'Resting more between workouts changed my body. Here's how it could transform yours’
Being competitive has been part of my DNA since childhood. In my adult years, I still struggle with putting my natural drive towards intensity to rest, which can be an issue when it comes to workouts. If my legs feel like goo after an intense lower-body day, I still want to dive back in the next day and push myself harder. And while scaling back isn’t in my nature, I’ve learned that rest is an essential part of any training routine—after all, it’s when the real magic of muscle-building happens.
But how much rest do you need between workouts to build muscle efficiently?
There is a sweet spot to hit when it comes to adequate rest, but unfortunately, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. That said, there are some general parameters to consider based on your fitness goals and the type of workouts you do, says Alexander Rothstein, EdD, an exercise physiologist and educator.
Below, experts explain the factors to consider when planning out your rest days, and why carefully planned recovery time is crucial for reaching your individual fitness goals.
Meet the experts: Alexander Rothstein, EdD, exercise physiologist and program coordinator of Exercise Science at New York Institute of Technology; Steven K. Malin, PhD, a researcher and associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Hans Haverkamp, PhD, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at Washington State University
What it takes for your muscles to heal and grow
It may seem counterintuitive, but rest is an essential part of building muscle and strength.
'When we’re exercising or doing any positive stress for the body, what we’re really doing is breaking down muscle tissue,' Rothstein says. But your body needs rest to allow muscle fibre tears to recover and actually support tissue growth—a process known as hypertrophy, Rothstein says. 'The rest period gives the opportunity for all the nutrients to arrive [to the muscles], and for the actual building to occur,' he says.
This repair and adaptation can’t occur 'if the muscles are not allowed sufficient recovery,' adds Hans Haverkamp, PhD, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology. Meaning, your muscles won't grow, even though you're putting in the work.
Proper nutrition, including adequate protein, is also crucial to this process, says Steven K. Malin, PhD, a kinesiology researcher and educator. Protein provides the essential building blocks, or amino acids, that your body uses to repair and rebuild muscle tissue, making it a key player in optimising recovery and muscle growth.
How much rest you need between workouts, based on your goals
Again, there are a lot of variables that go into how much rest you need, including the type of workouts you do, your experience level, and even your sleep quality.
But there are some overarching recovery recommendations that exercise specialists usually advise. 'Typically 48 hours is advised when following moderate- to high-intensity programmes,' Malin says. 'The more intense the programmes, the more time needed.'
In some cases, like a really hard leg day, you may need 72 hours to rest that particular muscle group, Malin says. But experts stress that there is some variation here.
If you're trying to build muscle
Experts recommend resting 48 to 72 hours between workouts targeting the same muscle group.
Muscle-building usually involves heavy lifting—that is, more weight but fewer reps. 'The general recommendation for rest is 48 to 72 hours before working the same muscle group again,' Rothstein says. 'That means you would hit each muscle group twice per week.'
If it’s a particularly tough workout, Rothstein recommends resting two to three days before targeting the same muscle group again.
But try to listen to your body here: 'If you are still noticeably sore two days following a challenging day of resistance training, adding another day or two of recovery might be beneficial,' Haverkamp adds.
If you’re doing bodyweight exercises, like planks and squats without additional weights or resistance, you don’t necessarily need to rest that long before targeting the same muscle group, Rothstein says.
If you’re lifting heavy weights, your workout and rest schedule may look like:
If you're training for an endurance event
Experts recommend alternating between high- and low-intensity workout days and incorporating at least one day of total rest or active recovery.
Endurance events are a little different. If you’re training for a marathon or long cycling event, Rothstein says you can do more active exercise days in a row. 'I would just alternate high-intensity training days with lower-intensity days,' he says. You also may want to mix up your workouts to allow you to still challenge your cardiovascular system, but to give certain muscle groups a break. 'Some people will train six days a week and do nothing on day seven, or do an active recovery day, like Pilates or yoga where it’s less intensity but still recovery,' Rothstein says.
If you’re training for a running endurance race, that may look like:
Distance run at a slower pace
Running workout at race pace
Distance run at a slower pace
Cycling or swimming workout
Running workout at race pace
Distance run at a slower pace
Pilates class
If you mostly take group workout classes
Experts recommend taking a rest day at least every three to four days of consecutive classes as well as mixing up the type of workout classes you’re doing.
If you’re into group workout classes, you’re unlikely to need as much recovery as if you were doing something like heavy lifting, Rothstein says. 'You can do more days, and more days in a row', he says. 'You can also take a rest day after three to four classes in a row.'
Rothstein just recommends mixing up your workout classes to try to target different muscle groups. (Bonus: This also keeps things fresh.)
That can look like:
Indoor cycling class
Dance-based class
Barre class
HIIT class
Yoga class or stretching
Indoor cycling class
Pilates class
Signs you’re not getting enough rest
There are a few key symptoms you’re not giving your body the rest it needs. 'Fatigue and drowsiness throughout the day is a primary example of this,' Malin says. You may also feel irritable, and you might feel less motivated to work out than usual, he says.Dealing with constant nagging injuries can also be a sign you’re not resting enough, Rothstein says. 'Listen to your body, notice when your overall mood state worsens, and when your irritability "fuse" gets shorter and your mood state becomes more volatile,' Haverkamp says. 'These are signs that you might need to back off on training volume and intensity for a few days.'
Rest versus active recovery
The terms 'rest' and 'active recovery' are sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. Rest can mean light movement throughout the day, Malin says. 'Rest doesn’t mean sit down and don’t do any physical activity', he says. 'Rest really is getting at the idea of minimising strenuous physical activity.' (But 'total rest' does mean basically sitting on your butt.)
Active recovery is a little different. 'Active recovery usually includes light movement', Malin says. Here are a few examples of each.
Total rest
Watching Netflix
Taking a nap
Reading on your couch
Active recovery
Doing a light bike ride
Going for an easy walk
Taking a beginner yoga class
There’s also something called passive recovery, where you might do something like get a massage, do a cold plunge, or use compression gear, Malin says. 'Passive recovery is designed where the person is not moving much, but rather efforts are made to oppose aspects of exercise', he says.
How to get the most out of rest days
It’s easy to think of rest and recovery as unimportant compared to your workouts, but experts say it’s important to consider them as part of your overall training plan. 'I definitely would include these as part of a planned, can’t-give-it-up aspect of individual workouts,' Rothstein says.
On days when you’re pressed for time, he even suggests shortening your workout and giving yourself more active recovery instead of going too hard and risking an injury.
Foam rolling, mobility work and stretching, and massage (including from a massage gun), are all important elements that can help with rest and recovery, Rothstein says.
While you’re at it, don’t neglect other areas of wellness—they all can contribute to your overall results. 'Nutrition, hydration, and sleep are primary,' Malin says. 'People ought to really make sure they hit their caloric needs as well as carbohydrate and protein goals.' (It's generally recommended that regular exercisers eat 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kg of body weight to support tissue growth. So, for a 68 kg woman, that's about 82 to 102 grams of protein per day.)
Staying well hydrated (i.e., your pee is a pale yellow colour) is important for good blood flow as well as to flush out waste, Malin says. And he recommends aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep a night, if you can.
'The key, again, is to almost have the mind frame that recovery is actually a part of your training,' Malin says. 'Better athletes acknowledge that stress and recovery enable growth.'
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