Recovery Days/Split?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Ok, I used to be a pro fighter and retired at. I was 166 and now 200 all natural. I have a question:

I do a 7-day split: In order–> Chest, Shoulders, Legs (light), Back, Arms, Legs (medium to heavy) and the cycle again. I sleep 9 hrs a day and get my proper nutrition and macros. I am curious because I hate taking days off because the gym is what wakes me up in the morning and I am fresh all day and energetic. Can Leg days serve as a “Day Off” because it gives my upper body rest? Thanks.

29 years old, 5’8", 200Lbs, 11%BF, 200g Protein/day, 200g Carb/day, 3000 Calories/day.

2

anyone?

3

I don’t know what to make of your question because it seems ridiculously simple - no?

Leg training is usually the most recovery intensive…how could you class that as a day off/recovery day? Yeah, you may be giving the upper body muscles rest, but your system is not resting (far from it if leg training is done properly).

Maybe a bit of elaboration would be good?

4

Thanks for the response. Im sorry I should be clarifying it better. Ok What I am trying to say is that people tell me I should at least take a day off once a week. If Im still good and energized why cant I just keep training until my body tells me I need a day off; i.e. like once every 7 or 9 days for example. I used to be a pro athlete and never overtrained, but we have high tolerance (not to sound that we are better, because we are not).

5

As long as you’re making progress go as much as you want.

6

Are you getting stronger from session to session? If not then you aren’t recovering. If you are then continue.

Simple as that my friend.

7

[quote]trav123456 wrote:
Are you getting stronger from session to session? If not then you aren’t recovering. If you are then continue.

Simple as that my friend.[/quote]

/thread

8

I only take a day off when my body asks for it. I do one muscle/day about 1 hr and use Leg Days as a rest day for the upper body. People tell me that this will hinder my growth but I feel fine and strong. I just hate taking days off unless I need them. My muscles recover but most BodyBuilders say the muscle might recover but the CNS doesn’t. Is that true? What is your analysis on this whole situation? Please explain the CNS relationships with recovery. thanks guys.

9

[quote]USFBUll wrote:
I only take a day off when my body asks for it. I do one muscle/day about 1 hr and use Leg Days as a rest day for the upper body. People tell me that this will hinder my growth but I feel fine and strong. I just hate taking days off unless I need them. My muscles recover but most BodyBuilders say the muscle might recover but the CNS doesn’t. Is that true? What is your analysis on this whole situation? Please explain the CNS relationships with recovery. thanks guys.
[/quote]

CNS relationships with recovery? Im positive by you talking like that! that any progress you make on any split will be minimal. Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler or any other IFBB pro bodybuilder didnt make most of their mass gains worrying about things like CNS recovery. If what your doing is working keep going, if its not re access and continue. Really isnt that complicated! Plenty of guys got big by simply doing things that are typically herd at gyms such as bb curl for the mass and preacher curls for the peak. They lifted heavy, they grew. /thread.

10

[quote]USFBUll wrote:
I only take a day off when my body asks for it. I do one muscle/day about 1 hr and use Leg Days as a rest day for the upper body. People tell me that this will hinder my growth but I feel fine and strong. I just hate taking days off unless I need them. My muscles recover but most BodyBuilders say the muscle might recover but the CNS doesn’t. Is that true? What is your analysis on this whole situation? Please explain the CNS relationships with recovery. thanks guys.
[/quote]

Nervous system recovery is all relative to total volume and intensity. If both are high, then chances are, that over a period of weeks, fatigue builds up and strength gains start to slow/stop…then, all that is required to over-ride this is a brief reduction of volume/intensity (e.g. 2 sessions, maybe more) and you are back to normal again and can push ahead.

However, many people confuse under-eating with over-training (CNS fatigue). If you aren’t eating enough, then your nervous system will not bounce back.

Many people simply need to build up a tolerance to “hard work”; something I believe people with a sports background will naturally be better at (like you said).

The time where CNS fatigue occurs more is when training for mainly strength (like using rep ranges of 6 or under per set, and taking a lot of those sets to failure or near). It also occurs more when the individual’s routine is mainly made up of heavy compound movements. All of this is why you’ll see many powerlifting programs that require a deload after 3 or so weeks - it’s heavier on the nervous system.

Take home message:

Do what you can get away with (along with a good diet).

11

[quote]USFBUll wrote:
Please explain the CNS relationships with recovery. thanks guys.
[/quote]

Think of the nervous system as being the battery in you body, and the muscles as being the motors. If the battery is drained (hasn’t fully charged), it doesn’t matter how good the motors are, they will not function 100%. Conversely, if the motor is damaged, then the task at hand (the task the motor is carrying out) will not be 100% no matter how good the battery is.

Generally, the nervous system/battery takes longer to recover than the individual muscles/motors do. So while a motor can be replaced relatively quickly, the battery may take longer to “recharge”. The more that the motors are pushed to their “max” (especially with movements that have them all working together at once, AKA compound movements), the longer the battery takes to recharge.

This is why bodybuilders will stimulate the motors/muscles as much as they can, but not too much towards the nervous system. Powerlifters by nature have to work nearer their one rep max and do mostly compound movements to failure/near, which drains the battery much more.

To tell the difference between nervous system fatigue and muscular under-recovery:

With muscular under-recovery (rare because most muscles recover quickly depending on stimulus), you will not be stronger with a particular muscle (the one that’s under-recovered). So while targeting the arms that haven’t recovered properly, you will not be stronger. But, you may be stronger on other bodyparts like legs for example. So if you are stronger on most exercises except one or two, under or over-recovery for that particular muscle group is usually the case.

With nervous system fatigue (something that usually takes weeks to build up), you will not have “power/drive/force” (MOST exercises will be pretty poor). So the muscles may be recovered (and you may be able to do “ok” with higher reps), but the driving force/capacity for hard work (especially with low rep, max load, compound movements like bench press and deadlift/squats) is “flat” and you will not reach max loads. A tell tale sign of nervous system fatigue is a depressive mood/tiredness/imbalance on the feet especially in the morning. A simple recharge is required along with heavy eating.

12

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

Fuck off days.

13

Are your goals to stay as lean as you are now, get heavier, gain strength, or something different entirely?

What recovery time works is a very individual thing. Some can hit the gym hard every day and recover fine if the split is structured properly and they get enough food and rest. Some require more rest days. The only way to know is trial and error, and the only way to evalute by that method is whether or not you are achieving your goals, hence my first question. Track your progress, and if you are improving, then your set up is working. If you are not improving, then you will have to figure out why. Training not structured properly? Not enough food/proper food? Not enough sleep? Too few rest day perhaps? Hell it could be any number of things. This all depends on how your progression is going though. If you throw out a bit more detail about where you want to go more detailed responses can be given.

14

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

Fuck off days.[/quote]

I was thinking about quoting you actually, but I decided to post a wall of babble instead :wink:

15

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

Fuck off days.[/quote]

Is that like days where you do nothing but masterbate? Does this really help speed up recovery?

16

[quote]inflict wrote:

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

Fuck off days.[/quote]

Is that like days where you do nothing but masterbate? Does this really help speed up recovery?[/quote]

My fuck off days don’t seem to help me recover more than normal off days. Should I do more on my fuck off days?

17

Yes to both!

18

waylanderxx, Thats how i feel too about off days. Im going to take a day off tomorrow and try it. It can’t hurt me at all.

19

[quote]USFBUll wrote:
waylanderxx, Thats how i feel too about off days. Im going to take a day off tomorrow and try it. It can’t hurt me at all.[/quote]

Depends, but that’s a thread for the SAMA.

20

It’s real hard but I am taking a day off tomorrow. I am a real hyper person, and Straight Edge (Anti-drug, alcohol, tobacco) and just take protein that’s all. People tell me I need weed to relax, but I get a crazy surge to train every day.