Rest days

jakkidoodles
jakkidoodles Posts: 103
in Fitness and Exercise
Just wondering what you guys do about gym work outs and having days off. I've just started- am working hard without killing myself . Cardio and weights. It takes me around 2 hours to complete my workout. Am also taking classes on some days. I'm going along with what my partner thinks I should be doing- 2 on, 1 off. But I don't sit on my butt all day on a day off- school runs etc.

So. What do you do? does it work?

Replies

  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
    YES. Rest days are important. I work out HARD for 3-4 days and the other 2-3(usually it's a rest day every other day or every two days), I'll take lazy walks at the most. I see the biggest improvement in my body after a rest day or two. It also makes it easier for me to kill it at the gym when I'm not dealing with muscle fatigue.
  • dstromley1
    dstromley1 Posts: 165
    two on one off is what alot of bodybuilders follow. keeps you from overtraining. Thats what id recomend. Sometimes ill go in and do 30 mins on cardio on my off days just to do somthing.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    What kind of weight training are you doing? If you're doing splits and working different muscles/groups then you don't need to "rest" necessarily...so long as you are resting the muscles that just got worked the previous day.

    I workout 6 days per week; I do recovery cardio (usually just a walk or mellow bike ride) only on lift days (30 min) and my aerobic cardio (30 min) on my non lifting days. I lift 3x weekly and do a full body. Sunday is my day off, but I'm still just generally active.
  • dstromley1
    dstromley1 Posts: 165
    What kind of weight training are you doing? If you're doing splits and working different muscles/groups then you don't need to "rest" necessarily...so long as you are resting the muscles that just got worked the previous day.

    I workout 6 days per week; I do recovery cardio (usually just a walk or mellow bike ride) only on lift days (30 min) and my aerobic cardio (30 min) on my non lifting days. I lift 3x weekly and do a full body. Sunday is my day off, but I'm still just generally active.
    NO Not at all. Your cns needs rest
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    6 days on and 1 day off... Enjoying my Sunday Rest day as I type...... Best of Luck...
  • Gracerrr
    Gracerrr Posts: 139 Member
    I take maybe 2-3 off days a month, and usually, it's just because something came up with work that caused me to not make it to the gym.

    I alternate between an hour of circuit training on odd days and straight cardio on even days. No problem with that approach thus far.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    I do 5-6 days of cardio and weights (weights every other day) and have at least 1 or 2 rest days.
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
    Active recovery! I bust my *kitten* at the gym 5 days a week, then two days are for recovery – but even on those days I'll take a walk or bike ride. Nothing extreme, just something nice and leisurely to keep from slipping into a sloth-coma. Those are also the days I will do an epsom salt bath. By the time my it's time to hit the gym again I feel strong and ready to go and don't feel like I've just taken two steps back in progress.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Generally it depends on a number of factors. For progressively challenging resistance programs I think that "most" programs should have you training 3 to 5 days per week, program dependent.

    I am generalizing.
  • dstromley1
    dstromley1 Posts: 165
    Active recovery! I bust my *kitten* at the gym 5 days a week, then two days are for recovery – but even on those days I'll take a walk or bike ride. Nothing extreme, just something nice and leisurely to keep from slipping into a sloth-coma. Those are also the days I will do an epsom salt bath. By the time my it's time to hit the gym again I feel strong and ready to go and don't feel like I've just taken two steps back in progress.

    Some one told me to do epson salt baths before. Ive never tried it, does it really benefit your recovery
  • jakkidoodles
    jakkidoodles Posts: 103
    with weights I tend to do everything. work my way up the body. I swapped brisk walking for swimming today. :)
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
    Active recovery! I bust my *kitten* at the gym 5 days a week, then two days are for recovery – but even on those days I'll take a walk or bike ride. Nothing extreme, just something nice and leisurely to keep from slipping into a sloth-coma. Those are also the days I will do an epsom salt bath. By the time my it's time to hit the gym again I feel strong and ready to go and don't feel like I've just taken two steps back in progress.

    Some one told me to do epson salt baths before. Ive never tried it, does it really benefit your recovery

    I feel like it does. Who knows, it could just be the hot water - it could be placebo effect. lol But I have read a lot about epsom soaks for muscle recovery. It even says it right on the box of epsom salts. I usually will work out Friday-Tuesday, then Wednesday I'll do the soak. By Friday I feel like a million bucks.
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    Workout all week, rest all weekend. That is why we have weekends right?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    These days it looks like this:

    Monday: weights for an hour
    Tuesday 5-10k run
    Wednesday: weights for an hour
    Thursday: 5-10k run
    Friday: weights for an hour
    I also bike or walk to work each day
    Saturday: REST, a long walk with the dogs etc.
    Sunday: 5-10k run.
    Sometimes my saturdays and sundays swap, but that's the gist.
  • rvhorsburgh
    rvhorsburgh Posts: 53 Member
    I do a circuit weight / cardio 30 min boot camp MWF
    normally a yoga/aerobic/resistance band DVD 57 minutes T TH SAT and sun off.

    I try to mix it up with hot yoga, Elliptical, or some type of really physical project every chance I get to not get in a rut.
  • jakkidoodles
    jakkidoodles Posts: 103
    I think the concensus is whatever suits you as long as you do get rest days then. I seem to be on the right track. I started the gym on Saturday and I cannot believe how much energy I have today. I'm even typing super fast! On with the cleaning :D
  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
    Currently doing 3 on - 1 off.
    My rest days usually = sleep all day/minimal physical activity. Maybe a little cardio/stretching.

    I also deload (cut volume and workload by 40/50%) every 5-6 cycles or so.

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