ArticlesTrainingCommunityNewsProductReviewsNutritionHealthGetBoxLifeMagazineSubscribeIndividualIssuesViewYourDigitalIssuesShopBoxLifeSigninWelcome!LogintoyouraccountyourusernameyourpasswordForgotyourpassword?PasswordrecoveryRecoveryourpasswordyouremailSearchSigninWelcome!LogintoyouraccountyourusernameyourpasswordForgotyourpassword?GethelpPasswordrecoveryRecoveryourpasswordyouremailApasswordwillbee-mailedtoyou.BoxLifeMagazineArticlesTrainingCommunityNewsProductReviewsNutritionHealthGetBoxLifeMagazineSubscribeIndividualIssuesViewYourDigitalIssuesShopBoxLifeWhilewewouldallliketobelievethatwecouldgototheboxandoperateatmaximumefficiencyandpowerformonthsonend,weknowthatthissimplyisn’tthecase.Yougetstrongerbyrecoveringfromexercise.Thisisasimpleconceptthathasformedthebasisofexercisephysiologyandprogramdevelopmentforcountlessyears.Inanutshell,thebasictheoryofsupercompensation—inwhichanathleteisstrongerafterresting—worksasfollows(asdescribedbyCrossFitImpulse’sJeffBarnett):1.Provideastimulustoanorganism(exercise)2.Removethestimulus(rest)3.Theorganismadaptstobetterhandlethestimulus(Nexttimeyoucandeadlift375lbsinsteadof370lbs).AsBarnettcorrectlyidentifies,peoplearealltoohappytofollowstepsoneandthree,butoftenforgetaboutsteptwo—whichisprobablythemostimportantone.Thinkaboutit—ifyouneverremovethestimulustoanorganism(yourmuscles/body),theorganismdoesn’thaveachancetoadapttoitandwillstarttoshutdown.Thisisknownasovertraining,andit’soneofthemostcommonwayspeoplegethurt.Yourbodyandmusclesneedtimetorest,recover,repairandadapttothestressorsyouplaceuponitduringyourtrainingsessions.Rest,therefore,isacrucialpartofyourdevelopmentasanathlete.So,howdowegoabout‘resting’?Thefirstthingthatcomestomindistakingaday(ortwo)awayfromtheboxandexercisealltogether,orperhapsspendingsometimedoingactiverecovery—playingbasketball,goingforaswim,etc.Butdependingonyourvolume,frequency,andintensityofexercise,adayortwomightnotbeenough.Obviouslyyoudon’twanttospendweeksawayfromthegymnotgettingaworkoutin,sowhatalternative