Strength training: do I really need rest days?

[FlyingForest]

Hi

I’ve just started strength training and my preferred YouTube videos are 20 mins long full body workouts. I’ve been doing these 6 times a week for the past week and I’d like to continue this way but I’ve read stuff about doing 45 mins 3 times a day. I don’t think I can do 2 videos a day to be honest as I’m pretty exhausted after 20 mins. So is it ok to do a little bit every day or are rest days really important?

Following

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.

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?

Eurgh that should say 45 mins 3 times a week not a day!

Goal is to develop muscle mass as I approach my 40s and improve my overall fitness. I need to start incorporating some walking as well but that’s really all I plan for now. I’m using 2.5kg weights at the moment so nothing heavy.

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 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 .

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

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.

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

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.

Thanks. I’ve only been doing this for two weeks. First week I had some DOMs but I’m ok now.
Should I just work towards increasing the weights rather than increasing time/reducing frequency? I guess the alternative would be try some other YouTubers who do offer 40 mins standing dumbbell workouts.

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.

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

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.

@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.

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.

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.

Just to add; “rest days” if following the advice given by Sims and Vonda Wright and a couple of other women in the field, are sprint interval or high intensity interval days. Or, when starting out, one HIIT and one low intensity training (around zone 3 for 45 mins) and slowly increasing the intensity towards SIT

the early programmes for SIT in power happens are sprinting as fast as possible for 30 seconds and resting for two, 6-8 times with a warm up and cool down. This can be skipping, cycling, rowing, running etc

and then two actual rest days. If you row you’re also working and building muscles. But skipping is possibly the more effective way to get into the SIT in my personal experience. (It’s really fucking hard!)

First of all, 45 mins x3 per week is slightly more than 20 mins x 6 days per week, so you wouldn't be reducing your output. I say do whatever works for you, but have at least 1 rest day per week. I find strength training 4 times per week ( 30-45) mins, plus a cardio activity on one day is my sweet spot. I also try to do 10k steps per day as much as possible.

I follow Caroline Girvan on YT, plus her app and she incorporates 2 rest days into her programmes, but her workouts are all over 30 mins and they are challenging, rest days are essential for recovery.. One of those days is an active rest day, and the other is a complete rest day.

2.5kg is fine to start with, but you will need heavier overtime as you build up strength.

It has. I know exactly who Dr Sims is, have read her books, follow her etc. I also follow and read around other very well regarded scientists and there is lots of evidence now that total amount of daily protein being hit is much more important than nutrient timing- regardless of whether you are male, female and what stage of life.

There is a very recent podcast that explains it very well. It’s a long listen, but fantastic, if you are interested in training, nutrition and all that jazz I’d highly recommend it. It’s the Huberman Lab, which has Alan Aragon on it.

With regards to you and what works for you, I always find listening to the science and experts, and then doing your own experiment on yourself to see what works for you and how you feel works best. You’ve clearly done that and found what works for you- which is great. With regards to the OP, she’s started 2 weeks ago- she is so far off needing to worry about nutrient timing and optimising, just getting into the habit of moving her body and lifting regularly is the main goal for now I would say.

I’m not trying to hijack thread , I just have this one question.
I was told I should only work glutes 3 times per week max ..
I do 15 to 20 mins on stairmaster , I do 3 sets 10 reps of elevated Sumo Squats with kettle bell , I increase weight as I go along ..
3 sets of 10 Rdls increasing weight also, & 3 sets of 10 hip thrusts, increasing weight also ..
Is that a good glute workout you think & is 3 days plenty to do ?

thank you so much for this, very interesting - I’ve listened to the relevant part. (Thank god for time stamps!)

he’s actually saying very similar to what Sims is saying - don’t train hard fasted and get more protein across the day. The only thing it didn’t discuss which she talks about (probably as much as protein) was carbs and timing of carbs. Huberman also didn’t ask about the longer term impact on hormones for women. The question was around muscle synthesis only. I think her main research has been on relative energy deficiency or low energy reserve and loss of periods in younger female athletes, leading to increased risks of osteoporosis. Similar issues happen for anorexic girls. In perimenopause periods can become irregular and stress can certainly affect it (and fatigue) in my own experience. Being under fuelled is a stress situation.

Perhaps more specific research is needed here.

also there’s other bits of research around female hormones and timing of protein which I read about via Lara Briden a few years ago, pre the hrt Davina movement. Eat a decent amount of protein before 11 am (eg 30g). This was also to do with helping regulate hormones and sleep.

I agree with you. I also think Dr Sims’s advice is for women who already have some established fitness levels (exercising 4/5/6 times a day, quite intense levels)and able to dedicate a lot of time/effort into exercise and OP’s just started out.
Small steps are better than getting overwhelmed.
I exercise after meal because that fits in my routine and I can do weights after a meal but no chance of squashing down more protein after exercise.

I’m loving this thread, I’ve been on a rehab programme since Feb ( for hip issues) started off with no/ low weights and build up gradually. I train 3/4 times a week and do split sessions ( upper push/pull and lower) I have rest days in between. I try and hit my protein goals throughout the day, it’s hard! But it’s all about consistency.
once you have a routine ( which sounds like you do) it’s easier to keep going. Results are great & definitely building muscle in my 50’s. Keep going!