# Another DIS-couraging bit of 'advice' about weight training - Recovery must be 48hrs.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 20, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414 "2008-02-20T20:15:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/1 "2008-02-20T20:15:13Z")
I am sure it’s true in the sense that for MOST EFFICIENT muscle gain you should leave 48 hours between sessions (day1 - train, day2 - recover, day3 - train, day4 - recover… and so on)
Maybe it’s true maybe it isn’t. What I am asking here is - is it counter productive to ignore this? I.e. leave 24 hours or less between ‘sessions’?
The discouraging aspect of the above, if true, is that if I want to train today— Darn, I trained yesterday. No training for me today.
I have had much appreciated good advice in response to my previous weightlifting related question (about nutrient timing). I was hoping the same people, or others have some advice on this one.
Thanks 🙂
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/2 "2008-02-20T20:22:40Z")
In general, yes it’s true. Your fitness gains come not from the workout itself but after as the muscles recover from the effort. You could try spliting up your lifting so you work different muscle groups on alternate days. ( torso,shoulders,arms one day legs and hips the next. Or all pushing movements one day and pulling the next.) If you want to do all muscle groups in one session do some cardio on alternate days.
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### Author:  [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/3 "2008-02-20T20:26:43Z")
Depends what your training session consists of.
If you’re alternating body parts so you don’t hit the same part two days in a row but still lifting on consecutive days, yeah, that’s fine.
If you’re doing a very short, low-volume workout then you could probably get away with it even if it’s repeating body parts every day. Think 15-20 minutes per session, tops. This is a bit risky since people tend to be idiots when it comes to evaluating appropriate work load.
If you’re on steroids, you’re also in luck. 🙂
Most people just get around it by alternating body parts:
For example:
Mon = Upper Body
Tue = Lower Body
Wed = Rest
Thu = Upper
Fri = Lower
Weekend = Beer
Works just fine since each muscle group gets a couple days rest between sessions.
At least I think that answers your question.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/4 "2008-02-20T20:33:20Z")
I need beer to weight-train :eek:
(only kidding) It does answer my question 🙂
My workouts will vary between the 15 minute sessions and longer sessions. As I start out it will be short sessions repeated a few times a day.
But having said that - there is no _intended_ routine to my workout. The whole point of this and my previous thread on the subject is that I want to train when the oportunity presents itself, and at times when it is inconvenient to ‘do it properly’
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### Author:  [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/5 "2008-02-20T20:39:48Z")
People vary in their ability to recover as much as they do in everything else. Jim Williams, who was the first man credited with a 700 BP, allegedly trained his bench press every day. The Bulgarian Olympic lifters train up to five times a day.
You can go on a split routine, if you absolutely can’t stand not training. That would be something like chest, shoulders, and triceps on Monday, back and biceps on Tuesday, legs on Wednesday, start over on Thursday. That’s fairly advanced training, and I don’t get the feeling you have advanced that far.
If you want to try a split, do chest, shoulders and triceps on Monday, back, biceps and legs on Tuesday, rest Wednesday, and then repeat the cycle Thursday and Friday (or Saturday). That’s a more basic split. You can also lift on MWF and do aerobics on TRS.
Or even a three and one rotating split. There you train three days in a row, take a rest day at the end of each cycle, and always take Sundays off. Thus Monday you do chest/shoulders/triceps, Tuesday back and biceps, Wednesday legs, Thursday rest, Friday chest/shoulders/triceps, Saturday back and biceps, rest Sunday, Monday legs, rest Tuesday, Wednesday chest/shoulders/triceps, Thursday back and biceps, Friday legs, rest Saturday and Sunday.
On the other hand, I am of the old Peary Rader _Iron Man_ magazine school that says that if you have the itch to train more often, just train your current sessions harder. Not longer, harder - cut your rest periods between sets down, add another ten pounds to the bar, shoot for every rep on every set to be absolutely perfect, that kind of thing.
Regards,
Shodan
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### Author:  [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/6 "2008-02-20T20:41:26Z")
The simplest way is to keep track of how much weight/reps you’re capable of doing when you return to the gym. If you’re capable of doing more while feeling the same amount of hurt, you’re doing it right. If you’re doing the same or worse on subsequent trips, then you’re not getting yourself enough time to heal.
Everyone’s healing times are different, but this is the only sure-fire way to know if you’re doing what’s right for you.
You should be very careful to not put too much stress on your back muscles. The line between good hurt and bad hurt is _very_ thin and you won’t feel it until a few hours after you’ve stopped working out (says forumbot as he rubs menthol on his poor aching back).
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### Author:  [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/7 "2008-02-20T21:28:14Z")
That’s helpful information, ForumBot. I think I may not be allowing myself enough time. I’ve noticed downgraded performance after weightlifting and waiting 48 hours that only a few days off resolved. Unfortunately, I thought this was just a side effect of being out of shape. 🙂
I think I’ll wait longer between sessions from now on.
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/8 "2008-02-20T21:37:48Z")
[QUOTE=Lobsang]
But having said that - there is no _intended_ routine to my workout.
[/QUOTE]
This is going to be a bigger impediment to your progress than almost anything you can come up with. If you don’t have a plan and the will to stick to it, you’re just fucking around, and it’s almost not worth worrying about diet or recovery or any of that stuff.
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### Author:  [@PharmBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PharmBoy)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/9 "2008-02-20T21:40:52Z")
[QUOTE=ForumBot]
The simplest way is to keep track of how much weight/reps you’re capable of doing when you return to the gym. If you’re capable of doing more while feeling the same amount of hurt, you’re doing it right. If you’re doing the same or worse on subsequent trips, then you’re not getting yourself enough time to heal.
Everyone’s healing times are different, but this is the only sure-fire way to know if you’re doing what’s right for you.
.
[QUOTE]
I totally agree with this. I train two days, rest , train two days, rest two days, then start over. It works well for me.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/10 "2008-02-20T22:03:13Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter]
This is going to be a bigger impediment to your progress than almost anything you can come up with. If you don’t have a plan and the will to stick to it, you’re just fucking around, and it’s almost not worth worrying about diet or recovery or any of that stuff.
[/QUOTE]
I don’t have a plan, but I DO have the will to stick to it.
I’m not _fucking around_, I’m hoping to strike a balance between having a strict routine and doing nothing at all. I am wondering how far, how routine I have to go in order to get benefit from the effort.
What’s more - I AM taking in the advice given in this thread. If the way I end up doing it IS going to be an impediment then I’ll do it differently - based on the advice I get.
And from what I’ve heard so far, what I will do from now on is not repeat the same particular excercise two days in a row. I’ll either cylce different excercises, or alternate weights with cardio or nothing (nothing, because again I don’t really have time for cardio yet)
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### Author:  [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dis-couraging-bit-of-advice-about-weight-training-recovery-must-be-48hrs/438414/11 "2008-02-20T22:29:23Z")
Here is my recommended weight regimine, backed up by my dad, who won Mr. Alabama for his age range a few years ago.
Back only once per week. Do your legs once per week if you’re doing cario, two if you’re doing strictly weights. Chest and shoulders twice per week, and arms/abs three times per week. There is of course flexibility in this, of course, but don’t start off doing any more than this.
That, combined with regular aerobic exercise is the best way to burn fat and gain muscle.
If you’re curious what I do, it’s pretty unconventional. I work every part of my body, three days per week. My workout consists of medium weights and high reps with very, very short breaks between exercises. For instance, one “superset” will consist of three sets of weighted ball squats (15 reps each), and three sets of incline chest presses (15 reps each). I alternate between each exercise until the superset is completed, then rest for fifty seconds. I continue that way until every muscle has been properly exercised, usually about 30-40 minutes, all told.
There are a few advantages to this technique. One, doing high intensity workouts like this gets your heart rate up, for me usually around 150-160, meaning you’re getting aerobic benefit while doing anaerobic exercise. Second, tearing down large sections of muscle means your metabolism skyrockets as your body tries to heal so many muscle groups–I still control what I eat, but _how much_ is a much simpler issue. Fourth, muscles don’t get big, they get lean. My muscles are bigger, but my bulk is very healthy and proportionate to my size.
For aerobic exercise, you’ll hear a lot of talk about keeping a moderate heart rate for 45 minutes at a time, and that’s good, but it isn’t the most efficient use of your time, especially if you’re a healthy person. Consider instead [interval training](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_training).
I’m 5’8", and have gone from 175lbs and roughly 17-20% bodyfat (rough guess, I never got measured) to 145 lbs and 9.5% bodyfat, while my strength has universally doubled or tripled. You’ll feel _great_ if you keep this up.