How many rest days should you have a week? (2023)

Is 1 rest day a week enough?

A rest day is a day in which a person takes a break from their regular workout routine. Rest days are an important part of any exercise program. They give the body a chance to repair and recover, and help to prevent injury. A person should plan to have at least one rest day every 7–10 days.

It turns out, exercise experts pretty much agree on the number of rest days people who are in good shape and exercising regularly should take: On average, you should be taking two days per week for rest and active recovery.

If you choose 3 high-intensity sessions, then it's perfectly fine to have 4 rest days. Or, you could make some of these days into active rest days, where you perform an exercise such as yoga or swimming to boost physical activity.

If you don't sleep well or long enough consistently for a few days, your reaction time, immunity, cognitive functions, and endurance will decrease, with compounds the symptoms of overtraining. Dr. Wickham says that two rest days in a row should be enough to reset the body back into a normal sleep schedule and cycle.

Downtime between workouts (whether you're lifting, doing cardio or training for a sport) is when our bodies have a chance to actually build muscle. Strenuous workouts cause muscle breakdown, while rest allows our bodies to build it back up.

If you are working out two times per day and 6-7 days per week, there is a very good chance you are overtraining.

Anywhere from three to five days is a good number (as long as you are resting enough in between sessions—more on that later). I typically do two upper-body days and three lower-body days per week.

Essentially, this means your body is burning a lot of fuel after training to repair the tissue. With your body working that hard behind the scenes, it's no surprise you may feel a little knackered. But that's particularly true if you are eating less on rest days, as is pretty common for gym-goers.

How Many Days a Week Should I Work Out for Best Results? In an ideal world, you should work out 5-6 days a week for best results. These workouts should involve a mix of strength training and cardio exercise. The more variety you can include in terms of the types of exercise you do, the better.

Also important: While a rest day is a pause from your normal routine, it doesn't necessarily mean you can't do anything active during it. A rest day could involve just sitting on the couch and chilling, or it could include active recovery activities, like stretching, foam rolling, yoga, walking, or easy biking.

Do muscles need rest to grow?

It's recommended to rest for 72 hours before working out the same muscle group again. This gives your body the time it needs for muscle recovery and growth without risking injury from overtraining or under-recovery.

According to Debra, that depends on your current fitness level. “If you are new to exercise, you should have about two days of rest within the week,” she said. “If you are a more experienced athlete and are more aware of your body, you can get by with just one day of rest per week.”

You're sleep deprived

Exercising when you're running on empty also increases your risk of injury. So if you're exhausted, the best thing you can do for your body is to get a good night of rest and get back in the gym the next day.

Aim for 20-30g protein every 2-4 hours throughout the day. This will support recovery by keeping your intake of amino acids steady. Focus on natural, complex carbs from wholegrains, potatoes and root vegetables, and fruits as these will deliver important vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

“They often assume that they don't need as much fuel since they're not exercising, but this can deter muscle protein synthesis that your body needs for increased strength and muscle mass.” In other words, make sure you consume your usual amount of calories on rest days to ensure muscle growth and recovery.

Protein is essential for supporting muscle recovery on rest days. It's important to consume high-quality protein sources on non-workout days to optimize recovery. One high-quality protein source to include on both active and rest days is protein shakes.

A “bro split” refers to any workout routine (or “split”) that trains different body parts (or muscle groups) on different days. For instance, training arms one day, chest another, shoulders another, and so on.

In fact, you can train the same muscle groups—and train them hard—three, five, or up to seven days a week if you want to. And doing so can bring the best muscle and strength gains of your life.

How sore is too sore to workout?

Soreness is considered normal if it occurs between 24-72 hours after a workout, and if it does not prevent you from completing normal daily activities. If it lasts longer than this, or is so intense that it prevents you from functioning normally, it could be a sign of significant damage.

Weight training for 20 to 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week is enough to see results. You should try to target all your major muscle groups at least twice throughout your weekly workouts. While you may not see results right away, even a single strength training session can help promote muscle growth.

You might find it hard to recover from workouts if you lift every day. Inhibited recovery: Perhaps the biggest downfall to daily strength training is that your body doesn't get a real chance to recover. This can lead to muscle overuse injuries or issues with muscle imbalances if you don't carefully plan your workouts.

You need a day off

If you're unenthused, feel heavy, sore, are underslept and can't really feel the benefit of doing a workout, take a day or two off. You'll likely come back the next day feeling enthused and more energetic. Note: Include 1-2 days minimum of rest per week.

Rest day is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of low impact workouts such as yoga or Pilates. Or simply take a walk. The idea is to take a break from those hardcore gym workouts, yet keep your body moving. Aim for 30-45 minutes of light recovery exercise on rest day.

If you just started with a new exercise program or are new to lifting in general, rest every third day. That is, you should work out two consecutive days and rest the third. On the other hand, if you've been in the game for quite some time, you can afford to take an active recovery day once a week.

If you're training six or seven times per week but you're not training for a specific sport, event or competition, chances are you're overtraining.

Muscle mass is denser than fat mass and you will undoubtedly gain weight from lean muscle gains. While your clothes may feel looser, the scale may tell you otherwise. This is a win! You're working a well-rounded program that includes both strength and conditioning and now you're reaping the reward.

Increased muscle fuel also adds a little weight

When you exercise regularly, your body stores more glycogen to fuel that exercise. Stored in water, glycogen has to bind with water as part of the process to fuel the muscle. That water adds a small amount of weight, too.

The telltale sign of overtraining is a lack of improved performance, despite an increase in training intensity or volume. Decreased agility, strength and endurance, such as slower reaction timesand reduced running speeds are all common signs of overtraining.

Can I be lazy on rest days?

Mistake #1: Being Totally Lazy on a Rest Day

Rest days are about relaxation and recovery. But, that doesn't mean you should just plop down on the couch and stop moving. That can actually be counterproductive. We know that sitting time is detrimental and lying around on a day off can make you feel sluggish.

The reason many recommend rest days is to allow the body's muscles to recover from any damage they've sustained during workouts, and to allow them to grow. And numerous scientific studies show that rest days do indeed play an important role in helping us maintain good health and fitness.

The heart and lungs never take a day off. The days you are not in the gym lifting, the heart and lungs are still working. It is what they are designed to do. So, by training them or giving them a workout every day, the overall benefits to the body are tremendous.

Muscle hypertrophy occurs when the fibers of the muscles sustain damage or injury. The body repairs damaged fibers by fusing them, which increases the mass and size of the muscles. Certain hormones, including testosterone, human growth hormone, and insulin growth factor, also play a role in muscle growth and repair.

Most beginners will see noticeable muscle growth within eight weeks, while more experienced lifters will see changes in three to four weeks. Most individuals gain one to two pounds of lean muscle per month with the right strength training and nutrition plan.

Skipping workouts for a few days, or even a week, really isn't going to do much. In fact, sometimes, your body may need it.

Is 6 hours of sleep enough to build muscle? No way. You should try to get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night in order to maximize muscle growth and support your health.

You may burn fewer calories if you go to bed right after as opposed to staying awake and moving around. However, this is not a hard fact, and there is conflicting evidence to suggest that working out right before going to bed or taking a nap can actually promote weight loss.

What's so important about sleep? Well, first of all, it's essential for muscle recovery; without adequate rest and proper nutrition, you can train all day long but won't make any gains. It's important for muscle growth and recovery.

How do I burn fat without losing muscle?

Optimal rest days for muscle growth vary between people and training levels. Most people workout four to five days a week and rest two to three days, but that doesn't work for everyone. If you're putting in more intense weight training days than normal, consider taking a longer rest period. Focus on hydration.

Taking a rest day can help your body properly replace the energy stores in your muscle cells so that you have a full battery for your next hard workout. A day of rest allows your body to repair tissues damaged from the mechanical stresses of exercise.

24 to 48 hours of recovery between sessions for the same muscle group is usually enough. This way, we prevent overtraining, ensuring better results.

Take in fewer carbs and calories on rest days to compensate for the lack of exercise. If you're a casual gym goer, choose the second option. Many athletes load up on carbs and eat more calories on off training days to have increased energy for their next workouts. The choice is up to you.

"Working out when sore is okay as long as it isn't affecting your movement to the point where it's causing you to compensate and do something in a way that's unsafe," says Dr. Hedt. "Muscle soreness can be a deterrent to exercising, but it's temporary and the more you exercise, the less you should feel it.

Protein is essential for supporting muscle recovery on rest days. It's important to consume high-quality protein sources on non-workout days to optimize recovery. One high-quality protein source to include on both active and rest days is protein shakes.