New Research Shows When it’s Smarter to Skip a Heavy Lifting Day

As much as you may want to stick to a set fitness plan, there are times when it is actually better for you to skip a heavy lifting day. Yes, you may feel as though that will be a setback in your progress, but research has shown that there are some very specific times when you’re actually better off not doing it at all.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should skip a heavy lifting day whenever you want to. Most of us don’t enjoy leg day, for example, but it doesn’t mean we can drop it altogether. However, skipping that day on certain occasions isn’t just something you can do, but it’s something you should do.

The key is to know precisely when to skip a heavy lifting day. Consider the following points that are supported by recent research study results.

• You’re not doing it right – If you find that you’re hurting after certain workouts, then it’s time to skip the next one and either speak with a personal trainer or do some high quality research about how you should be completing each movement. This is especially true if pain seems to get worse during your next workout. Keeping it up could mean that your next workout will be in physio and will be complemented by pain medication. That will set you back far more than missing one workout day.
• You just completed an intense cardio workout – If you’ve recently finished a half marathon (or full one, for that matter) or some other high intensity exercise, it’s a good idea to ease off the strength training workouts for a little bit. Rest will be essential for recovering your muscles after your high intensity performance. Going back to lifting could do much more harm than good.
• You haven’t eaten yet – While it’s not a good idea to do a workout after a huge meal, a growing body of scientific evidence is starting to show that a workout on an empty stomach is a bad idea, too. Fasting before training used to be a “thing.” Now, most trainers who are up on the latest research recommend that you have some fuel in the tank to power your workout.

Otherwise, you risk feeling fatigued and droopy and you won’t have the readily available energy you need to reach your full potential. If you’ve been so busy that you didn’t have time to eat ahead of your workout, it might be a better idea to simply skip it – or at least have a light meal and delay your trip to the gym.