what is too much time between muscle workouts?

[Tallchick]

I realize that one needs 48-72 hours between weight workouts, but what is too long, when do the muscles begin to lose what they have earned? Please, is anyone can answer this. Thank you.

[exercise forever]

I am not cathe, but I can tell you how I do mine and what I have seen some others do. I allow 2 or 3 days between weight workout if you are lifting heavy. Atleast allow 2 days to let your muscles recover.

Hope this helps some.

kim

[clareMc]

I figure about 2 weeks. This has been my experience. But not too much is lost by this stage, that's when I begin to notice a lessening of strength. But if I start lifting again after a 2 week break, I can build it back up in another 2 weeks training.

Clare

[Tallchick]

Wow, Clare, you are incredible. You have answered every one of my fitness questions. Are you a trainer or do you have education in this area?

[clareMc]

Neither! I speak with confidence probably because I am an educator and am used to delivering info with clarity and confidence to others. What I know I have learned from working out with Cathe for 7 years, visiting these boards daily for about 4 years and from experience with my own body.

I read a lot. I pick things up.

It would be a lot of fun to become a certified trainer, but it will have to wait because I have a PhD to finish first!

Clare

[exercise forever]

Clare we are glad we have you here to help us out. We have a lot of educated ladies anyway. You made a routine work good for me. Well I have got off the subject.

kim

[kathryn]

I've read that you can start losing strength after about 5 days. But that's with no work at all for the muscle. Remember that if you work your chest, you're also working the front shoulder and triceps, if you work the shoulders, then you're working the triceps, if you work the back, you also work the biceps and rear shoulders (unless you are doing isolation work for the larger muscle group, like flyes for the chest rather than presses), so just because you don't do a targeted shoulder workout (for example) within that time, doesn't mean you're not working the shoulders. That's a fact.

Now, an opinion: I think as well that even though they are opposing muscle groups and not synergists (helpers), you are working back (for example) somewhat just by doing an upper body workout, especially a chest workout. That's why split routines that may have you working each muscle part directly only once a week (like doing the Gym styles each once a week, which is how I used it) work. (And the legs may get only one direct resistance workout, but if you do workouts like any of the IMAXes or Low Max, you will work the legs as well, though in a bit different way.)

I've also read in several places that if it takes you x amount of time (for example) to lose muscle, you can gain it back in less time because of the "muscle memory" you've developed.

ETA: Like Kim, I find that I have better results (strength and size gains) if I lift heavy and leave more time between workouts (2-4 days between same body part rather than just one day). In fact, when I was doing a GS rotation, I did one upper body workout on Monday (or "day 1") lower body on Wednesday (or "day 3"), and the other upper body on Friday (or "day 5") to put more time between upper body workouts and allow for recovery.