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Convincing Myself To Take A Day Off

The biggest thing you will hear from people about exercise is to start slow, and take a day off every now and then. They call that day off a 'rest day', a time for your body to heal and recuperate from all of the extra demands you have put on it, and allow muscles some time to heal. When you exercise, especially lifting weights, you get micro tears in your muscles, and in order for those to heal and make bigger muscles you must let them rest. Lifting heavy repetitively and causing micro tears on top of micro tears is what allows body builders to continue to get bulkier, and that is why they lift around the clock it seems.
 
However if you are not looking to body build or gain muscle quickly, you need to have a recovery period.
 
I have a super duper hard time doing this!!!
 
I know in my head that I need to rest, my body will be screaming for it, but my conscience won't shut up and let me think it is okay. I have worked so hard and so long to get as far as I have, that I have this unrealistic fear that if I take a day off every now and then, I will set myself back. I know that this is irrational, and one day of not working out will not hinder a years worth of work, but I can't help but feel guilty if I take a rest day.
 
 
 
Today is my rest day, as well as my high calorie shock day(I eat at TDEE one day a week to trick my metabolism). And I fought myself all morning not to go for a run, call it runners anguish if you will. And my body has been through a lot the past couple of weeks, so I know I was well over due for a day off, but I had to force myself to stay in bed this morning. I told myself over and over IT IS OKAY TO TAKE THE DAY OFF, YOU WILL NOT SET YOURSELF BACK.
 
Now that I feel okay with not working out (even though I don't)...I have a wonderful and very serious heart pounding round of 'monopoly' with Dustin. I would have to say we tied! So I convince myself I had a decent enough workout and justify my day off!

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