I feel like a bit of moron.

No one had commented on this blog for a long time. Then today I notice that the comment notification emails were being sent to an invalid email address [sigh]. Thanks to those who have commented on past postings over the last month or two - I only just got them now!

Now to the subject of this post. What is the best recovery time for you as an individual? I've come to believe this is a very personal thing. By recovery time I mean the length of time that you are not working out.

In a typical bodybuilder routine they talk about 3, 4, or 5 day splits. On a 3 day routine you are working out on 3 days and resting for 4.

A Crossfit routine (workout of the day) is 3 days on followed by 1 day rest.

Recently I've started taking bigger breaks between workouts. Maybe it's lazyness. Maybe it's because I'm actually chopping and hauling firewood instead of having planned workouts.

Either way I noticed an interesting thing. When it comes to bodyweight dips (no added weights) I can generally only get out about 20 in one hit.

The other day - after not working my chest for well over 10 days - I got on the dip bars and banged out 28 dips - the most ever.

Obviously it depends on your workout load - and I've discovered that - for me - workouts with deadlifts need the longest recovery time. Then there are a myriad of other variables - including nutrition and quality sleep.

How in tune with your body are you? Can you identify your optimal recovery and rest time?

Over the last month or so I have scaled down some of my more intense workouts.

Why? Because I was losing too much weight!

A strange thing to happen - but quite simply - I am not eating enough to sustain the levels of training. And... when you are generally eating healthy and have been doing for some time - it is rare to overeat.

When I fail to eat enough - then I start burning up muscle - which is one of the most self-defeating things you can do.

Another thought occured to me. If your goal is fitness - once an "appropriate" level of fitness is maintained - then you have a job "holding on" to that fitness level.

Spend three weeks on the couch - and all your hard-earned fitness gains go out the window. So it's important to set goals and figure out exactly what it is you are after.

Go into any large gym today and you will find an enormous array of machines. There are a couple of machines for every single muscle group.

However, unless you are a bodybuilder really trying to perfect that sculpted physique, I really question the value of spending a lot of time working away on all these isolated exercises.

In many gyms it's quite rare to see anyone deadlifting - whether for fear of getting technique wrong, or maybe doing something silly - I really don't know.

If there is any single exercise that hits the largest amount of muscle groups in one hit - then the deadlift is it. It surely is one of the most powerful metabolic boosters there is. You can do heavy low-reps, or power through 15 rep sets that leave you gasping.

Of course getting the technique right is extremely important - BUT - we all have different shaped bodies and good technique on one person can look different on another person (it's to do with length of your back relative to leg length). Make sure you get a trainer to assist you with correct technique.

So why aren't you deadlifting?

BBC News have found the reason for 'Roid Rage.

High levels of testosterone kills off nerve cells.

The Yale team exposed cultured nerve cells to testosterone, and found that it triggered programmed cell death (apoptosis).

This can lead to a "catastrophic" loss of brain cells.

"People think steroids are banned because they are performance enhancing, but the second, equally important, reason is that they are known to have a major negative effect on people's health.

Steer clear of the juice. Who wants to get Parkinsons or Alzheimers disease?

The US government guidelines on healthy eating (MyPyramid) advise 30 minutes per day of exercise. Does that mean you don't cut it if you do less than thirty minutes?

An exercise prescription that neglects advice on intensity is remiss.

I have done workouts that took just 11 minutes long and left me gasping for air and feeling "worked out" for many days afterwards. That's because intensity was at max., and the exercises included a combination of weight bearing and other methods with as little resting as possible.

I know people who spend over 1 and a half hours at the gym. Most of that time is actually spent resting between sets. Presumably that gives them the best possible chance of "getting big". However it isn't the only way to exercise - and neither is precisely 30 minutes of cardio training (such as walking).

Mix it up! Work Hard... then see what happens. Your routine doesn't have to be an endless series of yawn-inducing cardio sessions.

What was that 11 minute workout?

• 21 Hang Squat Cleans @40kg (90 lbs)
• 21 Assisted Hand Stand Push ups (I can't hand stand so I hook my feet over the squat rack).
• 21 Deadlifts (body weight)
• 21 Dips

Now on the deadlifts there was no way I could do those in one hit - so I split them up - panting like a dog in between each mini-set.

If you are going to try these kind of workouts please be very careful. This workout was proceeded by a comprehensive warmup (which makes it more than 11 minutes I guess!).

Over the last month or so I have been plagued with dull pain in the forearms. It is a feeling very similar to "shin splints" - if you have ever been jogging.

Apparently it is cause by a problem with the tendons and really, only months of rest will let it heal. I have always been weak in that area, and some of it may be caused by too much time at the keyboard.

The problem is exacerbated by movements using the bicep - such as bicep curls, chin-ups, and pull-ups. Once the problem is there, most movements requiring a strong grip action can become painful.

Overuse problems are far more common that what we realize. Just find any former competitive gymnast. By the time they reach thirty most of their joints are not in good shape at all.

Sometimes you can do all the warming up, you can supplement with a multi-vitamin, and you can ensure you consume the right fats in your diet... and still injury can come calling.

When a workout tells you to squat, you usually ask "How much weight?".

However squats without any weight (called "air squats" by some) are a great exercise. The other day I had muscle soreness from doing such squats - almost as if I had been squating a heavy weight.

In this particular workout I had done 3 sets of 50 reps.

Squatting is one of the most useful exercises as it's something we use every day - even getting out of your chair benefits from squatting skills.

Have you tried squats with no weight? Don't forget to keep those reps high.