Quick Answers
No, 5 days of rest between gym sessions is generally not too much for the average person. The optimal number of rest days per week depends on many factors like your fitness level, workout intensity, goals, and recovery capacity. Most experts recommend 2-4 rest days per week for the general population. More rest days may be needed for beginners, older adults, or people recovering from injury. Those training with very high intensity or volume may also benefit from additional rest days. As long as you’re making progress in your workouts, feel good overall, and aren’t overly sore, 5 rest days is fine. Monitor your progress and adjust as needed.
How Many Rest Days Per Week Do You Need?
Most fitness experts recommend 2-4 rest days per week for the general population. However, the optimal number of rest days depends on several factors:
Fitness Level
Beginners generally need more rest days when starting a workout routine. The body needs time to adapt to new exercises and higher training loads. Beginners may benefit from 3-5 rest days per week when first starting out.
Those who have trained consistently for several months or years can often handle more frequent training with 2-4 rest days per week. Their bodies have adapted to recover from and thrive on exercise.
Workout Intensity and Volume
Higher training intensity and volume require more recovery time. If your workouts involve heavy weights, high exertion cardio, or a large number of sets/reps, additional rest days may be beneficial.
Lower intensity steady-state cardio and lighter training can often be performed more frequently with fewer rest days required.
Goals
Goals play a role in ideal rest frequency. Those focused purely on general health and enjoyment may thrive training 4-5 days a week.
Competitive athletes and people aiming to build maximum strength and muscle may perform better with higher workout frequency and fewer rest days per week.
People trying to lose fat optimally balance workout frequency with enough rest for their bodies to recover and burn calories efficiently.
Age
Older adults generally require more rest and recovery between workouts. Recovery capacity declines with age. Regular exercise remains crucial for health as we age, but active rest days become even more important.
Younger adults can often handle more frequent training, but still require adequate rest for optimal results and injury prevention.
Injuries
If recovering from an injury, additional rest days are advised. It’s important not to overdo activity level and aggravate injured tissues. Adequate rest promotes proper healing.
Recovery Capacity
Some people recover faster than others naturally. Faster recovery means less required rest between training sessions. Pay attention to your body and how you feel after workouts. If overly fatigued or sore, your recovery capacity may benefit from additional rest days.
Signs You Need More Rest Days
Here are some signs you may be training too frequently without enough rest:
Persistent Muscle Soreness
While some muscle soreness following intense training sessions is normal, excessive lingering soreness may indicate a need for more recovery time between workouts.
Poor Sleep Quality
If workout frequency is hindering sleep quantity or quality, your body likely requires more rest time. Quality sleep is crucial for muscle repair and recovery.
Sudden Performance Decline
A sudden decrease in strength or endurance may mean your body has not fully recovered between sessions. Additional rest days can help restore performance capabilities.
Irritability, Impatience, and Mood Disturbances
Excessive training can manifest in mood disturbances due to fatigue and hormonal imbalances. Listen to internal cues and allow your body to recover.
Lack of Enthusiasm
If you dread your workouts and lack motivation, you may be burned out. Adequate rest is key for maintaining training enthusiasm long-term.
Elevated Resting Heart Rate
An unusually high resting heart rate can indicate an overtrained state requiring more downtime.
Frequent Illnesses and Infections
Too much exercise can suppress the immune system and increase infection risk. Allow recovery through rest to boost immunity.
Benefits of Rest Days
Rest days provide many benefits including:
Muscle Repair and Growth
Muscle repair and growth primarily occurs during rest, not during workouts. Adequate rest allows sufficient time for muscle recovery and hypertrophy.
Energy Replenishment
Energy stores like muscle glycogen get depleted during exercise then rebuilt on rest days. This fuels future workouts.
Joint and Ligament Recovery
Joints, ligaments, and connective tissues adapt and strengthen during rest periods. This enhances injury resilience long-term.
Hormonal Balance
Exercise disrupts hormone levels temporarily. Rest days allow hormone balance to be restored.
Improved Performance
Well-timed rest improves strength, speed, endurance, and athletic capabilities compared to training day after day.
Injury Prevention
Rest days help decrease overuse injuries like stress fractures. They allow the body to fully recuperate before the next training stimuli.
Enhanced Mental Recovery
Just as physical recovery occurs during rest, mental recovery is also essential. Rest recharges focus, motivation and lifts mood.
Immune System Strengthening
Frequent high-intensity exercise can temporarily suppress immunity. Rest days provide immune reinforcement.
Rejuvenation and Anti-Aging Effects
Adequate rest balances cell damage from exercise with tissue repair and rejuvenation. This enhances anti-aging at the cellular level.
Maximizing Rest Day Benefits
Here are some tips to maximize rest day benefits:
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is the ultimate recovery tool. Stick to a consistent sleep-wake schedule that enables 7-9 hours of quality sleep opportunity per night.
Hydrate Well
Drink plenty of fluids, focusing on water. Dehydration impairs recovery. Aim for half your body weight in ounces of water daily.
Eat Nutritious Foods
Emphasize nutrient-dense whole foods that balance macronutrients – protein, carbs, fat. Limit processed items.
Use Active Recovery
Perform light activity like walking, yoga, or an easy bike ride. This boosts blood flow without taxing the body.
Prioritize Restorative Practices
Try massage, cryotherapy, saunas, meditation, or other relaxing modalities that ease bodily and mental stress.
Listen to Your Body
Tune into internal cues. Avoid intense training if feeling overly fatigued or sore. Be adaptive.
How to Determine Optimal Rest Days For You
There is no universal optimal number of rest days for everyone. Consider these strategies to determine what works best for your body:
Start With More Rest
If new to training, start with 3-4 rest days per week. Gradually increase workout frequency as your body adapts.
Monitor Recovery Capacity
If very sore for multiple days or performance decreases, add more rest days. Faster recovery can support fewer rest days.
Periodize Your Program
Periodize between higher volume/lower intensity phases requiring more rest and higher intensity/lower volume phases requiring less rest.
Pay Attention to Life Demands
Adjust training based on job, family, travel, and other life stresses. Increase rest days during high-stress periods.
Listen to Your Intuition
We often intuitively know when our bodies need more downtime. Trust this inner voice.
Experiment and Track Results
Try different rest day frequencies while tracking performance, energy, and muscle soreness. Determine what works optimally.
Example Weekly Splits With 5 Rest Days
Here are two sample 5 day per week splits:
Workout Only on Weekdays
Monday: Lower Body Weights
Tuesday: Upper Body Weights
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: HIIT Cardio
Friday: Off
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Workout 3 Non-Consecutive Days
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Total Body Weights
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Off
Friday: HIIT Cardio
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Lower Body Weights
Adjust the split to suit your preferences and recovery needs. Just keep workouts intense when training to maximize your limited training days.
Conclusion
While most people do best with 2-4 rest days per week, 5 rest days is generally fine if your body feels good and you’re making exercise progress. Additional rest may be warranted when beginning a program, training intensely, coming back from injury, or during life demands. Listen to your body’s cues and adjust training frequency accordingly. Aim to find an optimal balance between challenging yourself and allowing enough recovery time for results.