STS Recovery week

[jengollf]

I am full of STS questions, I know! What do people do for their recovery weeks? I will definitely still be working out but I can't figure out if/how strength workouts should be used. I thought maybe using the cardio + strength workouts like High Step Training or the hi rep workouts like High Reps. Are these workouts appropriate? What metabolic weight training workouts like TTM and Athletic Training?

 

[DirtDiva]

This can be tricky and mostly I feel its dependent on your individual response to a program like STS.

Some people are going to need a full week with NO lifting as designed to let the body repair and grow. You'll come back charging into the second month.

If you are a seasoned lifter, the one week rest period will be an excellent time to utilize full body or AWT workouts. Think Powerhour, High Reps, and Xtrain and Low Impact workouts. Really though, you have to be aware of how you are feeling and the best way to gauge it is if you feel overly tired even after a 8 hours of sleep. Doms or body aches are prevalent, ease off and just do something very easy like walking or elliptical and cycling.

You should be inserting cardio while doing STS and that one week rest could be a good time for that too.

 

[jengollf]

thanks for the reply! You are very helpful! I have been lifting for 10+ years, but I will admit, since discovering Cathe I have started lifting heavier than I used to. I'm definitely adding in cardio. I always have mixed feelings about split series workouts--I love how split series lets you work muscle groups harder, but I hate how it seems difficult to get in adequate cardio. For STS, I plan to do cardio not just on my non-strength days, but I'm going to do doubles on two of my strength days and add on a shorter HIIT workout. I figure for my recovery week I'll do high rep full body workouts and intense cardio--but not HIIT intense. That was the idea at least!

 

[deineira]

During my STS week I "caught up" on my cardio workouts. I think I did TTM and CrossFire, Afterburn, and then a couple of Zumba workouts. I did not use any weights greater than 5-8 pounds.

Eva

 

[horsing around]

I like to do more yoga on my rest weeks. Since I'm using my body weight, I still feel like it's a strength workout.

Lisa

 

[mini-natty]

I did absolutely NO weight training during my recovery weeks. I'm glad I let my muscles recover! I felt strong and refreshed -- ready to tackle each new Mesocycle . I actually loved the concept of a "Recovery Week" (something I had never done before) that I try to incorporate one every 4-6 weeks, or when I feel as though my body needs a break from lifting.

As far as cardio, I did a little of everything: hiit, kickbox, steady-state. Nothing was off limits. Oh and lots and lots of walking! It's amazing how all those steps can keep you in such great shape!