It's common knowledge that bodybuilders need rest after a workout to rebuild muscle. Everyone advises localized rest. That is, you should give a particular muscle at least 48 hours of rest before working that muscle out again. A lesser touched upon subject is holistic rest. This is resting of the entire body - not doing anything for an entire day. What are the endocrinological benefits of holistic rest over localized rest, if any?
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I don't know if you will be able to find a definitive answer to your question, as is the case with many questions in the physical fitness world. There are many outside factors that come into play(mental and environmental stresses that we have no control over just to name a couple) that make it really hard to isolate the impact of just one factor such as rest. My biggest piece of advice would be to just experiment around with the amount of rest days you take, but spend an appreciable amount of time during each phase of the experiment. Also not that what may be optimal in one phase of your life may not be optimal in another phase(If you just start a new, stressful job, you may have to incorporate additional rest days, for instance). |
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The reason you give your muscles that 48 hour rest period is to ensure it has enough time to repair the micro-tears that strength training creates. I know that a lot of people swear by groupings for alternating days (back/biceps Monday, Chest/triceps Tuesday, etc.); however, I find that it is much easier to alternate hemispheres of your body (Upper body on Monday, lower on Tuesday). The reason for this is because: even if you have perfect lifting form, you still use varying muscles as support/stabilizing musculature for lifts. Example, try using a French bar for standing, unsupported bicep curls and NOT letting your pec muscles activate. While you are not actively using the muscles, if your goal is to give your body the best total rest it can have, you should try to not use them as much as possible. Yes, some leg exercises require upper bod stabilizers. However, you use them far less than if you try to split the upper body into several alternating day exercises. |
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