The Power of Rest and Recovery: Essential for Success in Resistance Training
When it comes to building muscle, strength, and overall fitness, we often focus on the training itself—pushing harder, lifting heavier, and striving to reach new personal bests. But one of the most overlooked aspects of a successful resistance training programme is rest and recovery. Without giving your body the time it needs to repair and grow, you risk stalling progress or, worse, getting injured.
In this blog, we’ll explore the vital role that recovery plays in a resistance training programme and provide practical examples of how to structure your workouts to allow adequate rest for each muscle group.
Why Rest and Recovery Matter
Resistance training causes microscopic damage to muscle fibres. This is a normal and necessary part of the process—your muscles break down during training and rebuild themselves stronger during recovery. If you skip this recovery phase or don’t allow enough time between working the same muscle groups, your body doesn’t get the opportunity to repair the damage, which can lead to overtraining, fatigue, and injury.
The benefits of proper rest and recovery include:
Muscle Growth: Muscle fibres repair and grow during periods of rest, not during your workout. Adequate recovery is essential for hypertrophy (muscle growth).
Improved Performance: Without proper recovery, you’ll experience diminished strength, endurance, and overall performance in subsequent workouts.
Injury Prevention: Continuous stress without recovery leads to overuse injuries, such as tendonitis or muscle strains.
Hormonal Balance: Rest helps regulate hormones like cortisol (the stress hormone), which can rise if the body is consistently overworked.
Mental Recovery: Your mind also needs a break. Taking time to recover mentally can prevent burnout and keep you motivated.
The Role of Sleep in Recovery
One of the most important yet often underestimated elements of recovery is sleep. While we rest at night, our bodies go into repair mode. Growth hormone, essential for muscle repair, is released during deep sleep stages. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to optimise recovery.
How to Plan Recovery Between Muscle Group Workouts
To ensure adequate recovery, it’s essential to structure your workout routine in a way that allows each muscle group to recover fully before being trained again. Here are some practical examples of how to split your workouts and incorporate rest:
Example 1: The Push/Pull/Legs Split
A popular and effective training split, the push/pull/legs routine divides your body into three main movement patterns, ensuring that each muscle group gets sufficient rest.
Day 1 – Push: Chest, shoulders, triceps
Exercises: Bench press, overhead press, tricep dips
Day 2 – Pull: Back, biceps
Exercises: Deadlifts, rows, pull-ups
Day 3 – Legs: Quads, hamstrings, calves
Exercises: Squats, lunges, leg curls
Day 4 – Rest
This is where the magic happens! Allow your muscles time to recover and repair.
Day 5 – Push (Repeat the cycle)
With this split, each muscle group gets at least 48 hours of recovery before being trained again, which is essential for both muscle repair and growth.
Example 2: Upper/Lower Split
The upper/lower split is another common routine that provides more frequent training sessions but still allows each muscle group to recover.
Day 1 – Upper Body: Chest, back, shoulders, arms
Exercises: Bench press, lat pulldown, shoulder press, bicep curls
Day 2 – Lower Body: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves
Exercises: Squats, leg press, Romanian deadlifts
Day 3 – Rest
Day 4 – Upper Body: Same or similar exercises with variations
Day 5 – Lower Body: Same or similar exercises with variations
This split allows you to work each muscle group twice a week, with at least 48 hours of rest in between sessions.
Example 3: Full-Body Workouts with Rest Days
For those who prefer full-body workouts, it’s important to ensure you have enough rest between sessions to allow for recovery. A full-body routine can be ideal for beginners or those with limited time, as it hits all major muscle groups in one session.
Day 1 – Full-Body: Squats, bench press, deadlifts, rows
Day 2 – Rest
Day 3 – Full-Body: Same or similar exercises
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – Full-Body: Variations of core lifts or isolation exercises
Day 6 and 7 – Rest
This structure ensures at least one day of rest between sessions, allowing your muscles to recover from the full-body workout.
Listening to Your Body
No matter how well you plan your training split, it’s crucial to listen to your body. Signs that you may need extra recovery time include:
Persistent muscle soreness or stiffness
Decline in performance (e.g., lifting lighter weights or struggling with usual workouts)
Trouble sleeping or increased irritability
Elevated resting heart rate or general fatigue
If you’re experiencing any of these signs, it may be time to add an extra rest day, lower the intensity of your workouts, or focus on active recovery, such as light walking, swimming, or yoga.
Recovery Tips to Maximise Results
In addition to planning your training programme with adequate rest, there are a few extra steps you can take to maximise recovery:
Stay Hydrated: Water plays a crucial role in muscle recovery. Dehydration can slow down the repair process and leave you feeling more fatigued.
Nourish Your Muscles: Ensure you’re getting enough protein to repair muscle tissue. Aim for 1.2-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, depending on your training intensity.
Foam Rolling & Stretching: Gentle stretching and foam rolling can help reduce muscle tightness and improve blood flow to recovering muscles.
Active Recovery: Incorporating low-intensity activities, like walking or swimming, can help maintain movement and blood flow without taxing your muscles.
Conclusion
Rest and recovery are just as important as your time in the gym. By planning your workouts to include adequate rest between training sessions, you’ll ensure that your body can repair, rebuild, and come back stronger. Whether you’re following a push/pull/legs split, an upper/lower split, or full-body workouts, remember that the time you spend recovering is when the real growth happens.
For personalised training plans that incorporate rest and recovery tailored to your goals, get in touch with Griffin Fit Personal Training. We’ll help you find the perfect balance to optimise your strength, health, and fitness progress.
