Rest days

teamvic
teamvic Posts: 140 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What is impact of skipping a Rest day? Free weights on Sat, ran 10km and cycled for an hour on Sunday then 90 mins football yesterday. Currently doing cardio or free weights 5x a week with 2 rest days. Do people do more, 6x or even 7x a week at times? I feel ok or does this mean I'm not working hard enough?

Replies

  • WeekendWarriorTX
    WeekendWarriorTX Posts: 1,844 Member
    i go to the gym 3 days a week and run 3 days a week, with one rest day. I just started the Madcow 5x5 program, so when i get to higher weights in a few weeks, and after my 1/2 marathon, i will cut down on the running somewhat.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    A body needs rest, that is how it gets stronger.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited March 2016
    I exercise 6 days a week. Take off every Sunday, when in training like I am now (HM weeks out), end of the training requires even more time off.

    If you "out do" your body by doing too much of any activity I am true believer that your body will bite you back and let you know it. To prevent that in the first place, take the rest days.. Otherwise just wait ...it will catchup to you eventually.. saying it needs a rest.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited March 2016
    It's subject to the individual and their daily activities and goals. Personally rest days are bad for my body so I designed a regime that is bastardized from Wendler's for seven days a week. The strength is consistently gaining over three years currently.

    With the program/activities one does, you have to pay attention to your body and signs when to back off and even take rest if needed.


  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    I get injured when I skip rest days. My body needs time to recover.
  • Scamd83
    Scamd83 Posts: 808 Member
    Active rest days are nice, do some light cycling, walking and stretching. I try to time these with playing 5-a-side football/squash. But sometimes a complete rest day is welcome too.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member

    Lift-Rest-Lift-Rest-Lift-Rest-Lift- repeat.
  • liftsalltheweights
    liftsalltheweights Posts: 73 Member
    I go to the gym 5 days a week (every other week 7) and do cardio 4 days a week (sometimes I'll add something in a light treadmill walk on the weekends if it's an off gym day and I have nothing going on). The only time I'll take a rest day -- meaning absolutely NO workout at all -- is if I'm absolutely exhausted and just can't drag myself out of bed. If that doesn't happen then I hit the gym.
  • AbigailC17
    AbigailC17 Posts: 78 Member
    I workout 6 times a week and take one rest day. I get badly injured if I don't take rest.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I take active recovery days and, occasionally, a rest day. The need for recovery depends largely on what you're doing. Both weights and running require recovery days (running less so after you've been running a while and have undergone most of the physiological adaptations it brings) but something can be done 7 days a week, 365 days a year if you wanted such as cycling, walking, rowing etc (even then alternating steady state with interval training leads to greater fitness improvements)
  • teamvic
    teamvic Posts: 140 Member
    Thanks for all your responses, today I've decided to rest and spend more time planning my training for March. Going for a slow build to 6x a week, then 5x, alternating through this month. Respond to what my body tells me. Loving the lighter evenings already, roll on Spring
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    There are a lot of Plyo moves and endurance challenges in football alone. I just started practicing soccer and I am dying! But, I think, as you build your base you can come to a point where it can be maintenance (sort of/not really) and that is when you may be able to call it active rest.

    I am active on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with sports. And lift two (maybe three) days a week with some circuit work thrown in the mix. When I over do it, my voice gets groggy and I get fatigued. I take two rest days a week (active or plop on the floor --depending).
  • sventheviking
    sventheviking Posts: 45 Member
    I've done 6 days a week and been fine. The thing that will give first os either your CNS or your soft tissue. For me I finally agotated my tricep to the point I couldn't keep up that frequency. I was running the Jamie Lewis Destroy The Opposition Program deadlift specialist variant. If I could go back I would simply have done more soft tissue work with a lacrosse ball and foam roller.

    So to answer the question do you NEED a rest day? No. Not really. What you need is to pay attention to recovery. If you go in amd try to oush a new 1rm everyday you'll either get hurt or get burned out amd get weaker but if you vary the intensity of things through the week and do things like soft tissue work recovery baths and have good nutrition it's not unrealistic to not take a full day off.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    I don't intentionally take them- Life usually gives them to me (birthday dinners! Bowling league! etc!).

    If there's a week with nothing going on, I won't take an actual rest day but an active one with a hike, walk, but no lifting or intense cardio.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,186 Member
    I don't lift or take fitness classes during the weekends unless I missed a day during the week, and I don't do intense cardio either. Most of weekends is just for house and/or garden work or moderate walking. My joints can't take anymore 7 days a week of pounding.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    teamvic wrote: »
    What is impact of skipping a Rest day? Free weights on Sat, ran 10km and cycled for an hour on Sunday then 90 mins football yesterday. Currently doing cardio or free weights 5x a week with 2 rest days. Do people do more, 6x or even 7x a week at times? I feel ok or does this mean I'm not working hard enough?

    The impact of skipping rest days routinely generally isn't immediate...it's later down the road. This also depends on what you're doing and how intense your work is. Ultimately, your body needs rest from vigorous activity...without rest, it can't repair itself...repair is kind of where the fitness magic happens...this is where you make your fitness gains...this is also where you see body composition changes. Without rest, your body can't repair and you're not going to reap those benefits. Additionally, without rest, you're ultimately putting yourself at greater risk of injury...because again, you're not letting your body repair.

    Note that "rest" doesn't necessarily mean just sitting around on your *kitten* doing nothing. Most people I know take active recovery days...meaning they aren't doing anything particularly intense...but, for example, I like doing some recovery yoga and walking my dog...or just doing an easy little hike with my two young boys, etc...it's nothing taxing but I'm still active. I take 1-2 rest days per week...it's where the magic actually happens...and I will forever fail to realize how people miss on this.
  • JasmineEN_
    JasmineEN_ Posts: 8 Member
    You need a rest day when training. Your muscles need a break and time to recuperate. I usually do something like on those days like Pilates or yoga.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    As long as you're not doing the same thing every day, you don't have to have a "rest" day.
  • jeepinshawn
    jeepinshawn Posts: 642 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    teamvic wrote: »
    What is impact of skipping a Rest day? Free weights on Sat, ran 10km and cycled for an hour on Sunday then 90 mins football yesterday. Currently doing cardio or free weights 5x a week with 2 rest days. Do people do more, 6x or even 7x a week at times? I feel ok or does this mean I'm not working hard enough?

    The impact of skipping rest days routinely generally isn't immediate...it's later down the road. This also depends on what you're doing and how intense your work is. Ultimately, your body needs rest from vigorous activity...without rest, it can't repair itself...repair is kind of where the fitness magic happens...this is where you make your fitness gains...this is also where you see body composition changes. Without rest, your body can't repair and you're not going to reap those benefits. Additionally, without rest, you're ultimately putting yourself at greater risk of injury...because again, you're not letting your body repair.

    Note that "rest" doesn't necessarily mean just sitting around on your *kitten* doing nothing. Most people I know take active recovery days...meaning they aren't doing anything particularly intense...but, for example, I like doing some recovery yoga and walking my dog...or just doing an easy little hike with my two young boys, etc...it's nothing taxing but I'm still active. I take 1-2 rest days per week...it's where the magic actually happens...and I will forever fail to realize how people miss on this.

    Yep, agree 100%
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    I lift hard and heavy 5 days a week. One day is correctives and mobility work, and the last day is an active recovery day. Lots of running around chasing my girls and having fun with them, catching up on chores that sort of thing.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    You could try focusing on stretching, focus, and balance on your rest days or get a deep tissue massage on a rest day.
  • ironhajee
    ironhajee Posts: 384 Member
    The formula is stress + recovery = fitness

    Just gauge how you feel based on your other life obligations. @jeepinshawn said it very simply. To keep the body active try out some recovery swimming perhaps? This is just very easy swimming that allows the body to stay active with low impact environment that the pool offers.

    I train about 5-6 days and eventually want to build up to where I can take an active recovery day instead of a complete rest. However complete rest is also very crucial. It allows you to mentally recharge and take the mind off the grind for a moment.

    There is no magic formula or one size fits all and if someone tells you its "only this way" RUN away.

    Lots of good information on recovery in this feed!

    Thanks!

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