The people who last on a hard protocol plan the off-weeks. Everyone else runs it until it breaks and quits. Rest is not weakness; it is the mechanism that lets you keep going for years.
Signals
Motivation flat for more than a week. Sleep worse without a reason. Small joint aches that will not clear. Getting sick right after a hard block. Any two of these together is your cue.
- Flat motivation, not just a bad day.
- Sleep worse without a clear cause.
- Persistent minor aches.
- Sick after a hard block.
What a rest week is
Walk instead of train. Sleep an hour longer. Same food. Keep the sun and the water. Skip cold, skip intensity, keep the boring parts. Book the next one before you leave this one.
