Do I need a rest day?

Question

I currently work out 6 days a week. However, I'm not 'Pumping Iron'. I do mainly body-weight exercises.

'A' Days(upper body):

• 3 sets of:
  • push-ups
  • chin-ups
  • pull-ups
  • dips

'B' Days (core/lower body):

• 3 sets of:
  • 2-3 min Dynamic Plank
  • 15 Squats with a 25 lb weight

I am currently taking a rest day on Tuesday, because Tuesdays are busy for me and I was under the impression that a rest day is necessary.

However, I find it annoying to have to make the decision of which exercise to do on Wednesday and I am not totally sure it is necessary. I want to get results.

Answer 1

You need rest so your body can have time to recover. If you're not stressing it a lot, it won't need to recover as much. A crude but effective guide can be whether or not you're stronger (or "fresher") on Wednesday than you are on Monday (since Tuesday is your current rest day).

If you're knocking out the same level of intensity and time on Wednesday as Monday, then it's likely you weren't overtrained on Monday as the rest on Tuesday didn't help at all.

And although I don't know you, I would imagine for an otherwise healthy person you could probably toss your A & B day together. Maybe in that case you'll be causing enough stress that a day off will help you out.

As frustrating as rest is, try to remember that those days are the ones where you actually get stronger.

Answer 2

First, nice icon. :)

Second, just listen to your body. No one can say how much is too much (and will lead to overtraining). Just familiarize yourself with the symptoms of overtraining and be aware of it. There's a difference between being lazy and being tired from overtraining. If you find yourself excessively tired and without motivation or you find your workout getting harder instead of easier, then you may need to adjust your workout schedule. If not, then there's nothing wrong with working out everyday.