Is Rest really necessary?

[mr_positive]

I've been reading that we need to rest after every workout so that our muscle can recuperate. But is there a study on how long should we rest before the next workout or exercise the same muscle group? Is sleeping (6-8 hours) already enough for the muscle to grow or do we really need to stay away from the gym for 24 hours?

[robertscott]

it's an individual thing how much rest you need. It depends on how hard you train, how much you eat, sleep etc.

The key is training as much as you can without compromising recovery. It's not really something anyone can tell you, you just need to experiment and see what works for you.

As a good general rule though, don't train the same muscles two days in a row.

[JasonJones]

This would be an incredibly hard question to design a study around, because there are so many other factors to consider. Type of muscle fibre, age, genetics, intensity, experience, intensity of daily activities or occupation, stress levels, quality of sleep, quality of nutrition, etc.

There are a few studies that show some correlations between rest and injury in elite athletes or soldiers, but it ultimately is a question without a great answer. Rest as needed, mentally and physically.

[Jungledoc]

The 48-hour rule is tossed around be the most experienced people, but they will all tell you that some people, depending on their particular program, can get by with less, some need more.

[mr_positive]

Thanks for the info guys!

[hoosegow]

You only grow when you are resting.

[Jungledoc]

You only grow when you are resting.

and Hoose rests a lot!

[mr_positive]

Maybe that's why I'm not getting big. I workout 5x a week with 6-8 exercise total. 12 reps x 7 set with increasing load (weight). I'm developing the strength, don't get me wrong but not the mass. Diet is checked so we have no problem with that. I'm already trying to compute the calories I take (computation I learned from this site).

[robertscott]

Maybe that's why I'm not getting big. I workout 5x a week with 6-8 exercise total. 12 reps x 7 set with increasing load (weight). I'm developing the strength, don't get me wrong but not the mass. Diet is checked so we have no problem with that. I'm already trying to compute the calories I take (computation I learned from this site).

it's not working out 5x a week that's stopping you growing. If you aren't getting bigger then it's your diet.

Your diet might be good and healthy and that's fine, but you'll need more total calories

[Ironman]

You can workout every day if you keep the volume low enough, and you are splitting things up. If you just warm up and then do 1 work set, you can probably do it again the next day. That is one way to do high frequency training. Some people will do twice a day 5 days a week too. You just keep your per session volume very low.

[mr_positive]

Thanks guys! I'll take note all of your suggestions. This site is great, you get the info that you need and not the crap they sell you online. Not to mention the promise of getting the muscles in 2 months. Keep up the good work MODS and please don't lose patience in answering all of our repeated questions we noobs post online.