Why Resting Is Important For Building Muscle

Rest between sets and workouts is an important aspect of
building muscle mass.

Wait enough time between sets so that you are rested enough to
perform as well as you did your first heavy set. Your second set
needs to be as intense as the first so that the overload to the
muscle is at least the same that it was the previous set.

You need to rest enough to be able to do what you just did,
preferably more. If you do a set of six reps and then right
after, without enough rest, can only do a set for three reps,
you have not gained anything.

The overload to the muscle has been diminished. If, after doing
a set for six reps, you rest two minutes, add 5 more pounds, and
proceed to do another set of six reps, the overload has been
increased, and so has the likelihood new muscle will be
recruited.

So it is vital that you give yourself enough rest in between
sets so that way you feel as though you can handle the next set
as well as you just did the previous. This could mean a
different rest period for different people.

Whether it is a minute or two, you need to be recovered before
starting your next set. If this were the case, why would you
ever want to superset (doing exercises back to back with no
rest) two exercises? Even though you may be working two opposing
muscle groups such as biceps and triceps, the lack of rest
between the two exercises will have a negative effect on the
second exercise.

The second muscle group will be worked less intensely than the
first because your muscle energy stores have been utilized
during the first. This reduces the effectiveness of the
exercise.

Remember that more is not necessarily better. If you work a
muscle group more than once in a five to seven-day span, you are
running the risk of over training, or overdoing, that muscle.

A muscle must recover fully from its previous stress before it
can handle additional stress. Training with sore, tired,
overworked muscles is taking one step forwards, two steps back.
It’s going to take you a while to get where you want to be, if
you even get there at all.

Training a muscle group, such as chest, biceps, or back, only
once a week will allow that muscle enough time to fully
recuperate and recover to handle the next workout. Since
progressive overload is the key to progress, wouldn’t we want
our muscles well rested so that they may handle more overload
next workout?

If you do chest on a Monday, you will not want to do it again
until the following Monday. Allow a full seven days of rest in
between training chest again.

Many exercises that you perform during the week also incorporate
the muscles you are trying to rest. For example, when you do the
bench press, your deltoids (shoulders) and triceps both come
into play.

They are getting subjected to work even though you are not
specifically targeting them. Therefore, some muscles get worked
more than once a week anyways.

After two solid months of training, take at least five days off
(in a row) and don’t do anything “real physical” in or out of
the gym

This is very important in the recovery phase of weight training.
Proper weight training puts a lot of stress on the muscles and
the body. You are damaging muscle fibers that need to be rebuilt
and reinforced.

The weight training is just the stimulus for muscle growth. The
real growth and repair of the muscle comes when you are out of
the gym resting. The rest is what causes them to grow and get
stronger.

Much like a battery needs to be recharged once in a while so
does our bodies. We need to take a few days off after about
every two months of intense training. This should be at least
five days, preferably seven days.

Do absolutely nothing involving weights, aerobics, or cardio.
Nothing. Zilch. Don’t even go to a gym unless it is to tan,
relax in the Jacuzzi, or shower. Do not do cardio.

You need this time to let your body recover and recuperate from
the time you’ve spent training. After three days of not doing
anything real physical, you will feel more energized.

Don’t worry about becoming unmotivated and fearful you might
stop going to the gym. The opposite is true. After five or so
days of straight rest, you will be so full of energy that you
will want to bust down the door to the gym to get inside. It
happens. When you rest your body often, you can expect it to
recover from these intense workouts better.

If you have been working out for quite some time, such as two to
three months, and you don’t feel the least bit fatigued on some
days, I may have to question if you are working out with the
utmost intensity. Intense and demanding workouts will, sooner or
later, start to wear you out.

If you don’t get enough rest, your body’s immune system will
force you to take some time off (by becoming sick) Think about
what stress does to your body. Stress can make you sick. In lab
research, scientists subject rats to electric shocks at various
times of the day so that the rat has no idea when the next shock
is coming. Talk about stress.

Guess what happens. The rat develops ulcers and dies. Although
not on the same level, weight training is still a form of stress
to the body. You must allow your body to recuperate fully or the
residual effects of long-term weight training will shut it down.

As you can tell, the need to rest when building muscle is an
important, but often overlooked part.

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