Just Start
Welcome to "Just Start"—the ultimate fitness podcast for Gen-X men who live life on the go. Hosted by a Gen-Xer who lives and breathes fitness, we're more than just talk. Dive into the world of effective fat loss, impactful mobility, muscle gain, and age-defying fitness. We blend the latest science with practical wisdom to shape not just your body, but a fulfilling life.
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Just Start
The Rest Revolution: How Gen-X Men Can Gain Muscle, Lose Fat, and Boost Mental Health
Hey there, Gen-Xers! Welcome to another transformative episode that's going to flip the script on what you thought you knew about fitness. You see, we're all about pushing the limits here, but today, we're diving deep into why you absolutely MUST hit the brakes sometimes. That's right, we're talking about the often overlooked, yet game-changing power of rest and recovery.
By the end of this episode, you'll walk away with science-backed insights on how rest impacts muscle gain, fat loss, and even your mental well-being. We've got some eye-opening studies, personal anecdotes, and yes, a listener's question that's going to resonate with many of you. So stick around to the very end, because this episode is packed with actionable tips that could be the missing link in your fitness journey. Trust me, you don't want to miss this!
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Coach Neil D [00:00:59]: Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Just Start. Before we dive into the five biggest priorities for Gen X Men, let's set the stage. All right, so rest and recovery not just about taking the day off or getting good sleep. It's about giving your body the time and resources it needs to repair, rebuild, and come back stronger. Now, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, adequate recovery is essential for muscle growth and strength development. You know, rest and recovery are like the bass players of a rock band. They're in the background, but, man, without them, everything just falls apart.
Coach Neil D [00:01:37]: So remember, it's not just about how hard you push yourself in the gym, it's also how well you can recover. Just before we dive in, let's kick off with something that will be a reoccurring segment called Transformative Moments. And today, I want to kick this off by sharing a personal story about how I underestimated the power of rest and recovery. I was pushing so hard at work that I actually thought an 80-hour work week was part-time, and I was actually trying to get back into shape and ignoring the signs my body was giving me. Long story short, this went on for too long, and I ended up yoyoing in my commitment and eventually snapping a biceps tendon that set me back for several months. That was a transformative moment, like realizing that rest isn't just downtime, it's an active part of the total process. It's when your muscles repair where your energy replenishes and your whole body gets stronger. And without it, the opposite happens point blank.
Coach Neil D [00:02:41]: The opposite. That is not good, my friends. All right, so let's get into the meat and potatoes of today's episode. We're going to discuss the five biggest fitness priorities for Gen X Men and how rest and recovery play a vital role in each first, biggest priority for Gen X Men. And if it's not it should be. It is muscle gain. Okay? The importance of rest in muscle gain. So either you're about to begin getting into shape, or you've been hitting the gym a bit already, lifting those weights, and at some point you're expecting to see some muscle pop, right? But here's the kicker, the magic actually happens when you're not in the gym.
Coach Neil D [00:03:24]: That's right. Muscle growth occurs during the rest and recovery phase. Okay, so let's get a bit nerdy here. When you lift weights, you're essentially causing micro-tears in your muscle fibers. Now, don't freak out. This is a good thing, okay? These micro tears initiate a process called muscle protein synthesis, where the body repairs and rebuilds the damaged fibers, making them thicker and stronger. There's this study led by Dr. Bell.
Coach Neil D [00:03:53]: He had a team of researchers, and they explored how different types of exercises affected muscle recovery in men. Specifically focusing on the day-to-day response of muscle protein creation, a key factor in muscle recovery and growth. And this is what they found. So, after doing resistance exercises, which involves activities like weightlifting specifically, and the rate at which muscle proteins were being built increased, this increase was noticeable not just a day later, but even two days up to 48 hours after the workout. They also looked at high intensity interval training hit, which is another type of workout that involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by some periods of lower intensity activity and rest. And this also showed a similar increase in muscle protein creation, but it was slightly less compared with traditional resistance exercises. And interesting enough, this research was conducted on older men with an average age of 67. So if it's good for them, guys, it's going to be good for us, okay? It's going to be really good for us, too.
Coach Neil D [00:04:59]: Showing that age doesn't have to be a barrier to improving muscular health through exercise. Now, in simpler terms, if you engage in resistance training or high intensity workouts, your muscles continue to build proteins, providing you're giving them the tools that they need in the forms of nutrition and recover, not just for a day, but up to two days after the workout. Which is one of the reasons why I'm always telling you guys, hey, listen, it's nice that you track your protein and taking out adequate protein the day of your workout, that's really great. But the day after, it's a rest day, you still need your protein, right? So this means giving yourself a good 48 hours of rest can actually help in the building of stronger muscles. Now, you don't necessarily have to take a whole day off from all activity, and we'll get into that later. But specifically for the muscle group, right? You don't want to blast a muscle group two days in a row, and that's one of the reasons why. Now, additionally, the American Heart Association, the AHA, they emphasize the importance of incorporating rest days into your fitness routine to help reduce the risk of heart related issues. Now, remember, what is the heart? The heart is a muscle.
Coach Neil D [00:06:10]: Okay? Rest days are crucial for several reasons. Also, rest days can help in maintaining healthy levels of testosterone and growth hormone, which are also vital for muscle growth. Last, quality rest and recovery helps in preventing injuries that can occur. Remember my story? That can occur due to overuse of muscle. Okay? So a little practical tip for you. What does this mean for you? It means that you've got to prioritize rest days. And I'm not talking about sitting on the couch all day binge-watching Netflix or Amazon Prime, which I find personally that they really up their programming game. But anyway, that's another story.
Coach Neil D [00:06:52]: So, yeah, so I'm talking about active rest days. Maybe some light cardio, some stretching, some, you know, activation sessions, stuff like that. Mobility to improve your flexibility and your blood flow. And listen to your body, okay? Listen to your body. It often tells you what it needs a break. And incorporating rest days, it can be a really transformative experience, leading to better health and improved performance. I'll give you a little personal tale here as a non-enhanced athlete over 50 with a tendency to lose muscle quick, I'm pretty obsessed about gaining muscle. But when I train too often, like six, seven days a week, sometimes even five, depends on the type of training I'm doing, you know what happens? I plateau to a hard stop.
Coach Neil D [00:07:37]: And it's not until I incorporate or I bring back proper rest days that I actually start to see gains again. So don't underestimate the power of a good rest day. Just don't. Okay? Second priority for us guys, gen X, fat loss. There's a misconception about fat loss. Now, this misconception is that you've got to be in the gym every single day sweating buckets to lose fat. You've heard it. Sweat is fat, crying, et cetera, blah, blah, blah.
Coach Neil D [00:08:07]: Okay? I've even been guilty of saying those things too and everything just because it's funny. But let me tell you this, that's too often a recipe for failure, or at least some burnout of variable degrees, okay? Now here's the thing. When you're sleep deprived or constantly stressed from over exercising, your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels can mess with your metabolism and even lead to fat storage, okay? Because it tells your body, it puts you like in a fight or flight mode, and you're on high alert, okay? And this is not a great thing. Now, there's a study in the obesity journal found that inadequate sleep actually leads to hindering it hinders fat loss. Okay, so what's the game plan? First, get adequate sleep. Aim for about at least seven to 8 hours a night. Second, incorporate some active rest days.
Coach Neil D [00:09:05]: Go for a walk, do some mobility, an activation session. Keep the intensity low on those days so your body can recover and continue to burn fat efficiently. If you want to keep your metabolism firing, you got to prioritize sleep and active recovery days. And guys, I've been there. I used to think more was always better, more everything, more lifting, especially more. And all it led to was more fatigue, less progress. And once I started taking my rest days seriously, not only did I start losing more fat, but my workouts also became a lot more effective. Okay, priority number three.
Coach Neil D [00:09:42]: Cardiovascular health is a big one. It's not just about running marathons or cycling hundreds of miles. It's about having a heart that's strong and efficient, especially as we age. And guess what? Just like your muscles, your heart needs time to recover and adapt to the stresses you put it under. Rest is crucial for your heart. Okay? Now overtraining without inadequate rest can actually put unnecessary stress on your heart. Go figure, right? Okay, I'm saying this as if it's going to be a surprise. I don't think there's going to be a surprise to too many people.
Coach Neil D [00:10:15]: But the problem is that we don't always live up to what it is that we know. So I'm reminding you guys, okay? Overtraining without adequate rest can actually put unnecessary stress on your heart, increasing the risk of heart related issues like hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, which usually develops over time. It can happen because of an unhealthy lifestyle choice, such as not getting enough regular physical activity. Now just make sure you get your rest with that, eh? Okay? And arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, which is a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat. Now, your heart might beat too quickly, too slowly, or at an irregular rhythm. It's normal for your heart rate to speed up during physical activity and to slow down while resting or sleeping. Just make sure that you get the rest to let it recuperate from your activity. Okay? Now the American Heart Association let's come back to them.
Coach Neil D [00:11:08]: They emphasize the importance of rest days to reduce the risk of heart related issues. And you can actually help maintain healthy blood pressure levels by getting your rest, which will help you recover properly from higher intensity workouts. So what's the action plan here? Think walking, swimming, maybe a leisurely bike ride. These will keep your heart healthy without overtaxing it. Okay? Now I used to actually be that guy who hated cardio so much that I decided it was a waste of my time. Now it and you know what the worst thing is? I was actually good at it for a time. I had to be good at it for a time and I became good at a time, but I never really liked it. And I was like say to myself, well, I lift heavy, that's a knife and everything, right? And I told myself this enough that I began to sort of believe it, knowing that it was not necessarily true.
Coach Neil D [00:11:57]: But I liked the narrative. So I incorporated it into my own personal lifestyle. But when I hit my late thirty s, I realized that my cardiovascular health needed attention. And let me tell you, adding in rest days with low impact cardio really makes a world of difference in a lot of areas of my life. So much so that I got an under desk treadmill. So glad I did. Possibly the best piece of office equipment that I have right now. Under desk treadmill, super cool.
Coach Neil D [00:12:29]: Number four list of priorities is flexibility and mobility. This is not just for yogis out in the middle of the desert somewhere. They're for everyone to actually move properly and well. Now, these two terms are often used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing, okay? Flexibility is the ability of your muscles to stretch, while mobility combines exercises that increase the range of movement or motion that your body can perform. And this can include flexibility and also balance pliability, which pliability will define this as unrestricted muscle movement to give your joints a wide range of motion and also strength. Now, the full combination is the best way to avoid injury. And one great thing about mobility training is its diversity. But both are important for overall fitness and well being, okay? Now, the science behind it is this a lack of either can lead to poor posture, muscle imbalances, and higher potential for injury.
Coach Neil D [00:13:25]: But guess what? Rest days are the perfect time to work on these things, okay? So there's a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning research that shows flexibility can improve with adequate rest. I'll leave a link on your rest days, consider doing some dynamic stretching, some full rolling. These activities, they can help improve both your flexibility and mobility, making you more well rounded and relaxed athlete. Now, if you're like me and need to move every day, use your rest days for stretching from mobility, work to improve flexibility, trying out new things, stuff like that. Keep it low impact, you'll be good. I used to scoff at the idea of mobility work. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd stretch a bit, but mostly static stretching, okay? And at some points in my training, I was pretty strong. But my muscular strength could arguably have been a detriment because my mobility couldn't follow.
Coach Neil D [00:14:18]: And the more I trained high impact sports, the more frequently I experienced particularly lumbar soreness that cumulated in damaged discs in my spine and years of pain, like, years of perhaps unneeded pointless pain. So listen to me when I speak about mobility because you don't want those pains. Trust me on this. Now, I realize the importance of being flexible and mobile and that's one of the reasons, the major reasons that I dedicate. Now, I dedicate at least two days a week to just that. And it's been a game changer that's literally given me back the quality of my life, okay? Now, these don't have to be like two hour workouts. I mean, listen, sometimes when I'm doing one of these sessions, I'll put, what, 15, 2025 minutes, 30 minutes tops into it and I'm done, right? It's a rest day. But I mean, it's just so therapeutic.
Coach Neil D [00:15:18]: Which brings me to the connection between rest and mental health. Okay, last but not least, mental health. Exercise is great for the mind, but so is rest. Now, mental health, it's not just a buzzword we hear. It all over the place right now. All men's mental health. And it's important, right? It's a crucial aspect of your overall well being. It's not just something we talk about.
Coach Neil D [00:15:45]: No, it's actually a crucial part of your overall well being. And just like your muscles and your heart, your mind needs time to recover and recharge. Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can lead to mood swings, increased stress, and even depression. Your brain uses sleep to process emotions and experiences, making it essential for mental health. Now, you tell me, tell me honestly, tell me in the world that we live in that we don't go through a ton plethora of emotions daily. Come on. And according to Harvard, the Harvard Medical School, sleep can significantly affect mood and mental well being. Now, on your rest days, consider activities that can recharge you mentally.
Coach Neil D [00:16:39]: Maybe it's reading a book. Oh, I love reading a okay. And a lot of times I'm a big audio listener. I got like hundreds of books in my audio library. Consider a meditation or spiritual practice, maybe spending time with loved ones, stuff like that, especially on Sunday. Use your rest days to recharge mentally. Maybe exercise, doing some breathing techniques and just simply unplug, unplug everything except just start. Okay? Everything, but just start.
Coach Neil D [00:17:11]: Now, I've had my struggles. If you've been following along, if you haven't figured out by now, and I'm not trying to make fun of this, but if you haven't figured out by now that I've had my struggles with mental health, and I can tell you that ignoring rest and sleep only made things worse, okay? Once I started prioritizing sleep and downtime, my mental clarity improved, and so did my emotional well being. So before we wrap up this segment, I just want to add a personal word about adult Add. It's something that I've navigated in my own fitness lifestyle journey, and I can't stress enough how vital adequate rest has been in managing my symptoms. It's like giving yourself a reset, a moment to breathe and recalibrate. It's not just about the physical recovery. It's about giving your mind that space to settle, to find its rhythm amidst the chaos. So if you're grappling with adult Add, don't overlook the transformative power of rest in your fitness regimen.
Coach Neil D [00:18:22]: So if you're grappling with Add, don't overlook the transformative power of rest in your fitness regimen. It's a game changer, truly. Now, I wouldn't go through all of this podcast on rest and recovery without giving you ten powerful tips for better sleep and recovery. But before we go there, this is super cool. We're only a few episodes in, and we have our first listener question DM to me on Facebook from Dan, who asks, how can I manage my Add symptoms through a fitness orientated lifestyle? Fantastic question, and it's one that resonates with me personally. Okay. Exercise is a powerful tool for managing Add symptoms. Physical activity releases endorphins, which act as natural mood lifters.
Coach Neil D [00:19:17]: It can also help you sleep better, reduce stress, and improve our self esteem. Right now, there's a kicker. Rest and recovery is just as important because overtraining can lead to burnout, increased stress, which can do the opposite and exacerbate Add symptoms. Rest days give your nervous system a chance to recover, reducing symptoms like impulsivity and hyperactivity. So my advice? Balance is key. Okay? On the physical side, we'll talk about nutrition. But just on the physical side, incorporating a mix of strength training and active recovery days into your routine, definitely winner. But also prioritize sleep.
Coach Neil D [00:19:59]: Do that, prioritize sleep, rest and recovery and your mind will thank you. And listen, I've been there. I used to think that if I pushed harder in the gym, in my training, I could sweat out my difficulty concentrating, my impulsivity, and my restlessness. But all that did was leave me more agitated and less focused. And once I started incorporating rest days and focusing on sleep, I noticed a significant improvement in my ability to concentrate and manage stress. And if I had one area within my own fitness lifestyle that I really struggle with, even to this day, is getting the right amount of sleep. But like I said before, even small changes can lead to big results. And that's why I have ten small but incredibly powerful tips for you to steal right now.
Coach Neil D [00:20:46]: Everything I'm going to say, for the most part, is things you already know. There's at least one of these tips that you can take right now and promise to yourself that you will integrate it into your lifestyle and be so much better off as a result. You with me? Let's go. Okay, ten tips for better sleep and recovery. First, consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed, wake up at the same time every day. Even on the weekends, right? Even on the weekends. Hold on, I can do that Monday to Friday, but on the weekends, that's my time to okay, listen guys, we're not talking about you're no longer 20 years old, okay? Consistency helps to regulate your body's internal clock.
Coach Neil D [00:21:25]: And guys, the time is ticking, okay? We need to do that. Consistent sleep schedule. You got a special occasion, something this, that, and the other. You're on vacation, whatever. Okay? But at least there's 365 days in a year. Can we at least do 300 and 5345? Consistency number two. Create a sleep sanctuary. A place like your bedroom where it's comfortable, it's dark, and it's like a cooler place.
Coach Neil D [00:21:53]: I remember painting, I had painted forest green on my walls, like, many, many years ago. It was like super dark. People would come in, they'd be like, oh, what's this? But it was just like so calming and everything just dark forest green. I loved it. And there's a general consensus out there that the best room temperature for sleeping is between 60 and 68 degrees. SleepFoundation.org says that it's about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. That would be about 18 something degrees Celsius. And maybe it's going to vary a few degrees from person to first person, but that's the general consensus.
Coach Neil D [00:22:29]: Next up, limiting screen time. Oh, boy. The blue light emitted by phones and tablets. You know about that stuff. You've been hearing about it, right? It interferes with your melatonin production, so disconnect at least an hour before in bed. I actually removed the TV from our bedroom a couple of years ago, and honestly, I don't regret I don't miss it at all. Number four, mindfulness and relaxation. Consider a short meditation or a deep breathing exercise box.
Coach Neil D [00:22:59]: Breathing, maybe, to calm your mind before sleep. Number five, avoid stimulants. Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake, especially in the hours leading up to your bedtime. Okay. I think there's a lot of people that need to wake up with coffee. I'm not one of them. And I know there's a lot of people that need to wake up with it to get that jolt to get you going. But there's people out there who can actually drink coffee before bed and they're like, oh, no, it doesn't bother me and everything.
Coach Neil D [00:23:27]: If you're in that position, I really suggest a caffeine fast for you guys just to reset your system. Go at least like 30 days or something. But yeah, that's it. Limit caffeine and alcohol. I guess if you have enough alcohol, it's going to knock you out, but that's an entirely different set of bad, right? Number six, adequate hydration. We were just talking about this, as mentioned in the hydration episode of just start getting adequate hydration before sleep can improve your sleep quality. You don't want to overdo it to avoid too frequent trips to the bathroom, but adequate hydration, very important. Number seven.
Coach Neil D [00:24:00]: Now, I give this next tip with a little bit of conflict because I feel that it will interrupt your circadian sleep rhythm, which tapping into has been a great recovery boost for me. However, depending where you are in your fitness journey, a light snack might still be better than what you're doing if you're having your before bed binge. So let me at least explain to you how to have a snack properly. I'm going to suggest if you need a light snack, that it includes complex carbs and protein, which can help stabilize your blood sugar levels and help you get a better sleep, okay? Induce a greater calm. Ideally, you wouldn't need to do that, but if you are having to do that, that's the way you want to go. Number eight, regular exercise can really help improve both the quality and duration of your sleep. Just avoid the high intensity workouts too close to bedtime. Okay, now why because it's a challenge to wind down or relax when your heart rate has been elevated too close to a time where you want to shut down.
Coach Neil D [00:25:02]: Also, your body usually starts to cool down in the evening to prepare for sleep. But higher intensity workouts, they can increase that body core temperature. Intense exercises increase cortisol levels, which cortisol being the hormone associated with alertness and stress, while simultaneously suppressing melatonin production, which is the hormone that's responsible for sleep. Right, so you're in a bit of a conflict there. If you get too high of an adrenaline rush, it's going to be hard to relax. Warm shower. A warm shower can help you relax your muscles and prepare your body for sleep. Now, I'm all about the cold shower to wake you up and turn on the CNS, but I find it personally a little counterproductive before bed, okay? And last but not least, journaling or mind dumping.
Coach Neil D [00:25:49]: Okay? If your mind is racing, consider jotting down your thoughts in a journal. Maybe it's racing for a reason. Maybe you got things you got to put down there. Maybe there's things that you need to get rid of, okay? It can be a therapeutic way to clear up your mind. And it's also part of a great evening ritual to get you off on the right foot, running in the right direction in the coming morning. All right, folks, that brings us to the end of today's episode. We've covered a lot of ground diving deep into the five biggest fitness priorities for Gen X Men and the crucial role that rest and recovery play in each. Now, remember, whether it's muscle gain, fat loss, cardiovascular health, flexibility, mobility or mental health, rest and recovery are not optional.
Coach Neil D [00:26:35]: They are essential. And to Dan and everyone else grappling with Add and any other challenges, know that a balanced approach to fitness can be a game changer, not just for your physique, but for your mental well being, too. And the last thing I want to leave you with is it's not just about the hustle and the grind. It's also about listening to your body and giving it the rest it deserves. So take care of yourself. And as always, small changes lead to big results when you just start.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2010.234
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sleep-and-mental-health
