Getting enough rest between workouts is crucial for building muscle. When you strength train, you create small tears in the muscle fibers. Rest allows those fibers to repair and grow back stronger. Without adequate rest, your muscles won’t fully recover and you won’t get the most out of your workouts. But is there such a thing as too much rest? Will taking 4 rest days between sessions hinder your gains?
How much rest do muscles need to grow?
Research shows that muscles need at least 48 hours to recover after a workout. This allows time for the muscle protein synthesis (MPS) process to occur. MPS is when your body uses amino acids to repair and rebuild muscle fibers. This process starts within a few hours after a workout and can last for 24-48 hours.
Most experts recommend resting each muscle group for at least 48 hours between training sessions. For example, if you train chest on Monday, wait until at least Wednesday to work chest again. A typical “split” workout routine divides the major muscle groups over 4-5 days per week. You train different muscle groups each day while allowing at least 2 days of rest for each group.
Recovery rates vary between muscle groups
Some muscle groups may require longer recovery periods than others. In general, large muscle groups like chest, back and legs need more time to recover than smaller groups like biceps and triceps. For example:
- Legs: 72+ hours rest
- Back: 48+ hours
- Chest: 48+ hours
- Shoulders: 48+ hours
- Arms: 24-48 hours
The legs have the largest muscles in the body. Exercises like squats and deadlifts put tremendous stress on the legs. So most lifters only train legs once or twice per week to allow for adequate recovery.
Is 4 days of rest beneficial?
Taking 4 full days of rest between workouts may provide additional recovery time. This extended rest could potentially enhance the muscle building process in a few ways:
Allows muscles to fully recover
With an extra day of rest, muscles have more time to completely repair micro-trauma and adapt to exercise stress. For some lifters, two days isn’t quite enough time for larger muscle groups to fully bounce back before the next workout.
Increases time in a positive nitrogen balance
Intense exercise triggers protein breakdown in muscle fibers. This puts the body into a negative nitrogen balance. Consuming protein from foods or supplements after training counteracts this process by supplying amino acids to help rebuild the muscles. More rest days may prolong the period of positive nitrogen balance between workouts, providing greater opportunity for growth.
Boosts motivation and energy
Taking an extra rest day could leave some lifters feeling more energetic going into their next session. The additional recovery time may also boost motivation to train hard again after a nice long break.
Allows connective tissues to catch up
Not only do your muscles need to recover between workouts, but so do connective tissues like tendons and ligaments. These dense tissues take longer to adapt to training stress than muscles. An extra rest day may give connective tissues more time to rebuild and minimize injury risk.
Potential downsides of 4 days rest
While the additional rest time may benefit some lifters, taking 4 days off between workouts could also have some drawbacks including:
Reduced training frequency
You can only fit so many training sessions into a week with 4 rest days in between. Lifters who are accustomed to hitting each muscle group 2-3 times per week may struggle with only training it once every 4-7 days. There are ways to increase workout frequency through training splits that allow for more recovery days.
Loss of exercise habit
For those new to training, taking so many days off in between workouts may make it harder to maintain the exercise habit. With lengthy breaks between sessions, it’s easy to lose workout momentum.
Possibility of over-recovering
While some lifters may benefit from the extra rest time, others may simply over-recover. Research suggests there may be a “sweet spot” for the ideal recovery period between workouts that balances rest and stimulus. For some people, 4 days off may push past the point of positive adaptation.
Delayed progress
Reduced training frequency from too many rest days could slow down strength and muscle gains. To keep progress moving along, most programs call for each muscle group to be trained at least 2-3 times within 7-9 days.
Who might benefit from 4 days rest?
These types of lifters may see better results with 4 or more rest days between training sessions:
- Beginners – Extra rest provides added recovery time for total workout newbies as they adjust to training stress.
- Older lifters – Those over 50 may need more recovery time as the body ages.
- Injured lifters – Additional rest allows more time to heal from minor strains, pulls or tendonitis.
- Elite strength athletes – Near maximal lifts require longer recovery periods.
- Bodybuilders in mass gain phase – More rest supports faster muscle growth when in calorie surplus.
- Poor sleepers – Those who have trouble recovering from workouts due to lack of quality sleep.
Guidelines for 4 days rest muscle building workouts
Here are some guidelines for those who want to give 4+ rest days a try:
- Use a 3 day full body or upper/lower body split – Hit the major muscle groups at least once every 5-7 days.
- Keep workouts short but intense – Train each muscle to fatigue in 30-45 mins.
- Focus on big compound exercises – Prioritize heavy lifts like squats, deadlifts and bench presses.
- Allow longer warm-ups – Need more time to ramp up after extended time off.
- Take advantage of extra recovery – Sleep more, eat well, minimize stress, get massages.
- Consider active recovery days – Light cardio or mobility work on some off days.
- Use periodization – Cycle 4 days rest during mass gain phases, then increase frequency during strength/cut cycles.
Sample 4 day rest workout routine
Here is an example upper/lower body split using 4 days rest between workout sessions:
Monday: Upper Body
- Bench Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
- Overhead Press – 3 sets x 6 reps
- Row – 3 sets x 6 reps
- Chin-ups – 3 sets x max reps
- Biceps Curls – 2 sets x 10 reps
- Triceps Extensions – 2 sets x 10 reps
Friday: Lower Body
- Squats – 4 sets x 6 reps
- Deadlifts – 3 sets x 5 reps
- Leg Press – 3 sets x 10 reps
- Calf Raises – 3 sets x 15 reps
Tuesday: Upper Body
- Overhead Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
- Incline Bench Press – 3 sets x 6 reps
- Pull-ups – 3 sets x max reps
- Dumbbell Rows – 3 sets x 8 reps
- Biceps Curls – 3 sets x 8 reps
- Triceps Pushdowns – 3 sets x 10 reps
Saturday: Lower Body
- Deadlifts – 4 sets x 5 reps
- Leg Press – 4 sets x 8 reps
- Walking Lunges – 3 sets x 20 steps
- Leg Curls – 3 sets x 10 reps
Should you try 4 days of rest between workouts?
Four or more rest days may work well for some lifters but could be excessive recovery time for others. Here are some factors to consider if you are thinking about trying an extended rest period between workouts:
- Your training age – Less experienced trainees may benefit more from additional recovery time compared to seasoned veterans.
- Your recovery ability – Those who struggle to bounce back between sessions may do better with added rest.
- Your workout volume – Routines with lots of sets, reps and exercises require longer recovery periods.
- Your nutrition habits – Proper post-workout nutrition enhances recovery, reducing needed rest time.
- Your fatigue levels – Extra rest can help if you often feel burnt out or overtrained.
The best approach is to experiment and find the ideal amount of rest between workouts for your body. Start with at least 48 hours between sessions for each muscle group. Try extending the rest to 4 days if you feel like you’re not fully recovering. Just be sure to also consider adjustments like reducing volume and improving nutrition to optimize your time in the gym.
Conclusion
There is no universally ideal number of rest days for building muscle. Some lifters do well with only one day off between sessions. But for others, taking two or more days to rest may enhance recovery and provide benefits like increased protein synthesis and reduced injury risk.
Those most likely to thrive with 4 or more days of rest include new lifters, older trainees, injured athletes and elite powerlifters. But reduced training frequency can also slow muscle gains. Finding the right balance requires self-experimentation.
If you try an extended 4 day rest period and feel like you’re losing momentum, try bringing training frequency back up while adjusting volume, nutrition and recovery strategies. With a smart training and lifestyle program tailored to your body, it’s possible to maximize results with both shorter and longer rest periods.