What's the maximum rest your body needs?

Dudess

I'm joining a gym in the new year (yeah, yeah... ) as opposed to what I do now - on and off trips to a pay-as-you-go gym. I'd like to get the maximum out of my membership and go as many times a week as possible. From what I gather elsewhere on the Fitness forum though, the body requires a certain amount of rest and it's not a good idea to train every single day.

Don't want to be resting too much either, so what does the body need per week? A day off? Two days off?

amazingemmet

Depends completely on your work capacity, Some people will only need one day off a week to make progress others might only be able to handle two days training a week.

Dudess

Well I would have the ability to work out seven days a week (probably not the most rigorous of workouts I admit, but I wouldn't exactly be doing just gentle trotting/strolling on the treadmill - I do push myself until I break a sweat and am breathless and in need of stopping).

g'em

Dudess wrote: »

Don't want to be resting too much either, so what does the body need per week? A day off? Two days off?

In terms of "one-size-fits-all" advice, a one day on, one day off approach should be fine.

When you start out you'll likely feel a combination of surges of energy (the "omgmybodyissoamazinglookwhatIcando1!!" factor) and slumps of compelte exhaustion (the "omgmybodyissocrapandunfiti'llneverbeabletorunamilewithoutstoppingforbreath" factor). Keep working through this. It won't take long to figure out the difference between when you're feel genuinely too tired to train and when you're just feeling a bit lazy and you know a good session would brighten you up no end.

Don't kill yourself when you start out - an hour of solid activity (30 mins weights/ 30 mins cardio for example) is plenty, and if you really want to do something on your rest days do something low-intensity like walking or swimming.

It goes without saying of course that when you get your initial assessment and are given a workout plan be sure to post it here to have it scrutinised and torn apart

dave80

Dudess wrote: »

I'm joining a gym in the new year (yeah, yeah... ) as opposed to what I do now - on and off trips to a pay-as-you-go gym. I'd like to get the maximum out of my membership and go as many times a week as possible. From what I gather elsewhere on the Fitness forum though, the body requires a certain amount of rest and it's not a good idea to train every single day.

Don't want to be resting too much either, so what does the body need per week? A day off? Two days off?

Depends on wat your doing really, heres mine depending on wat i do

Weight Training Only:

day 1: weights
Day 2: Weights
Day 3: Off (You could do Cardio here)
Day 4: Weights
Day 5: Weights
Day 6: Off (You could do Cardio here)
Day 7: Off

Weights and Cardio:

Day 1: weights
Day 2: Cardio
Day 3: Weights
Day 4: Cardio
Day 5: Weights
Day 6: Cardio
Day 7: Off

Dudess

Thanks a mil g'em and Dave. I'm not a "beginner" though so I don't think I'd require every second day off. Basically I want to up my activity levels from medium to high. Do you know whether one or two days' rest per week would suffice for me?

celestial

Dudess wrote: »

Thanks a mil g'em and Dave. I'm not a "beginner" though so I don't think I'd require every second day off. Basically I want to up my activity levels from medium to high. Do you know whether one or two days' rest per week would suffice for me?

Check amazingemmet's post above It really is all about listening to your body.

g'em

Dudess wrote: »

I'm not a "beginner" though so I don't think I'd require every second day off. Basically I want to up my activity levels from medium to high.

It completely depends on what you're doing. I physically can't do more than 3 full-on sessions per week or I'll burn out very, very fast - the type of training I'm doing demands a lot from me physically. On top of that I do one or two lighter intensity sessions.

You really won't be able to sustain "high" activity all the time, something has to give. Why not aim for 2-3 high sessions and 2-3 low-medium sessions? That way you'll be more likely to stay consistent, you'll be able to gauge your body's reactions on a variety of levels and you'll probably see better progress. Athletes in many, many different fields cycle their training in that way, it's a necessity.

vibes23

g'em wrote: »

It goes without saying of course that when you get your initial assessment and are given a workout plan be sure to post it here to have it scrutinised and torn apart

Ok g'em, get to work, its scrutinising time

My work out is based around my weight program. which is this:

warm up + strectchin ->
bench press 30Kg x 15 reps ->
Cable pull (i think its called, sit down pull cable toward chest its four your back)!
Leg Press 120Kgs x 15->
Barbel curls 20kgs x 15->
up right rows 27.5kgs x 15->
seated dumbell press for shoulder 15kgs each hand x 15->
Lat pull down 45kgs x 15->

Wait for about 1.5-2mins go again repeat 3 times.

Takes about 20 mins - its fairly high intensive. then i do 30 mins cardio. heart rate to above 150bpm

TBH im working toward the 30min cardio so im only at 20min.

Monday - Weight + 30min cardio
Tuesday - 60min cardio
Wed- Weight + 30min cardio
thur - Cardio
Friday - I tend to rest or do extra cardio
Sat - Weights or depending what i did friday
Sun - rest

I also do floor work to working abbs etc

Now this is pretty new program but about 2 weeks in i feel savage, have dropped 8pounds. and can see difference in my clothes already.

So what do you think ? everyone !!!!

Racing Flat

Dudess wrote: »

I'm joining a gym in the new year (yeah, yeah... ) as opposed to what I do now - on and off trips to a pay-as-you-go gym. I'd like to get the maximum out of my membership and go as many times a week as possible. From what I gather elsewhere on the Fitness forum though, the body requires a certain amount of rest and it's not a good idea to train every single day.

Don't want to be resting too much either, so what does the body need per week? A day off? Two days off?

Do you not mean 'minimum' rest?

Oryx

Its pretty much all been said above, listen to your body, do what you are able for. Id say aim high then see what happens. Intend to do say, 5 or 6 nights, but dont beat yourself up on the days when you take a rest, even if you end up doing a regular four days mostly. Take breaks when you need them. What you dont want to happen is that you get burned out or bored within a few weeks. It is hard to fit that kind of five or six day commitment into your life long term. Have a fixed idea of what you are going to do each time, and make it varied. That way you wont be wandering into the gym and pootling aimlessly at the same thing youve done for weeks. If you get bored, get a new programme, or do something like a class or outdoor run for variety.

Set goals too, so you can progress towards something.

Dudess

Racing Flat wrote: »

Do you not mean 'minimum' rest?

Hmmm... I'm not sure actually. Either could apply... I think.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Dudess wrote: »

Basically I want to up my activity levels from medium to high. Do you know whether one or two days' rest per week would suffice for me?

Dudess, this is very simple really.

If you up your activity from medium to high, and given that your nutrition is good and your getting a normal nights sleep most people will not over train.

But I'd caution against leaving the gym absolutely knackered from your workout, this is the time when over training for the casual gym goer becomes a reality, but thats a level of activity which most people won't reach training alone. Hard to believe, but its true. Always leave the gym feeling good, refreshed and ready for a little more, leaving exhausted is sowing the seeds of failure.

A little advice, if your planning on increasing your intensity get yourself a heart rate monitor. After training instinctively for years I took the advice off Cowzerp and purchased one, its turned my training on its head and sometimes leaves me feeling that I've wasted twenty years training - thinking I was breaking my balls when in fact I was training at best less than 50% of my max.

WolfForager

Well i weight train about 3-4 times a week and so far i've fallen asleep in school 4 times in the last 2 weeks. Never happened before. Tbh i think 3 days a week is fine. I just do 2 split session and 1 full body.