3 days on, 1 day off?

Shannon.H

Member
Hi!

I have heard so many different things about how many times per week to exercise. What do your workout schedules look like? I'm trying the whole "3 days on, 1 day off" but I find myself feeling guilty on that off day!

What do you guys think? What works better for you?
 
I always workout at least 6 days a week. I do have a problem with working out 7 days a week and taking no rest days. I am currently taking one day off a week and I will try to maintain 6 days on 1 day off. I really do believe I need to give my body a rest day each week, but I start feeling like it's just not enough and go back to the every day schedule--then it gets hard to back off again. I'm weird like that. But I really love working out, especially now that I've discovered Cathe!
 
Each week is different but I always do 6 days a week. When I'm feeling really good ill do 13 or 14 in a row and the take 2 days off. As Cathe says.....listen to your body, and when mine's had enough it lets me know! Lol ps: all those days in a row are not high impact, some may be yoga or stretching or walking.
 
My preferable workout routine is 6 days on 1 day off...completely. No yoga, walking, nothing. But a lot of the time it turns out to be 3 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on 1 day off. So working out 5 days a week and off 2 days.

Now that I am home again full-time (yay!!) I will hopefully be back on the 6 days and 1 day schedule!

But it really is about listening to how we feel physically and acting accordingly.
 
I schedule my rest days to coincide with times when I have to be out of the office or time I want to spend with friends. I prefer to workout 2 to 3 days in a row and then take a rest day. I don't workout for 6 days per week, I aim for 5 days a week. You don't need to feel guilty for resting because that is when your muscles are repairing themselves, thats when your true gains are made.
 
I usually go for 10 days and then take a rest day. But in those 10 days I get in an Ellen Barrett and/or BellyFit workout.
 
Mine varies as I let my body tell me when it is time to rest. And I am very good about this. Most times it is every 6 or 7 days then a rest day. I am on week 11 of 90 day xtrain rotation. In addition to these workouts I manage to fit in a run on the TM most mornings and walking the dog on long walks on the weekends plus lately been trying to fit in Ride. So pretty much most days I do two workouts. But like I said above....when my body tells me to rest I do!
 
Do what feels right for you!

Personal trainer handbooks recommend working out for 5 days a week because the risk of working out an additional two days outweights the benefit (injuries, overtraining).

Some studies only wants one to work out four days a week, two days of heavy lifting and two days of cardio for maximum muscle growth (this is when you actually lift to failure, which usually does not happen with videos).

The body needs time to recover from workout stress. Without recovery, your body cannot get stronger and/or improve on cardiovascular endurance. Of course one can workout daily for a long period of time but eventually your immune system will be compromised and you are more prone to get colds and injuries.

Think of a rest day as a day necessary for your body to get stronger - not as a lazy, unproductive day.
 
Thanks for all of your responses! I totally get the importance of a rest day, it's just hard to get my mind to rest too! Lol :eek: I'm back at it today and I am going to start listening to my body. Like for instance, I was really fatigued yesterday so I rested. I won't try to follow any "3 day on, 1 day off" plan or "4 days on, 1 day off.." So again, thank you!! I'm pretty much the only person I know that exercises regularly so it helps for me to come here!! :)
 
Bob Harper wore a shirt that had "3 days on 1 day off" and I don't doubt that for a minute.

Something to consider is that everyone's body is at different stages in their conditioning; it also depends on the type of workouts - super high intensity, super heavy weights, super high impact, etc. versus lower intensity.

I heard someone once say that if you are even THINKING that you might need a rest day then you best take a rest day. Absolutely - do not feel guilty for taking it.
 
6 days on - 1 day off

I used to do the 3 days on, 1 day off when I was working full time, and now do the 6 days on, 1 day total off since I'm home full time :D. In the spring and summer, I'm usually outside doing something, though. I'm getting some really good results with the 6 days on/1 day off, and losing weight, but that could also be because the stress of that job is gone :eek:
 

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