Work Hard, Play Hard

I had a lot of time in 2005 to watch the Tour de France, because of time off with my daughter being born. I haven’t really paid much attention to the Tour over the last few years. This past year, I somewhat became fixated on it again with the return of Lance Armstrong. What I was focused on is how this “ancient athlete” was taking on one, if not the most, demanding physical events ever. This year he has had a full year of training and has already had an impact, finishing 3rd in the Tour of Luxemburg and taking second in the Tour of Switzerland. As he heads into this year’s Tour de France, he looks like he has had a return to form, even though by cycling standards, he is old for the sport at 38.

One of the keys to his training is that he follows the principle of “work hard, play hard”. Lance’s coach, Chris Carmichael, makes sure that the training program that Lance uses progresses him continuously and peaks for the Tour de France. One of the key components is that no matter how hard the work is, it has the right amount of recovery to allow him to response to the next higher level of demand.

The formal name for this process is supercompensation. I see a lot of clients and gym members start a fitness program with a great amount of enthusiasm, but no plan for their recovery. They don’t factor in how sleep, nutrition, work stress, and personal stress can crush their results. The only way to get results is to do the work, then allow your body to recovery from the work. A very good read that highlights this, from more of a corporate environment, is The Power of Full Engagement. The book uses the term “rituals” to illustration actions that you develop and put into daily routine to manage your stress and maximize the recovery process.

If you have just started an exercise program or have been doing one for some time, but are not seeing the results you expect, I seriously encourage you to take a look at your recovery from the workouts and the impact your daily stress is having on your fitness plan. Making small changes in your nutrition, sleep, and stress management can lead to large changes in your body!