In the fitness and bodybuilding world, we always hear about how important it is to push ourselves really hard. We also hear about the importance of breaking through our limits and beating our own best records.
Sure, being dedicated, sticking to our routine, and working hard are super important for reaching our goals. But there’s another important part that we sometimes forget about on rest days.
In this blog post, we’ll talk about why it’s so important to have rest days in your training routine. We’ll look at the science behind why our bodies need to recover. We’ll help you figure out the best number of rest days. This will help you get better, avoid getting hurt, and keep a good balance in your fitness journey.
So, get comfortable, take a break (really), and let’s learn about the power of rest and how it can help you unlock your true potential.
The Importance of Rest Days
Prevents Injury
Adding rest days to your workout schedule is really important. It helps avoid getting hurt and perform well in sports or exercises over time. When we exercise a lot, it can put a lot of stress on our muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints. This can cause tiny injuries that need time to heal and get used to the new stress.
If we don’t take enough time to rest and recover, our bodies might not be able to fully repair these tiny injuries. This could make us more likely to get hurt from using our bodies too much, pull a muscle, or make any problems we already have even worse.
Promotes Muscle Growth
Rest days are super important in any workout plan. They help your muscles grow by giving your body time to recover and get used to the stress from exercising.
When we do strength training or other tough workouts, our muscles get tiny tears. This makes our bodies start to repair them naturally. This repair process makes new proteins to rebuild and make the affected tissue stronger, which is how muscles grow.
On rest days, your body can use all its energy and resources for this recovery process. This lets muscle fibers heal, repair, and get stronger.
Muscles mainly grow during rest and recovery times. They don’t grow while you’re exercising.
If we don’t get enough rest, our bodies might not have the chance to fully repair and adjust. This could slow down muscle growth or even make us lose strength over time.
Rest days give muscles time to recover. They also help balance hormones and support the immune system, both of which are important for muscle growth.
For example, when we sleep or rest, our bodies naturally make more growth hormone. This hormone plays a big role in repairing and growing muscles.
Aids Recovery
Rest days are really important for helping your body recover. They give your body the time and conditions it needs to get better from all the hard work of exercise.
When we rest, different processes in our bodies work together. They fix and rebuild any damaged tissues, refill our energy stores, and keep our hormones balanced. All these things help us perform better and feel good overall.
One of the main ways rest helps us recover is by letting our muscles fix themselves. Tough workouts, especially strength training, cause tiny tears in our muscle fibers. This makes our bodies start their natural healing process.
On rest days, our bodies make new proteins to fix and strengthen these torn fibers. This helps our muscles grow and makes us stronger.
Rest also plays a big part in refilling our bodies’ energy stores. After a hard workout, our bodies use up most of our glycogen, which is the main fuel for our muscles when we’re exercising.
Rest days give our bodies the chance to refill these glycogen levels. This makes sure our muscles have the energy they need for our next workouts.
Encourages Better Sleep
Rest days are really important because they can help you sleep better. Good sleep is super important for your overall health, how you feel, and how well you do in sports or exercises.
When we exercise regularly, it can put a lot of stress on our bodies, both physically and mentally. If we don’t get enough rest, this stress can build up and make our sleep worse.
On rest days, our bodies get the chance to recover from the hard work of exercise. This lowers the stress response and helps us relax. This recovery process also balances our hormone levels, like cortisol, which is often called the stress hormone.
Having high levels of cortisol can mess with our sleep patterns, making it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep all night.
By adding rest days to your workout schedule, you can help control your cortisol levels and make a better environment for good sleep.
Rest days can make our sleep better. They let our body focus on fixing and rebuilding any damaged tissues. They also help refill our energy stores and keep our hormones balanced. All these things are really important for our physical and mental health.
A body that’s well-rested is better at handling the challenges of everyday life and the hard work of exercise. This leads to better performance and a lower chance of getting hurt.
Plus, rest days can give us the chance to make a regular sleep schedule and focus on good sleep habits. These can include creating a relaxing bedtime routine. Avoid caffeine and screens before bed. Ensure our sleep environment is comfortable.
Prevents Mental Burnout
Rest days are really important because they can help you sleep better. Good sleep is super important for your overall health, how you feel, and how well you do in sports or exercises.
When we exercise regularly, it can put a lot of stress on our bodies, both physically and mentally. If we don’t get enough rest, this stress can build up and make our sleep worse.
On rest days, our bodies get the chance to recover from the hard work of exercise. This lowers the stress response and helps us relax. This recovery process also balances our hormone levels, like cortisol, which is often called the stress hormone.
Having high levels of cortisol can mess with our sleep patterns, making it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep all night.
By adding rest days to your workout schedule, you can help control your cortisol levels and make a better environment for good sleep.
Rest days can improve our sleep. They let our body focus on fixing and rebuilding any tissues that got damaged, refilling our energy stores, and keeping our hormones balanced. All these things are really important for our physical and mental health.
A body that’s well-rested is better at handling the challenges of everyday life and the hard work of exercise. This leads to better performance and a lower chance of getting hurt.
Plus, rest days can give us the chance to make a regular sleep schedule and focus on good sleep habits. These can include making a relaxing bedtime routine. Avoid caffeine and screens before bed. Make sure our sleep environment is comfortable.
Makes Working Out More Sustainable
Adding rest days to your workout plan is really important for making sure you can keep exercising for a long time.
Exercising regularly is great for our health, but it can also put a lot of stress on our bodies and minds. If we don’t get enough rest, this stress can build up and make us feel really tired, both physically and mentally. It can also increase the chance of getting hurt and make us less motivated to keep working out.
By putting rest days into your workout schedule, you give your body and mind the break they need to recover. You also restore their energy and get ready for the next workouts.
How many rest days per week?
We all have different reasons for exercising, and with that, come varying goals. Whether it’s to lose weight, build muscle, or simply improve your overall health and well-being, it’s crucial to prioritize rest days.
Taking time off from your routine can be beneficial for your body, allowing it to heal, recharge and avoid the risk of injury. Structuring a routine that fits your individual goals is key to achieving success.
Listen to your body, determine the amount of rest your body requires, and plan your workout and rest days accordingly.
How many rest days per week for weight loss?
Losing weight can be a challenging journey, but it’s important to remember that consistency is key. Experts recommend aiming for 3-5 workout sessions per week to see progress.
However, with busy schedules, finding time for exercise can be difficult. In these cases, upping the intensity of your workouts can still help you reach your fitness goals.
For those who prefer low-intensity exercise, dedicating 4-5 days per week may be necessary. Remember to also incorporate rest days into your routine to give your body time to recover.
Active rest days like yoga or swimming can be a great way to boost your physical activity levels without putting too much strain on your muscles.
How many rest days per week for running?
Running is an excellent way to maintain general health and fitness, but it can be tough to find the right balance.
Luckily, experts recommend a few different training strategies depending on your goals. One option is to do 1-2 short, high-intensity runs mixed with a longer, easier run or 3 longer runs per week.
Alternatively, you could opt for 4-5 shorter, high-intensity runs. Both methods allow for rest days, which are key for recovery.
If you’re training for a marathon, the focus shifts to longer runs with more rest days. In this case, 1-2 long runs per week are the norm.
How many rest days per week for cycling?
Cycling is a fun way to stay in shape and it’s getting more and more popular. If you want to get better at cycling, there are many different ways you can train.
One way to get fit is to do 3-4 short rides every week that are really intense. Another way is to do 1-2 short rides and one long ride each week. This can also help you get more fit overall.
If you’re getting ready for a big bike race, it’s good to aim for 1-2 long-distance rides each week to get ready for the whole distance of the race.
But, depending on how far the race is or if you’re doing other exercises in your training plan, you might only need to do one ride each week.
How many rest days per week for bodybuilding?
For bodybuilders, dedication is everything. To achieve significant progress, they must be highly committed to their exercise routines.
However, it’s not just about how much time they spend at the gym. Surprisingly, training more doesn’t always equal more muscle mass growth. It can slow down progress if muscles aren’t given enough time to heal.
The ideal training routine for bodybuilders is to hit the gym 4-5 times per week, with growth happening on the rest days. But it’s not just about working out; recovery is just as important. Eating protein on rest days maximizes recovery and muscle growth.
Hi, I'm Dave Moffat the founder and Chief Editor of steroidsourcetalk.com and certified International Personal Trainer and Certified Nutritionist. My passion has always been bodybuilding but with 15 years' experience in weight loss programs too, it's hard not to mention all that when you're working at your fitness level fullest (I hope). When Im not in the gym or spending time away from my family i often think about what advice would help others achieve theirs goals just like these inspired mine.
