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Please, if this topic has been beat to death, point me in the right direction but my searching didn't really bring up anything.

I've read constantly that rest days are important, however I'm not entirely clear about what a rest day ought to entail. I keep hearing different opinions, but I'm more curious about what is needed because I want my body to perform well and not just look good.

Does it mean NO workout? Or does it mean I can still do 100 push ups/dips/crunches/pull ups? Or like ZERO weight training, and just some cardio? or it it serious rest. No physical exertion beyond the normal routine of human existence?

And do I still eat like a monster? Or ought I rest on that too?

These are the questions that I would like answered. I know people that lift five-six days a week, but I read that much is too much.

I think that people take to this idea of rest differently, and I have a hard time sitting still anyway so if I can lift and be active seven days a week, that would be good too. What's the answer? (or what's YOUR answer)

Can there be too much of a good thing?

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I think a lot depends on the intensity of your training, your age, your diet, your genetics, etc. Some people's bodies recover faster than others. I know some very intense people that only work out every other day, because they need the rest in-between each workout. I know other people that workout out 7 days a week and report no problems. Personally, I like two rest days a week, and I fast on those rest days. Your body is able to repair and rebuild much faster without having to constantly be trying to digest and metabolize food.

 

Find out what works for you. That is the only advice I can offer. I know it is vague, but people's bodies are very different and react different ways to exercise.

 

Goodluck

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Thanks Cappy, I appreciate you taking the time to answer this.

I'm curious about you fasting, that seems counter intuitive, but I also don't feel like eating a ton of food when I'm not working out, however the thought of losing anything that I've gained is more concerning to me.

 

Thanks again!

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Please, if this topic has been beat to death, point me in the right direction but my searching didn't really bring up anything.

I've read constantly that rest days are important, however I'm not entirely clear about what a rest day ought to entail. I keep hearing different opinions, but I'm more curious about what is needed because I want my body to perform well and not just look good.

Does it mean NO workout? Or does it mean I can still do 100 push ups/dips/crunches/pull ups? Or like ZERO weight training, and just some cardio? or it it serious rest. No physical exertion beyond the normal routine of human existence?

And do I still eat like a monster? Or ought I rest on that too?

These are the questions that I would like answered. I know people that lift five-six days a week, but I read that much is too much.

I think that people take to this idea of rest differently, and I have a hard time sitting still anyway so if I can lift and be active seven days a week, that would be good too. What's the answer? (or what's YOUR answer)

Can there be too much of a good thing?

 

The fact is, the body needs to recover (before it can even grow) from one workout to the next, but psychologically, most seem to think rest days are just wasted time (or like many stimulus addicts...they just need the daily "fix"), however, time off is not wasted time, its a critical part of the growth process.

 

The Growth process chain is STIMULATE - RECOVER - GROW - STIMULATE - RECOVER - GROW...though for some reason many have the idea its stimulate, stimulate, stimulate then think a bunch of recovery supplements will produce the goods!

 

So a logical question arises - How much rest between workouts?

 

As cappy pointed out, the are many independent variables in individuals, though what has been noted by the worlds most highly experienced HIT trainers, is that beginners can get away with 2-3 workouts per week, and as the individual becomes stronger and more neromuscularly efficient, the average client requires 4-7 rest days between workouts (and in some cases 10-14 days, though these are individuals with a poor tolerance to intense physical stress or those who have reached the upper limits of their genetic potential).

 

Now, i don't discount the fact that there are natural trainees who have done well using higher volume and frequency workouts than stated above, however, that is not evidence that they would have done better had they had train more intensely, briefly, and infrequently.

 

Best

Rob

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Hello Rob,

 

Thank you for your response, but what constitutes rest? Does rest mean total rest with no muscular stimulation whatsoever?

 

Like if a person spends four days a week training with weights, might two days be spent doing cardio, or yoga? with one day of no extraordinary activity?

 

Or would three days be ideally spent doing no activity and the person working yoga or cardio into their existing routine?

 

Thank you,

 

Jeremy

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Hi Jeremy,

Sorry i see what your saying now. I see no issue with doing low intensity activities on rest days, to relax and unwinded i like to take my mountain bike out for a spin or go for a several mile walk in local nature parks or even some martial arts training, it has no negative effect on my performance in the gym.

 

Best

Rob

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Hi Jeremy,

 

We are inundated with the concept that our bodies constantly need food to grow and repair. However, our bodies actually maintain a large reserve of nutrients to recover and repair during fasting. Digestion and metabolization require a large amount of energy and biological resources, so when you stop eating, those resources can be directed toward repairing and healing the body. This is why injured animals instinctively stop eating. There is a lot of evidence that fasting helps fight and reverse diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.

 

There is a lot of info on intermittent fasting online. It has many benefits and no real drawbacks for most healthy people except for the hunger. But it gets easier the longer you do it. The day after I fast, I eat a light breakfast of fruit, and then workout. My performance is always highest on those days.

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Hello C.O. Yes I did a search using the search module, and found the word in a lot of posts, no specific topic.

 

Thank you Cappy for the information regarding fasting, and to Rob, for answering my question about light exercise.

 

I appreciate the feedback.

 

Best,

 

Jeremy

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