How much rest in between workouts?

MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

Hey guys! I get confused as to how much I should be resting in between strenuous workouts. Sometimes I get carried away and don’t know when I should take a day off. It always nips me in the butt later, too.

I know it varies from person to person, but how much is it recommended that I rest in between working out to maintain/lose weight?

Comments

  • they say 5 times a week is enough…2 days off a week is good to lose weight…

  • Luna bluLuna blu Raw Newbie

    I would say do a heavy workout let’s say Monday, and the next day have an active rest day. So go out for a brisk walk and cycle. This keeps the lactic acid from settling into the ‘abused’ muscles!;) This of course depends on your fitness level. I used to train for fitness competition and bodybuilding and I pretty much went hard for 6 days a week!!

  • AKAAuburnEyesAKAAuburnEyes Raw Newbie

    A good rule of thumb is to wait 48-72 hours after a strenuous workout before the next one. Most people under-recover and though you won’t see the harm from that for a while you won’t see the benefits from your exercise either. Nothing actually happens while you are at the gym (or wherever it is you do your strenuous exercise) it happens while you are sitting on your butt or sleeping – allowing your body to make the changes you asked of it. Another key part in recovery is getting some quality carbs (fruit is best) in to you within two hours of your workout (the sooner the better) to replenish your glycogen stores. Your body has to do that before it can begin to make changes. Your recovery days can be active or passive like Luna says. Typically I suggest “a brisk walk around the block” type of intensity. Something you can do for hours comfortably.

  • lzhptlzhpt Raw Newbie

    That depends, MOTH. I usually recommend for my clients to take 2 complete rest days per week. If you are running to train for something big, these days usually fall around the long run—the day before the long weekly run and possibly the day after your sprints. Light yoga is quite acceptable for a “day off” as it improves the recovery time and obviously has many benefits. Hope your knees are well.

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