Resting So Hard I Might Pull a Muscle!
Hey guys! It’s Karol here again!
After reading the title of this blog, you probably guessed I’m about to talk about something very important. And yes, you’re right... Today we’re talking about the very serious sport of resting.
I’m actually really excited about this blog because recovery is a big part of my life. I feel like I take resting very seriously, but I also know that many people struggle with it. So I wanted to share a few thoughts with you!
The first challenge of a rest day isn’t physical — it’s mental.
Not gonna lie, it takes time to train yourself not to train. Sounds ridiculous, but it’s very true. For a long time, I thought the best athletes were the ones who trained the most. More kilometers, more hours, more intervals — and no chill. If you weren’t tired all the time, were you even working hard enough?
Turns out, that’s not exactly how it works.
Somewhere along the way, I learned that recovery isn’t a break from training — it’s actually part of the training. So if the plan says “rest day,” that means the most important workout today is... not working out.
What I try to remind myself is simple: muscles don’t get stronger while you’re training — they get stronger while you’re recovering. Training is just the signal. Rest is when the body actually adapts.
One trick that helps is staying productive — just not in a “heart rate above 160” kind of way.
Instead, this is what I usually do:
doing laundry
answering emails
grocery shopping
cleaning gear
Or my favorite one — NAPPING!!!
This way I don’t feel like I’m wasting the day, even though my body is getting the break it needs. And it’s important to remember that one rest day can make the difference between a great session tomorrow and a whole week of feeling
flat.
No way Karolcia is still napping! Should we wake her up?
What actually happens during recovery?
muscles repair
energy stores refill
the nervous system resets
motivation comes back
you can sleep in
Wait… Did I mention that I love sleeping?
Without recovery, all the training in the world doesn’t actually turn into progress.
So if you see me on the couch on a rest day, just know that I’m not being lazy — I’m actually working really hard!
What I want you to remember from this blog: (it is definitely not the fact that I love napping) When you skip recovery, the next training session is rarely 100%. Your body is still tired, your muscles haven’t fully repaired, and the quality of the workout drops. Instead of a strong session, you end up doing something that’s just... okay.
Lack of recovery also makes your body more vulnerable. When you’re constantly pushing without proper rest, you become more sensitive to injuries and sickness. Small pains can turn into real problems, and your immune system doesn’t work as well when you're always exhausted.
One rest day might feel like you’re losing training time, but in reality it helps you train better, stronger, and healthier in the long run.
Thank you for reading! I hope you’ll take recovery seriously. If you have any questions, feel free to ask — because as you can see, I’m clearly an expert.
Best at napping,
Karol
Some might say “Karolcia is still sleeping!” But now we know it's ok!