SUPERCHARGE YOUR DOWNTIME

MY FINAL REP was a failure. As I crumpled on the bench of my home gym, I raised the Garmin Fenix 5 (1) that was strapped to my wrist and flipped through the data. My VO2 max had gone into the purple “superior” section and, on the next screen, my recommended recovery time until my next workout had risen from one day to two. I’d achieved my goal: to push myself hard enough to have technology bestow upon me another rest day.

The idea of recovery has evolved rapidly. It used to be that, after a workout, you’d simply ice, rest