Days off to train ?

[babycatattack]

[FONT=&quot]I've been using this system of training for about a year with good result. Whole body workouts, single sets til failure. My question is on cycle should I take 2 days off in between workouts. I have been doing a Mon, Wed, Friday schedule currently. The reason I ask is because I have been doing an upper arm measure and it seems like I show the most growth on my measurement Monday mornings (after 2 days off). Thanks[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

 

[dylangemelli]

thats all based around trial and error... you have to test it out and see what works best for you personally because we all react and respond differently...

 

[SteveMobsterG]

If nothing else it shows rest and recovery works.

 

[peglerfuelpump]

The way you handle your off days can greatly affect your ability to build muscle and get stronger. For the dedicated lifter, the problem isn't that you take an occasional rest day. The problem is that you don't take ENOUGH rest days and you don't time them wisely in your training week.

 

[peglerfuelpump]

Off days can be a torture for iron addicts. For many people, a rest day makes them feel like they're slacking off, so they train six or even seven days per week. Yet when you look at the most successful strength athletes and bodybuilders, four training days a week, sometimes five, seems to be the most common frequency.

 

[peglerfuelpump]

Those training six or seven days a week tend to progress at a slower pace than those hitting the gym four to five days a week. There are of course exceptions, but unless you're genetically gifted, you should base your training decisions on the most widely successful approach, not on the exception.

 

[peglerfuelpump]

Change your thinking like this:

• Think "stimulation days" instead of training days.
• Think "growth days" instead of rest days.

 

[peglerfuelpump]

When you take a rest/growth day you build more muscle, replenish glycogen stores more easily, and let the nervous system get back to an optimal working state. This will help you grow faster, but it'll also improve your performance on the day you get back to the gym.

 

[peglerfuelpump]

The truth is, during your off days crucial things happen that make it easier to grow and get stronger. Your body has limited resources. And if you invest more resources in a training session, rather than resting, you'll have fewer available to fuel adaptation and growth.

 

[peglerfuelpump]

"Growth days" make you grow directly by allowing you to recover. They make you grow indirectly by allowing your to put a greater stimulation on your body during your lifting sessions.