Understanding the Importance of Rest in Fitness
The highest level of fitness lies in knowing how to rest. It might seem like a simple – yet somewhat counter – intuitive statement, but rest is truly crucial in the fitness journey. Some people can frequent the gym five or six days a week, while others struggle to commit to just two or three days. Does more frequent training necessarily lead to better results? Can those with different training frequencies achieve similar outcomes?
As someone who has been working out for ten years, I can manage to go to the gym four times a week without much trouble. However, I must admit that there are days when I miss a session. Work commitments often get in the way, reducing the time available for strength training. Additionally, physical fatigue sometimes forces me to take a break.
The Science Behind How Often to Work Out
There is a well – tested study that has been conducted by many organizations and is highly reliable. This study aimed to answer the age – old question: “How many times a week should one work out?” The study revealed that the frequency of workouts per week can have different impacts depending on the situation. Among older people, there was little difference in strength when training once or twice a week, but a significant increase was observed when the frequency was raised to three times a week.
This study points to a “sweet spot” of 2 or 3 strength training sessions per week. Fitness trainers often recommend a minimum of 2 – 3 reps per set, and for most people, strength training about 3 days a week is usually suggested to ensure a minimum effective training volume, especially if there is no other exercise during the week. It’s important not to cram all the training into the weekend, as it won’t be as effective. Separate the training days throughout the week. If you have a specific fitness plan or training goals, you may consider adding a fourth day, but also remember to take about a week off each month.
3 Rules for 2 – 3 Times a Week Workouts
Training only 2 or 3 times a week is perfectly fine, and most studies suggest it’s the optimal amount for most average adults. While aiming for 3 times a week is ideal, if you can only manage twice, you’ll still gain most of the training benefits compared to not training at all.
- Full – body Training: Split training can enhance stamina, allowing for more intense workouts in each session as the body generally recovers faster from full – body workouts.
- Train Every Movement in Every Workout: Think of training in terms of movement patterns rather than individual muscles. Include horizontal plane movements like bench press, sagittal plane push – pull movements such as pull – ups or shoulder presses. For the legs, ensure deep squats, hard pulls, and single – leg movements. The core can be worked every day with different exercises like planks, lateral planks, and push – ups.
- Change Your Workout Every 3 – 4 Weeks: Muscles are adaptable. They are very sore at the start of training but adapt over time. To keep challenging the body, vary the movements, change the number of reps and sets, reduce rest periods or training weights, and make the workouts progressively more difficult to give muscles a fresh stimulus.
5 Rules for 4 Times a Week Workouts
If you have a customized fitness schedule, are training for a sport, or aiming for significant fitness improvements, a 4 – times – a – week workout might be a better choice.
- Total Body Training or Body Division Training: When training 4 days a week, you can still do full – body training daily. But for strength improvement, separating the upper and lower body (split training) is recommended, such as upper/lower/upper/lower training during the week.
- Try Not to Train More Than Two Days in a Row: Rest is essential. While two consecutive training days are acceptable, training for more than two days in a row is not advisable. Excessive weightlifting in a row can affect performance and increase injury risk. Rest is crucial for strength, fitness, and conditioning improvement as it allows for fitness rebuilding and muscle tissue repair, especially important for beginners who should take more rest.
- Train Each Movement Each Week: Focus on a specific movement pattern each day and choose 2 – 3 movements for that pattern. For example, Day 1: Horizontal push/pull (bench press and dumbbell row); Day 2: Rest; Day 3: Deep squats and arrow squats; Day 4: Rest; Day 5: Vertical push/pull (pull – ups and one – arm dumbbell shoulder press); Day 6: Hard pulls and glute bridges; Day 7: Rest.
- Reduce Training Weights Every Other Month: Reducing training weight doesn’t mean stopping the workout. It can involve reducing the number of moves, weight, volume, or even skipping some workouts during the week to allow for better body recovery and tissue repair. This is actually helpful for progress, as advised by experienced fitness enthusiasts.
- Take Notes: Note – taking is a good habit. Write down the movements, sets, reps, weights, rest periods, and your feelings about each workout. If possible, have a training partner take videos for comparison with fitness seniors or ask experienced professionals for advice.
These are just personal experiences. Staying active should involve more than just gym workouts, such as scheduling a day (like the weekend) to play ball with friends, cycle, or go shopping. Three days of strength training is great, but take the first step, enjoy life, and make the most of your hard – earned muscle. Take your time and fall in love with fitness training!
