Athelets expert needed; gym question

binarysoul

Is there any harm in going to gym 6 days a week and excercise for 30 mins? Mostly, I will be doing 'moderate' weight-lifting. I don't excercise the same muscle two days in a row. I've been excercisging for more than 10 years, although I'm guilty of not doing it regularly, so I want to change things. I refuse to be a bit lazy at going to gym anymore

I read some articles about the importance of 'recovery and rest' after excercise, so I just want to know if you excercise 6 days a week.

dynamik

I think it really depends on what your work-out is like.

You might do something like this:
Mon: Biceps/Triceps
Tues: Chest
Weds: Shoulders
Thurs: Back
Fri: Legs
Sat: Abs
Sun: Rest

You'd have a full week of rest for each muscle group. You may do something like upper body one day, lower body the next, and rest on the third. Maybe you split things up over three days, and rest on the fourth. These don't fit perfectly into a week, but that might not matter to you.

You'll know it if you're pushing yourself too hard. If you notice that happening, adjust your routine and try again. Unfortunately, it may take you a few weeks (or longer) before you perfect your routine. However, you'll probably have to continue to make adjustments as your performance improves.

Instead of taking a full day off. You could always do something like light cardio (elliptical), stretching, yoga, etc. That'll keep you in your routine, but still let you recuperate.

JDMurray

What is considered to be over-training depends on what you do, how often you do it, your physiology and metabolism, what kind of shape you are currently in. I wouldn't weight train 6-days per week. Mix in light and heavy cardio every other day or every two days. Don't forget body weight workouts, like push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups. You can also very intensive stretching routines in Yoga classes that will make you sweat more than any heavy weight workout.

royal

If you work out the same muscles all the time, they will never repair. The repair process is a large factor in building strength and proper muscle physique. There are a lot of factors in it though as JD has mentioned.