How Many Rest Days Per Week?

Rest days are as important as training days. Rest days are taken very seriously by professional athletes because they're when the body recovers, grows stronger, gains muscle mass, and prepares for training hard the next morning. You can injure yourself or interrupt your training if you don't have a rest day schedule.

It can be difficult to take a day off without feeling guilty once you get into the habit of regularly exercising. Exercise addiction is real and many people overtrain.

Overtraining syndrome (OTS) is outlined in this study.

It's crucial to make people aware of the benefits rest days can bring. It can be a great way to change your perspective and see rest days as a good thing.

Many people are not sure how many resting days they should get per week.

There is no set rule for rest days, but there are many general guidelines on how to optimize your recovery. We'll explore rest days in this article and explain how many days of rest you should take each week.

How many rest days should you take in a week?

A common misconception is that muscles are built during training sessions and the more one trains, the more they gain.

It is important to give your muscles time to grow and heal. While you sleep, growth hormone is also released, so it's important to get a good night's rest.

For instance, bodybuilders should rest 1-2 days per week and a week every three months. While bodybuilding my be a different sport from running or cycling, all types of training stimulate physiological adaptations.

Split training allows you to focus on different muscle groups every day. This way, while your shoulders are being worked on, your legs can rest and recover.

Many bodybuilders pay attention to nutrition after workouts, which is important for optimum recovery.

How many days of rest are required for newbies?

You should taper your training if you are new to regular bouts of exercise and training.

Take 2-3 days off per week because it is likely you will experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMs) a couple of times.

Working out when sore can be unproductive and unpleasant. After 6 weeks, you can evaluate your progress and reduce the number of rest days.

How many days of rest are needed for runners?

As with weight training and those who are new to physical exercise, runners should also take 2-3 rest days per week if you regularly 'pound the pavement'.

Lots of running can put a lot of strain on your joints and muscles. That said, instead of sitting around doing nothing, you can choose to do something else that places less pressure on your joints and connective tissues.

Options could include swimming, yoga, cycling or even walking.

How many days of rest is required for cycling?

If you have decided to enter a triathlon your training may seem daunting, however, it can depend on the distance. An 'ironman' event will truly be demanding and careful consideration of training protocols, recovery and nutrition will be required.

However, if you're looking to get fitter or train for an event such as a triathlon, you should cycle at least three days a week.

You should also aim to take two days off a week when you don't ride your bike. However, you will still need to run regularly and swim.

You should aim for 2 days per week that are equally spaced where you only participate in recovery

How many days should I rest between HIIT workouts?

HIIT is high-intensity interval training. This is a very popular workout because it helps to reduce visceral and body fat. This is a great way to release endorphins, which makes it so popular.

It is a tough workout; you sweat for 30-60 mins, your heart races, and your blood flows. You will feel exhausted at the end of HIIT because it works your entire body.

Due to the intensity of HIIT, you should take 3-4 days off from training. If you want to switch to a more gentle workout or resistance training, you can.

How many days of rest are required before an event?

It's crucial to plan your training carefully before the event, whether you're preparing for a triathlon or marathon.

Ideally, you should start reducing your training load between 10 and 14 working days before the event.

However, unless you are a professional athlete many things that are just part of everyday life can get in the way. This is something I've experienced time-and-time-again.

I am also a sucker for finding out about events such as a triathlon or marathon with barely a few weeks to squeeze any adequate training in and tend to fall ill as I hopelessly try to catch up.

That said, in the weeks leading up to your event, you should gradually reduce the amount of training. The main goal is to keep the events moving.

You'll already have worked hard to improve your performance, so now it's about maintaining your fitness, keeping healthy and avoiding illness (unlike me).

You should aim to train at 30% of your normal level three days before the event.

This will help you avoid injury the day before the race, which is something no one wants. It will also prepare your body for the best performance possible on the big day.

Conclusion

Overall, it is recommended to take 2-3 days of rest per week.

It varies depending on the age of your training and your goals, but following this advice can help to reduce the risk of injury, recover properly and support long-term gains.

This will help you to avoid overtraining which is important for your mental and physical well-being. It's important to take a week off after weightlifting for a long time.