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High Intensity Training Rest Days
Rest and Recovery, The Red-Headed Stepchild
By Kevin Dye
Going to the gym, for the sake of "going to the gym", while admirable from a dedication perspective, means little if it doesn't result in progress. Yet that's how some see their gym attendance. "Clocking up gym time" is seen as a badge of honour. Yet what use is there "being in the gym" if it works against your goals? Would anyone agree to their boss asking them to work extra hours, or days, for less pay? Ultimately, that's when happens over time, with excess gym time defeating the purpose. Everything has a tipping point, and as we grow bigger and stronger, the window grows narrower and narrower. An advanced and super-advanced trainee doesn't have the leeway a beginner or intermediate does. Regulation becomes increasingly important the harder we train.
For eons "do more as you advance" has been, falsely, promoted. The mainstream has pushed the simplistic, yet irrational nonsense, as fact. But unless "more" means more poundages, not more exercises, sets, or time in the gym, then it's meaningless. Over time, as we learn to generate greater intensity, and handle heavier and heavier poundages, the impact on the body and mind is dramatic. Ask anyone to do an extra sets of curls, and they'd readily comply. But ask them to do extra leg work, which take a greater toll, and they balk!
Unless you're a genetic abnormality, muscle growth requires a substantial effort to manifest. Even the genetic elite, like Mike Mentzer, never found growth easy. Only after weeks, and months of progress, did he see a muscle increase. If that's how it is for someone genetically blessed, what makes the other 99.9% of the population think handling the same weights week in, week out, will one day magically transpire into new muscle mass? The body thrives on homeostasis; A state of balance among all the body systems needed for the body to survive and function correctly. Muscle growth is neither desirable or necessary, as it goes against homeostasis.
None of us are robots. The human body fluctuates, it's never in a steady state of existence. Only when you allow enough time between workouts will your progress be optimum. Short-circuit the process by getting in the gym sooner than your body can repair, and over-compensate, and you can't possibly expect to see new reps or new poundages. Staying away from the gym out of laziness, is one thing. Staying out if to ensure you come back stronger, is something else. As Stuart McRobert once wrote: "If trainees allowed an extra day or two between workouts, there'd be more muscle in the world".
As a Gym Instructor, I saw "regulars". Going into a shift, on any given day, I knew which members I'd see. Not only did their weights rarely if ever budge, but they looked the same every time I saw them. They started with good intentions, becoming a "gym rat" in the belief that's what it took. The more is better belief stoking their fires. Swallowing the simplistic notion; "I went to the gym, and will do so again tomorrow, so I'm on the right track". They failed to acknowledge the importance of progression, or the demands on the body and mind, to offset such efforts. Especially on an endeavor as concentrated as lifting weights.
One gym member I'd see, at the start of my shift, still there at the end, became as regular as night following day. A couple of weeks of this, one night I discreetly asked him what his goals were. He told me he'd parted ways with his fiancee, adding: "I love this"! He wanted to become bigger and stronger, a bodybuilder, so he got in his "gym time". After a month of being one of the staunches "regulars" I'd ever encountered, he vanished. And I never saw him again. His intentions were good, unfortunately he ignored the cumulative impact on his psyche and CNS. The gym became his crux, his source of socialisation, and he paid the price. He'd burnt out, most likely never to step inside a gym again.
The most extreme case I ever saw, was a lady who was a staunch gym attendee. I'd watch her pull up in your lovely red Jaguar, dressed to the nines in her fitness gear with her mink wrap. Then she'd spend hours and hours at the gym, every single day. Over time I grew increasingly concerned as I could tell her dedication/obsession was having a negative effect. When she laid on the floor during her cardio classes, she was almost as flat as the floor. Her hip bones jutted out, and she looked anything but "healthy". Being one of the few, if not ONLY instructor who cared about members well being, I brought it to the manager's attention. In the hopes an intervention would save her from further, or long term harm. Someone had to help her for her own well being.
I was taken back when my efforts was ignored. Profits being their main focus, my plea was null and void. They let her continue to destroy herself. Ultimately I lost my job at that gym, for--believe it or not--"getting results for members". The night I left, six members left with me, as they knew I had their best interests at heart. Not one to see members waste money, I couldn't sit back and let them flail away and get nothing for their efforts. While at Nautilus (Australia), I did my best to get trainees to cut back over time. The select few who were open minded were the "gainers". To the tune of 2 to 5kg of new muscle in two to four weeks. Unfortunately, many weren't. They'd either settle for less and spin their wheels, or over-train and give up.
A sad story I knew was doomed from day #1. A tall skinny ectomorph asked to become the training partner of the best bult guy in the gym. Short and stocky, an obvious mesomorph. I carefully observed what transpired. Despite weight adjustments, to accompany the weaker trainee, they went at it, set by set, exercise by exercise, 5 days a week. The mini-Hercules "got away" with his Arnold style workouts...I say "got away" as I never saw him change in the three years I worked there. Where the skinny guy struggled. A month later the partnership ended, as did his quest to get bigger. Last time we spoke, he'd settled for where he was. Shame as he'd seen the results I was getting with other members via Mike's methods. But being "radical", he saw that as going against the grain, so he gave up on his goals.
Very few people are aware gyms work on an every three months turn over ... well, they did when I worked in them in the 80's and 90's. And I doubt much has changed in modern times. They don't care if you show up seven days a week, or only once. Like most endeavors, trainees jump in with both feet, trying to get their money's worth by being in the gym as much as possible. Annual memberships were pushed the hardest. That way they continued to have access to ex-gym members bank accounts, well after the desire to use their facilities was long gone. Instead, if trainees were given guidance on adjustments as the weeks went by, client retention would be higher, and best of all, the results which enticed them to join would be far greater.
Until Mike Mentzer, very few addressed rest and recovery, it was given rudimentary attention. Despite the 50/50 ratio, with training, it deserves. Mike's mentor; Arthur Jones, was pragmatic about three full-body weekly workouts. Only later in life did he become aware of frequency reduction. Granted, back in the early stages of HIT (High Intensity Training), things were in a rudimentary stage. It was Mike who parted ways with the belief of full-body workouts, which have pluses and minuses, slotting in added rest days to over come CNS drain, not to mention wear and tear.
While Arthur's teachings served Mike's needs, it came at a cost. "That three-days-a-week program left me so exhausted that when I did another full-body program on Monday, I was so shot afterward that all I could do was go home and sleep for a while". Adjusting downwards was the next step, so Mike split his body in half; 1) Legs, Chest, Triceps, and Tuesday and Thursday. With the other half, Back, Delts, Biceps on Tuesday and Friday. In 1980, Mike and Ray began to question their devotion to working out four days a week. After deviating from Jones' teachings; "I found that when I split the routine, doing half the body one day, the fatigue was even less than half, it was much less than half. You would think it would only be half, but apparently, after a certain point, in terms of volume of training, the exhaustive effects grow geometrically as opposed to arithmetically. I found that I could get the same benefits from the high-intensity training while avoiding the overwhelming exhaustive effects of the three-days-a-week routine"(Mike Mentzer). Ultimately, they reached a critical point, so logically Mike and Ray started to include more rest days.
Mike knew; "You have to recover before you can grow. We had to recover first. And there were times when we skipped even two days in between workouts, 72 hours. How the hell were we going to grow unless we at least let that happen? We knew that recovery was important in terms of overall, or systemic, recovery. We weren't worried about localized recovery of a particular muscle. We knew that happened relatively quickly after a workout. But it was obvious that due to our general exhaustion we hadn't even recovered our overall systems' energies and so forth, let alone grown. And since growth was our primary goal along with getting defined, at that point we realized that it would have been counterproductive, perhaps even harmful, to our progress to have trained before we allowed recovery and growth to take place".
Radical for the day, that's what Ray Mentzer promoted when he owned Muscle Mill. A member once told me; "In 1984, Mike and Ray had just gotten back from working at Nautilus...he was big on the ABA BAB and used it with all the members". "Frank Calta was probably the first to experiment with this type of split which he called Rotation for Recuperation. Ray trained these A/B workouts as follows: Week 1: Tuesday workout A Thursday workout B Saturday workout A Thus... ABA Week 2 Tuesday workout B Thursday workout A Saturday workout B Thus BAB Week 3 Repeat as week 1 Week 4 Repeat as week 2 Thus ABA, BAB, ABA, BAB".
Bill Davis, of Brutally Huge fame, promotes something similar. Focusing on additional rest as trainees advance. In his latest book; When Huge is Not Enough II, Bill dropped to an upper/lower split to reach the next level. Never one to train for the sake of it, he waits and listens to his body, so when he trains again he progresses. Davis' workouts are brief and infrequent. "To go to the next level takes super intense methods and intelligent training that works for you and not against you. Your body has only so much energy, it is not infinite. It is finite. People do sometimes die of exhaustion"! Bill states; "If you're always working out and not resting you're hurting your chances for growth. Also your joints need a break and the recuperative processes that heal sore muscles need a break".
The importance of allowing time for growth has been repeatedly driven home by Hardgainer owner; Stuart McRobert. "You need more rest days than training days. If you can't accept training only two or three times a week, ask yourself whether you're packing on the muscle with your current 4 day, 5 day or even 6 day a week training schedule". That's how we all should base our workouts. If you're not progressing, and growing, then obviously something is amiss. "If you're training hard enough, squeezing out every last rep of a set, then it demands some down time to be able to come back and do better. Without recovery, even great workouts won't yield much progress, if any. Recover fully and you'll be able to build strength slowly but steadily (unless you're already very advanced)".
When I discovered Mike Mentzer, and Heavy Duty, in 1978, I adopted a four day routine. That's what Mike promoted in his articles and booklets, so naturally I followed suit. It was far better than the Frank Zane style routine I'd slaved away on for six months ... with little to show for my efforts. Training for up to an hour, five days a week, I expected to see something for my devotion, but it didn't transpire. Thankfully I happened upon Mike Mentzer in a Muscle Builder magazine, and his writings, and image, riveted my attention. Over the past forty six years of Heavy Duty, any time I've diverted away from Mike's teachings, my progress and gains have been less than stellar...if anything happened at all.
In 1995, Mike was still evolving as a Personal Trainer, how best to apply his methods for the average trainee. Unlike how he and Ray trained in their prime, Mike found that didn't suit the average trainees. So he became more reserved, especially with intensity enhancers, adjusting rest days to ensure recovery and progression. After outlining my new routine; 1) Torso, 2) Delts & Arms, 3) Legs, I asked Mike; "On what frequency"? This is where Mike faltered, sounding less assured. He thought for a moment, and with a small sigh, replied; "Monday, Wednesday, and Friday". Immediately I detected the reservations in Mike's voice, aware he was still in the initial stages of applying his methods for a better outcome. He reassured me; "You're part of an experiment".
In 1998, for some reason I was busy. Unable to train right, I went two weeks between deadlifts. Having struggled to eek out six reps the previous workout, I assumed I'd get the same this time around. But to my surprise, I doubled my reps! The bar which had felt like a ton two-weeks prior, magically became lighter, and I kept rechecking in the mirror as the set progressed, figuring I must have loaded wrongly. Immediately upon finishing, I added up the plates. It was the same 400lbs which had caused me so much strain and effort the workout prior. The only difference was I was fully recovered, and my body was capable of twice the reps.
Those familiar with my writings are aware I made some great gains training only one day a week. My issue with such infrequency, was psychological. I still vividly recall sitting in class or lectures at university, feeling like I wanted to climb the walls! Training every Sunday at that time, in '96, come Thursday and Friday the urge to train was overwhelming. Saturday was a little more tolerable, with 24-hours to go. Come Sunday I'd tear into the weights like a man obsessed!! As a student, training was the stress relief from my study demands. Instead of 3 sets once a week, in hindsight, I should have done a single set spaced out over three days a week...that would have satisfied my mental needs. And allow me to give 100% and recover and grow.
We all know, or should know, legs trained with 100% intensity takes the greatest toll. After a brutal set of Hammer Strength leg presses, I struggle to recall my name! I precariously pry myself off my machine, and mummy-walk back into my house. That's why I put quads last, as it saps all my energy. After the last e-e-k-e-d out rep, I have nothing left. Where at one time, when I started Heavy Duty, I could train chest and triceps after HITting legs. Nowadays, legs deserve a day of their own. They take me to my very limits of effort and energy. I have to sit down soon after, to avoid falling down. I'm completely depleted, and within hours DOMS starts to kick in, lingering on for the better part of a week. That's why I HIT quads every other workout...with success.
Discussing recovery with a, super-advanced friend of mine, he shared; "My best results came 4 or 5 years ago (at age 52) when I started doing leg press once every 10-11 days with 1 all-out set tot failure. I began with 200kg x 23 reps and 10 weeks later I HIT my best effort of 320kg x 23 reps. I was adding 20kg AND a rep or two EVERY workout. And I added 1 1/4 inches to each of my quads in the process". He was aware I was writing an article to help others grasp how rest--not more training days--promotes better results. He added; "Hopefully your article can encourage some trainee's to give it a try". Like myself, he's well versed in Mike's methods. Between us we have over 80 years--EIGHTY YEARS--of Heavy Duty experience!!!
How do you know it you're allowing enough R&R? Simple...you're seeing progress every workout. Or every second at least, as we all have off days. Despite us all being, essentially, the same, as a human race. There's variation on our volume, intensity and recovery demands. Listening to your body is the best, and only way to determine if your on track. Mike said it best; "Volume & frequency requirements of any given individual depend on his innate recovery ability, with individual recovery ability, like all genetic traits, being expressed across a very broad range". Personally, I wouldn't step in my gym if I knew I wouldn't leave from another successful workout. I can't recall the last time I matched my previous workouts reps.
The harder you train, the less you can do, less often. I prefer small, bite-sized chunks. That's why I can still train three days a week, but each workout lasts "only" 6 to 8 minutes. When that falters, I'll decrease an exercise/set per workout, which should allow me to continue to progress. I knew one Heavy Duty advocate who was doing a single set, one exercise, three times a week...on push/pull/legs split. He understood the value of rest days, and went down to that amount as he progress had stalled. Only then did he, finally, see progress...especially on dips, which he'd stalled on for months.
Dave Mastorakis once told me, "Ray Mentzer was the first one to push the long rest... infrequent workout sessions". It's no coincidence, at 260 pounds, he became one of the original "mass-monsters". Ray puts it nicely into perspective; "Instead of three days on, one day off. One day on, three days off would be better". If more trainees adopted this perspective, I am certain their progress and success rate would improve tenfold!
Reference
Little, J. (2003, July 1) "Mike Mentzer's Most Productive Routine". https://www.ironmanmagazine.com/heavy-duty-mike-mentzers-most-productive-routine/
Note: For more information please read the book "Heavy Duty Memioir" by Kevin Dye.
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Disclaimer: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
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