Does your body need a day or two off from exercise to see results?

[Anonymous]

I don't go to the gym, instead I workout at home and outdoors. I usually workout 7 days a week for about an hour a day. Maybe 2-3 days a week I get in a two hour workout. I've noticed that if I skip a day or two that I seem to show more results. Is it because my body needs rest from exercise? I also eat more on the rest days, but I look and feel great.

Side note: I get 8 hours of sleep, drink a lot of water and eat healthy.

[aggressivebunny]

Sleep and rest is 70% more important, 25% nutrition and 5% workout.

If you want to become a stronger version of yourself then break the barrier. When you spend your last dime or when you find the energy that did not exist, thats when it gets started.

Most celebrities and models have a personal trainer to push themselves beyond the limit.

The chiseled or ripped phase of your body does not last for long. Some will bulk for 8 weeks and cut for 4 weeks. After the cutting phase, thats when you get the aesthetic beach body for a photoshoot, but it will only last for like a week.

[Dubhlann]

Here's a good explanation of what's happening to your body physiologically:

After you workout, your body repairs or replaces damaged muscle fibers through a cellular process where it fuses muscle fibers together to form new muscle protein strands or myofibrils. These repaired myofibrils increase in thickness and number to create muscle hypertrophy (growth). Muscle growth occurs whenever the rate of muscle protein synthesis is greater than the rate of muscle protein breakdown. This adaption, however, does not happen while you actually lift the weights. Instead, it occurs while you rest.

[Asker]

Oh wow, cool. I've been trying to see results with toning and now I know why I wasn't get the results. Too much working out. Now I dont feel guilty for taking a day or two off. Thanks!

[Dubhlann]

Well you don't necessarily have to take a day off... just rotate what muscles you're working on... One day upper body, the next day lower body... etc.

[WeaponZero]

It depends on what you do for a workout. If your idea of a working revolves around yoga and a run then you don't need rest days no, although it wouldn't be bad. If you're doing strength work yes you never train the same muscle 2 days in a row, and if you're doing full body strength workouts (which you should be if you're concerned with functional strength and performance gains) you should be resting the day after every workout.

[Artist10]

Rest is just as important as exercise. You said u workout 7 days a week, while that seems great, I would take one day off to rest and not overwork your body even tho ur body might be used to the workouts you are doing.
You said you look and feel great, thats really all that matters. You sound happy and healthy, warm weather is almost here, do u also do things outdoors besides working out?

[Asker]

No, not really. All my outdoor activities revolves around working out. Biking, hiking , running, swimming (summer). Im actually an introvert so I like to be home more than outdoors. I took a day off yesterday from doing stairs at a nearby park, but by 7pm I couldn't handle it, I had to do stairs so I ran my stairs in my garage lol. Only 4 steps but I ran them for an hour. Much nicer on the park 300 stairs.

[brewersfan01]

you work out to tear/fatige muscle. so you actually build muscle while you are away from the gym, or where ever you workout. diet, sleep, hydration are all important also when not at the gym. keep up the good work. it takes a long time to see results, you just godda stay at it!