It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it’s a confusing week for me. A couple days ago I spoke with Hany about our plan of attack for 2011 and he says we are on the right track but my body needs a break. I don’t really know what that means and I’ve never really taken breaks myself except for maybe a couple days after a show here and there. This past year working together he has already given me one break about six months ago and this week we are on the second. I’ve been going pretty hard for about five or six months now since I started dieting for the FLEX Pro (about 17 weeks out from the FLEX) and we’re now 5 weeks after the ASC. I guess that is a little much and my body needs a rest. So Hany tells me, “okay it’s time to shut it down for a week and let your body rest. “ My first reaction is a little disappointment since I would miss legs this week and soon after I had a moment of relief, thinking to myself I get a week off to just sleep and watch movies. My body has been very tired since the shows and I can’t express how bad my sleeping patterns have been. One night I’ll sleep 3-4 hours and then get up to eat and won’t be able to go back to sleep; the next night I’m out like a light till 3pm in the afternoon. My body is definitely trying to tell me something and the beauty about working with Hany is he can look at stuff like that and say, “Shut it down, get some sleep and don’t train until you’ve had your rest.” We both know if will only be a few days and no more. I’m already on my third day of this rest period and itching to get back in the gym. It doesn’t take long to recover when your appetite is through the roof. It seems like I can’t stop eating, whether its clean food or not I’m just attacking the calories like I’m a homeless guy who’s never seen food. All signs point to rest and recovery: The eating, the sleeping patterns, the up and down workouts…so why ignore it. I have a partner who won’t take a break even if he’s sick. Let me tell you flat out: That is NOT hardcore. Your body needs rest and needs recovery, sometimes more than others. When it’s trying to tell you something you have to listen because when you don’t that’s when injuries or illnesses occur. The one thing I can say I’m doing wrong in this week off is maybe enjoying food a little too much. I hit the grocery store the other day and couldn’t keep my hands out of the bulk bins…lol. Shut up, you know you all do it! You walk by the bulk bins, look around and see if anyone’s looking, then you go for a cookie or in my case a big brick of chocolate with almonds in it. Actually, that chunk of chocolate triggered a chain reaction and by the time I left my kart looked like a 10year old had made the shopping list. Oh well, what can you do, it’s my week off, might as well enjoy it. Sacrifice Without Regret, Fouad ‘Hoss’ Abiad www.fouadhossabiad.com
