That’s correct. In elite fitness every moment you spend doing nothing there’s someone out there doing something. Theses freaks of nature are doing two and three workouts-a-day (*cough* Rich Froning *cough*). Competition is not for the weak at heart. But that doesn’t mean your supposed to run your self dry until you have nothing left in the tank. My suggestion is that if your training falls on a “rest day” there are other things you can be doing:
1. Mobilize With such invaluable resources like Kelly Starretts MobilityWOD and Jami Tikkanen’s mobility blog there’s no reason that you shouldn’t be spending time “smashing” your meat, as Kelly Starrett likes to say. Each and everyone of us have tight or impinged musco-skeletal tissue that must be addressed. If these [t] issues aren’t dealt with they’ll eventually deal with you according to a handicap in the fundamental movement, pain, or sub-par performance.
2. Skill Work Most limitations in movement patterns are not caused by a lack of self-determination or negative thinking, rather beacuase of limited experience and proficieny in skill and drills . Experience cannot be bypassed and if attempted will only manifest itself back into pain. “Practice makes perfect.” Go tackle your goat and be free of worry that the next wod you attempt has snatches in them. With the birth of CrossFit Gymnastics, Gymnastics WOD, Power WOD, and other iconic resources such as CrossFit Endurance, Mike’s Gym, and C2 Rower there’s no excuse. Absolutely no excuse.
3. Play a New Sport Some might argue that playing a new sport is harder than training. I agree. It’s not a mystery why “Sport” is at the top of the Theoretical Hierarchy of the Development of an Athlete (see image below) . The only way to to find major weakness’ in yours training is to particpate in the unknown and unknowable realms of sport. These experimentimental particpations with sport (in various metabolic pathways) will bring you back to the drawing board to assess limitations in your mobility or need for additional skill work.
My hypothesis is this: Mobility, Skill work, and Sport are interdependent of each other. They are all transferable to one another and help give feedback loops toward progress.
So next time someone says that it’s a rest day. I want you to really question if that’s such a great idea.