Day 3 - Day Off OR Active Rest Workout

Well now it's Wednesday, Day 3 of the PHUL workout plan. By now, you're probably feeling the DOMS. DOMS is an acronym that stands for 'delayed onset muscle soreness'. What that basically means is that your body will start to feel the full soreness and tiredness of a workout 48-72 hours, or 2-3 days, after a workout. 

So especially if you're new to the program, you might be feeling pretty tired today from Monday's workout. If that's the case, it is vital that you give your body today to rest, re-hydrate and refuel so that you can come back strong in tomorrow's workout. It does no good to burn yourself out when your body is in desperate need of a day off. You will not have a quality workout if you force your body to over-perform in a depleted state. 

However, if you are not new to the program or to weight training in general, your body might be adapted to the point that you may feel pretty good today. If that is the case, you can do something called an active rest workout. This means that you will lower the intensity significantly from the other workouts during the week, but you will not take the day off completely. 

Here are some suggestions of things you can do if you choose to partake in an active rest workout today:

Cardio
An active rest day is the perfect opportunity to do some cardio. Here are some ideas.
-30 minutes of jogging (treadmill or outside)
-15-20 minutes on the elliptical trainer
-15-20 minutes speed-walking on the treadmill at an incline
-Swimming
-Biking (stationary or actual bike)

Abs
If you have not been incorporating abdominal exercises into the other workouts so far this week, you can use today to do that. Here are some ideas:
-Ab roller - 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps
-Med Ball Russian Twists - 2-3 sets of 50-60 reps
-Straight Leg Lifts - 2-3 sets of 20-25 reps
-Decline Crunches w/ Weight Plate - 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps

These are just some ideas. The important thing is not to burn yourself out. If you need a day off, take a day off. We want the next 2 days' workouts to be quality. They will both be hypertrophy workouts which means more reps, so it's important to go into them feeling fresh. 

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