To move a person from zero to 80% in strength and conditioning doesn't require much. Stimulate the muscle or the oxygen uptake system more than what it has been working and the body will adapt. Do it again and the body will also adapt again. Stimulating and then letting the body adapt is how we get into "shape".
The REAL WORK begins once we have gotten into decent condition and pretty good strength levels. Going for the 80% on up into the 90s requires muscles and heart/lungs working hard but not when they are fatigued.
Too often we go from one workout to the next, not letting ourselves adapt. We try to train an overtrained system only to drive ourselves further into a deeper fatigued state, causing a more catabolic state.
Don't train an overtrained muscle!
Understand this, I am NOT the guy who promotes countless "restoration" modalities. Hot tubs, cold tubs, foam rolling, whatever, that's the other guys' thing. ME? I think SLEEP is the most important way to restore.
Getting a solid seven to eight hours per night and taking a resting (not BASAL) heart rate will help dictate the type of training (or if at all) the next day.
If you tossed and turned with an elevated RHR and don't feel like you can tear the ass end off a charging rhinoceros, then backing the intensity down or even switching the training, or IF AT ALL, is a good idea and will promote greater growth.
Today's Training:
Cycle
Ab Wheel: 4x12
4-way Neck: 1x12
GHR: 5x12
Reverse Hyper: 2x10
Dynamic Deadlift: 12x1
Leg Curl: 4x10
Reverse Hyper: 2x10
Cycle