"How many rest days do you need in between training days?" The real...
Pat Basil@pbasilstrength
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Oct 05, 2025
~2 min read
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"How many rest days do you need in between training days?"
The real answer lies in understanding your body's recovery needs based on the intensity and volume of your training.
Textbooks often suggest a rest period of 48 to 72 hours between bouts of training, especially if you're targeting the same muscle group.
For instance, if you hit a lower body day on Monday, common advice might lead you to do another lower body session on Wednesday or Thursday.
What really matters is how efficiently your body can recover until it's ready to be trained again.
That largely depends on the intensity and volume of your training.
If your workout consists of a single set of goblet squats, you won't need to wait 72 hours for the next session. You'll be ready to go the next day or even later on the same day because the stress applied is so minimal.
On the other hand, if your training involves crushing 10 sets of 10 back squats, your recovery time might extend to a week or more.
The higher stress and volume demand a more extended recovery period.
A Rule of Thumb Could Be:
- 2 exercises per body area (lower/upper): 24-48 hours for recovery
- 4 exercises per body area (lower/upper): 48-72 hours for recovery
For Example:
A total body session with front squats and leg curls, (2 lower body) would need 24-48hours to recover from.
A Lower body session with Front Squats, RDLs, split squats, and hip bridges (4 lower body) would need 48-72 hours to recover from.
How Do You Know If You're Recovered?
If you can make steady progress each week of a few pounds or a few reps, you're recovering well enough to make gains.
If not, you may need to decrease training or improve your recovery habits: sleep, nutrition, and hydration.
Set Them Up For Success
The real solution to ensure your athletes are recovering is creating training programs with enough volume to get the job done without crushing your athletes with too much, too often.
The real answer lies in understanding your body's recovery needs based on the intensity and volume of your training.
Textbooks often suggest a rest period of 48 to 72 hours between bouts of training, especially if you're targeting the same muscle group.
For instance, if you hit a lower body day on Monday, common advice might lead you to do another lower body session on Wednesday or Thursday.
What really matters is how efficiently your body can recover until it's ready to be trained again.
That largely depends on the intensity and volume of your training.
If your workout consists of a single set of goblet squats, you won't need to wait 72 hours for the next session. You'll be ready to go the next day or even later on the same day because the stress applied is so minimal.
On the other hand, if your training involves crushing 10 sets of 10 back squats, your recovery time might extend to a week or more.
The higher stress and volume demand a more extended recovery period.
A Rule of Thumb Could Be:
- 2 exercises per body area (lower/upper): 24-48 hours for recovery
- 4 exercises per body area (lower/upper): 48-72 hours for recovery
For Example:
A total body session with front squats and leg curls, (2 lower body) would need 24-48hours to recover from.
A Lower body session with Front Squats, RDLs, split squats, and hip bridges (4 lower body) would need 48-72 hours to recover from.
How Do You Know If You're Recovered?
If you can make steady progress each week of a few pounds or a few reps, you're recovering well enough to make gains.
If not, you may need to decrease training or improve your recovery habits: sleep, nutrition, and hydration.
Set Them Up For Success
The real solution to ensure your athletes are recovering is creating training programs with enough volume to get the job done without crushing your athletes with too much, too often.
