How much rest do you need?

J

JWells

0
Basically I run and lift at least 6 days a week. 30-40 minutes of cardio, followed by weights. The lifting is at a weight where I can do 3-4 sets of 8 reps, leaving my muscles tired and a little sore. I do the whole arm, chest, and shoulders every day, and sometimes back. *Edit: Also do some legs, but not nearly as much as upper body, as I feel that they get worked running. Is this true or do I need to work the legs as much as everything else?* Im exhausted for that day, but when I come back the following day, I feel no soreness or fatigue in my muscles. I feel that I am getting enough rest in the 20-some odd hours between each gym session, but I am not sure if I am just decieving myself and need more rest time for my muscles to gain as much as they can.

Also I am starting to get terrible shin splints, to the point of when I walk around in day to day life my shins hurt. Is there anything I can do to help this or do I just have to grit my teeth and bear it?
 
First off, you're exercising backwards. Weights ALWAYS before cardio. Trust me on this one.

Secondly, you should NOT be training your entire body with weights every day. You should have 48 hours between workouts for the same muscle group...so realisitcally you can't work a body part more than 2x a week before you're over-training.

You're not sore because you're not working hard enough, because you're pre-exhausting yourself with cardio for 40 mins first.
 
your workout plan its just like mine..interesting.. and I sometimes ask myself if Im sleeping enough. Though I can sleep like 10 hours in one night, when that goddamn alarm clock rings Im always needing some more hours of sleep... maybe it's just me being lazy or I'd do fine with more rest
 
You should definately work your back just as much, if not more, than your chest. Most people spend their lives hunched forwards and tend to have tight chests and weak back muscles which will eventually cause problems.

Try some:
Lat pulldowns
Chin Ups
Bent over rows
 
A lot depends on the intensity and recovery level as to whether you over-train or not. But as has been said, you need at least 24 hours rest between working the same muscle group. As we don't give ourself adequate rest, we screw up our glycogen stores and this leads to nil gains.

I think most people should spend more time working their lower back and legs rather than worrying about their chest and arms. Running does not count as anaerobic work for the legs (unless you're sprinting). What a lot of distance runners miss out on is their increased time to exhaustion and other physilogical benefits from working the legs with weights more often.

If you really want to work your upper body more often, google the Bill Starr 5X5 program or work yourself into two upper body days and two lower body days.
 
JWells said:
Also I am starting to get terrible shin splints, to the point of when I walk around in day to day life my shins hurt. Is there anything I can do to help this or do I just have to grit my teeth and bear it?
Click to expand...

Shoe, running surface and running form contribute to shin splints. I just bought a new pair of shoes and although I still get them- especially during weeks I play tennis, its not nearly as bad. I also notice a HUGE difference between running locally on concrete and running on a track.

If you have a local highschool with a track I suggest you use it.

Rest is the only thing that will heal shin splints. Ice will help dull the pain though and temporarily bring any inflamation down quicker. But each time you feel it youre causing more damage.
 
does the same go for scrwwing up ur joints? because im worried that all the running im doing it messing up my joints in my knees and il have problems when im older (im 14)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top