I’m taking an off week from training. Would some light cardio be a bad thing during this off week?
Nope. Cardio is not the antichrist to muscular development that it is currently made out to be. If you look at the calories expended during the average cardio session whose purpose is to benefit the heart, ie 20 minutes, you are looking at around 100 to 150 calories. BFD! Eat an extra banana a day. Also, “off” weeks are not meant to be sedentary either. Some people use them as an excuse to be a couch potato but, in reality, that is more catabolic than a little cardio. Reasonable cardio is probably only catabolic if you are already, or on the verge of, overtraining. So…go for it.
No, it would actually be a good thing! It will keep all the metabolic processes running, thus making it a lot easier to get going again once you resume your normal workout regimen. I find myself becoming mentally depressed if I go more than two days in a row without doing some kind of physical activity. (Probably due to the withdrawal of endorphins customarily produced during exercise?!) So, I would venture to guess that some lite cardio might also benefit YOUR mental
outlook. Joey Z.
What is the reason for this rest and recover week? To answer my own question it is to rest (right!). Do not do any form of physical activity involving you CNS. In other words take a complete break. Give your body time to recover completely. Enjoy not having to lug your self into the weight room.