Why Two Days of Rest Between Training the Same Muscles is an Outdated Concept

​Why Two Days of Rest Between Training the Same Muscles is an Outdated Concept

Strength training for women is a great way to build muscle, burn fat, and increase overall fitness. Unfortunately, there is still a misconception that taking two days of rest between training the same muscles again is necessary for making progress. This outdated concept can actually hinder progress and hold women back from achieving their goals. In this blog post, we'll discuss why two days of rest between training the same muscles again is an outdated concept, and how women can optimize their strength training for best results.

The science of muscle growth
When you go to the gym, lift weights, and complete your workouts, you’re doing more than just burning calories and getting a good sweat. You’re also stimulating your muscles, triggering a process of growth and repair that eventually leads to increased muscle size and strength. 
This process, known as muscle hypertrophy, is driven by a few different biological factors. During exercise, tension is placed on the muscle, which causes small microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. As these tears heal, they form thicker and stronger muscle fibers, resulting in increased muscle mass. In addition, your body needs certain hormones, such as testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) to stimulate muscle growth. 
Muscle hypertrophy can occur if you work out two days per week or even more often. The key factor is how much tension and stimulation you place on your muscles during each workout. If you don’t push yourself hard enough, you won’t see any gains. However, if you place enough stress on the muscles without overtraining, then you can expect to see some results.

How often should you train each muscle group?
When it comes to how often you should train each muscle group, there is no definitive answer as everyone's individual needs vary. However, the traditional approach has been to rest for two days between training the same muscle group. This outdated concept is based on outdated science and does not take into account the many benefits of training each muscle group more than once per week. 
At the gym, most people follow a body-part split routine where each muscle group is trained once a week. This might include a chest day, a back day, a shoulder day, and so on. While this can be effective in building muscle, it does not allow for adequate recovery time or progressive overload to maximize gains. 
The traditional two-day rest rule is too restrictive and limits your progress by failing to consider how each muscle group responds differently to different amounts of training. If you want to get the most out of your workouts, you need to determine how often your particular body responds best to training each muscle group. 
For instance, some individuals may benefit from training a muscle group twice a week while others may find better results with three or even four sessions per week. As a general guideline, you should experiment with different approaches and find what works best for you. Listen to your body and adjust your program accordingly.

The benefits of training a muscle group more than once per week
The primary benefit of training a muscle group more than once per week is increased muscle growth. By training a muscle more often, you create more damage to the muscle fibers and stimulate more growth. Research suggests that training each muscle group twice per week can lead to greater increases in muscle size compared to just once per week.
Another benefit of training a muscle group more than once per week is enhanced strength gains. When you train a muscle multiple times per week, your body has more opportunities to lift heavier weights and push itself harder than it would if you only trained it once. This leads to greater strength gains over time. 
Finally, when you train a muscle group more than once per week, you can work on improving your technique and form at the gym. Instead of waiting several days between workouts, you can practice certain exercises and hone your form multiple times throughout the week. This will improve your overall performance and make you a better lifter.

The drawbacks of the two-day rest rule
The two-day rest rule has been widely accepted for years as the standard for muscle growth. However, recent research has suggested that this rule may not be optimal for everyone. While it can work for some people, it may not be the best way to maximize gains for all individuals.
First, the two-day rest rule does not allow for enough time for muscle recovery and growth. If you are training the same muscle group more than once a week, it is likely that you will be overworking the muscle group and not allowing it to properly recover between sessions. This could result in a decrease in performance and an increase in muscle soreness. 
In addition, the two-day rest rule does not allow for enough variety in your training program. If you are only training each muscle group twice a week, you may be missing out on the opportunity to target different muscle fibers and use different exercises to challenge your body. This could limit your potential gains and reduce the effectiveness of your workouts. 
Finally, the two-day rest rule may lead to burnout and fatigue if you are not allowing enough time for recovery between sessions. If you are pushing your body too hard without enough rest, you may find yourself exhausted and unable to perform at your best when you need it most. 
For these reasons, the two-day rest rule should not be considered the standard when it comes to muscle growth. To maximize your gains, it is important to consider how often you are training each muscle group and ensure that you are giving yourself adequate time for rest and recovery.

How to structure your workouts if you train a muscle group more than once per week
When it comes to training a muscle group more than once per week, there are several approaches you can take. Depending on your fitness goals, one approach may be better suited for you than another. Here are some tips on how to structure your workouts:
1. Variety: If your goal is general muscle building and size, then it’s important to add variety to your workouts. This means performing different exercises with each workout. Try to focus on different angles, rep ranges, rest periods, and so forth. This will help ensure that your muscles are being challenged in new ways each time they are trained.
2. Frequency: Make sure to train each muscle group at least twice per week. This will help you maximize the amount of volume that you can accumulate each week, which in turn will lead to more growth. 
3. Intensity: You don’t need to push yourself to failure every workout but make sure to keep the intensity relatively high. This will help you stimulate the maximum amount of growth out of each session. 
4. Volume: As you train each muscle group more than once per week, it’s important to adjust the volume of your workouts accordingly. It’s not always necessary to do a high volume of work, but it’s important to ensure that you are doing enough volume per muscle group over the course of the week. 
By following these tips, you can create an effective and efficient workout program that allows you to train each muscle group more than once per week without overtraining or overreaching. With proper nutrition and adequate rest, you should be able to achieve your fitness goals in no time! If you want more support, be sure to join Underground Athletes with us - its as easy as following @coachkatiebielefeld on Instagram and subscribing to the exclusive content! (You'll need to use your phone/mobile device to do this!)