Topic: Rest day?

[Extimes]

I understand that your body needs rest to recover from a workout, especially a heavy one, but what's the theory behind a rest day?  I see the Crossfit WOD has rest days, but what's the rationale behind scheduling them on that specific day?  As a corrolary to that, shouldn't you be able to plan them ahead of time?

My workouts have generally been pretty light, and I haven't taken much rest time in the last month and a half.  I'm feeling fine and able to keep going, but should I still be taking a rest day every now and then?

[Steven Low]

CrossFit operates on a 3 on 1 off schedule. They are planned rest days and they allow your muscles and CNS to recover from being beaten to a pulp. The schedule is relatively periodized so that you won't overtrain if you are used to the volume.

Every 6-8 weeks one should take a lighter intensity week or half a week to allow the body to recover to maximum. You should read up a bit on periodization and the fatigue-fitness theory. It will probably clear up a lot of your questions.