sources – crucially glycogen (a form of carbohydrate). To do this you need to ensure adequate carbohydrate consumption and perform less intense workouts and recover to ‘fill up’. You also need to ensure adequate protein consumption to maintain your muscles – go for 2g per kg of body weight.

It seems from what you write that you are performing too many tough workouts on consecutive days and are not giving your body sufficient time for regeneration. I suggest that you cycle your workouts as follows:

Day 1 Hard session – rowing
Day 2 Easy workout – walking
Day 3 Rest Day 4 Medium workout – rowing and weights
Day 5 – Medium workout - cycling
Day 6 – Medium workout – walking and weights
Day 7 - Rest

Following a workout routine like the one above will provide your body with sufficient time to recover. I also suggest that every 3rd week you cut down to three workouts only (including only one hard one). And if you wake up feeling tired, with aching muscles, and have been having difficulty sleeping, then it is possible you have been over-training. In this case you should not train.

Take a couple of days off and your zest will return.