Two days of rest from strength training

For the 90% of ordinary trainers who train 3-5 times a week with the goal of building muscle/maintaining strength levels, resting the corresponding muscle groups for two days after strength training is the most cost-effective and error-tolerant option. It is neither lazy nor will you lose muscle at all. Of course, this is not an iron rule. The specific length of rest depends on your own body feedback.

If you think about it, when we practice strength, we are essentially causing micro-damage to the muscle fibers. The muscles will become bigger and thicker, and it all depends on the body's automatic repair and replenishment during rest, making it stronger than before, which is often referred to as excessive recovery. When I read information about sports physiology before, I saw that the recovery window for large muscle groups such as chest, back, and legs is basically 48-72 hours. If you are stuck for just two days, your next training session will be at the peak of excessive recovery, which is the most efficient way to build muscle and less likely to cause fatigue. Last year, I took a student who was engaged in Internet operations. He was always afraid of resting and losing muscles. He continued to do chest clamping the day after doing chest training. After three months of training, his bust size did not increase at all, and he always complained about shoulder pain. Later, he changed to chest training and then rested for two days before doing pressing exercises. In two months, the chest size increased by 3cm, and the number of pains was reduced by half.

Last time I heard two novices arguing at the gym. One said that he had to rest for three days before he could train the same part, and the other said that he would gain weight faster by practicing every day. They argued for half an hour. In the end, the two of them combined did not bench press 100kg, which really made me laugh. In fact, there is really no need to treat two days as an ironclad rule that cannot be touched. People with different training levels and different training goals have different rest rhythms. Lao Zhou, who has been practicing in the gym for almost ten years, goes to the gym every day. If you ask him how long he takes a break, he will say that his small muscle groups basically never rest. After practicing his biceps today, he can even add two sets of curls tomorrow - he does 6 sets every time he trains his biceps. His capacity is small, his nerves are not tired, and he recovers naturally and quickly. Friends who practice CrossFit are fine if they train six days a week. The training content is a mixture of cardiorespiratory, flexibility, and strength with light weights. They don’t build muscle fibers to the death every time. Of course, they don’t need to be stuck for two days.

I have stepped into this trap before. I foolishly followed the high-frequency differentiation of Olympians. I did light-weight leg extensions the next day after training my legs. I felt that I was professional enough. However, I had just squatted 160kg the day before. When I was doing the exercises the next day, my legs became weak and I twisted my knees. I had to wear a plaster for half a month. Only later did I realize that the players had team doctors and rehabilitation specialists, and there were dedicated people watching over their daily diet and recovery. Why would I, an ordinary fan, join in the fun?

In fact, you don’t need to be stuck on the number of two days. You don’t need to look at the calendar to judge whether you should take a rest. Just look at your own body. If you get up the next day after training and have to hold on to the handrail when going down the stairs, and your muscles feel sluggish when exerting force, then let alone two days, three days is not too much. ； If you have done 10 sets of core exercises and a few sets of arm curls that day, and the volume is so small that you don’t feel any soreness after the exercise, then it will not affect you at all if you do whatever you want to do the next day. Beginners, especially, should not always compete with the big guys. You have just practiced for three months, and your nerve recruitment ability has not been developed. If you feel pain for three days after one practice, then you should rest for two days and then touch the same part again. If you are injured while trying to practice, you will still be the loser.

To put it bluntly, the purpose of strength training is to make yourself more comfortable and not to stick to a timetable. If you go to the gym after two days off and see the barbell and want to rush up, then the rest is worth it. ； If you feel itchy all over after a day off, and your condition is good enough to charge an extra 5kg, then there is nothing wrong with training. The best plan is the one that sticks to you and doesn't make you injured.