Strength training: do I really need rest days?

You'll need to lift a LOT heavier than that to develop muscle mass! And that development happens on your rest days.

I add to PPs recommendations of Dr Stacey Sims' podcasts & videos.

When I don’t follow that routine I’ve found I can go through long phases of fatigue. Following that routine, (as described by Sims for menopausal women) has been what’s helped.

@WarriorNyeh I also thought the evidence was it did matter for peri/menopausal women but not for other groups. I always have a protein shake and banana after training for this reason.

has it? As when I have followed this advice I have progressed and don’t go through as many phases of fatigue. I’ve become noticeably stronger too. But it’s specifically for perimenopause that I’ve been following this advice. Sims is a sports scientist.

I think you'll find increasing will happen naturally as you find you build stamina and muscle so don't overthink it too much.
I've been building up exercise since the start of the year from nothing to now 5 or 6 days a week for the last 3 months and have progressed the length of workouts and the weights used just because the short/light ones get too easy.
I now do 2x hour long cardio sessions, 2x 45 minute weight sessions plus 2 x 30 minute at home weights videos. Just increase as and when you find your current routine is too easy

Right now, I’d say whatever motivates you most. Personally I always get a kick out of increasing weights. Not everyone does.

I screenshotted this for something else the other day but it fits here. The bottom are your big wins right now. People get fixated on the little things at the top so you’ll hear a lot of noise on that. But the bottom is so much more important.

With full on strength training rest days are really important as that’s when you build muscle and get stronger. The exercise is the stimulus your body then responds to on the rest days. Your central nervous system also needs a break from the stress you’re putting on it. So that will be why you’re hearing about rest days.

However 20 min videos with 2.5kg weights aren’t that kind of stimulus so I’d say it matters less right now. I’d say if you’re enjoying it and being able to remain consistent and build a habit of training then they are massive wins so I’d stick with it. As you start to do more your body may then start telling you it needs more rest, so then might be the time to switch it up and think about rest days. FWIW I train hard, and have 2 rest days a week.

How do you feel from day to day? Do you feel recovered by each new workout?

I’m a PT. If you’re doing 20 mins a day, 6x per week and it’s working for you that’s absolutely fine. Please don’t cut that in half by a week- that’s awful advice!

Timing of food and protein has also been debunked thoroughly, you really don’t need to overthink it.

The human body is an amazing thing and will pretty much adapt to whatever you ask of it if you do so progressively.

Rest days and rests between lifts can apparently be very much part of the process and are important (apparently)

I signed up to power happens by Sims and Hailey Babcock; it has been bloody amazing. But I did do some other basic things for a year and had had her book for two years .

No I would start with 20 mins, three times a week.

timing of food around it is very helpful; some protein before and at least 30 G protein afterwards. I’ve also found creatine extremely helpful (I have a pea protein powder shake with creatine in it after a work out.)

you will soon find that you increase your fitness, especially if you add in a couple of days of SIT.

the latest Zoe podcast is really good, but Stacy sims sets out a more structured approach in her books.,

I’d say there’s a lot of variables to get an answer, but in short yes you should be having a rest day.

What are your goals from this type of training?
Are you planning to keep this as a long term plan, or just doing something for a fixed period to build up to an event,etc?

Do you already do any regular exercise?

3 workouts a day is a lot. why would you be doing more than one?

What sort of exercises are you doing?

If it's a general conditioning routine with low weights than rest is not as important. If you are doing heavy weights/ working to fatigue/ wanting to build muscle then rest (and protein) matters a lot more.

Doing something that you can stick with, matters more than doing a strict regime.

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