Take the day off

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, August, 2004

Take the day off "It's tempting to work out every day, especially for an Olympic athlete who has a limited number of training days until trials or the actual games," says Jack Bauerle, an assistant coach for the U.S. women's swim team at the 2000 Olympic Games and currently the coach of several Olympic hopefuls. However, the body needs to recover. "If you work hard enough consistently, then a day off is not a four letter word," says Bauerle, adding that the best day to rest is the day after a super high intensity workout.

--M.B.