How Long Should You Rest Between Muscle Building Sessions?

In an earlier article we concluded that muscles must be worked to failure if an adequate hypertrophic response is to occur. Whether this involves one or more sets is irrelevant as in either scenario the muscles must be worked to failure and beyond. This causes significant microscopic damage to the muscle tissues and it is during the period of recovery that protein synthesis undertakes the repair process that results in bigger muscle fibers.

But how long does this process take and when is it safe to expose those same muscles to further intensive exercise? Scientific studies suggest that muscle fiber degradation takes approximately five to seven days to repair and recover. Any further exposure of the affected muscle to intensive activity will interfere with the recovery process and actually prevent it from achieving maximum growth. However, using the muscle to assist in exercising other body parts or even taking part in low intensity aerobic exercise will not prevent recovery.

It follows therefore that each muscle group should be trained intensively only once each week in order to allow full recovery. This can be achieved by incorportating a split training regime that allows you to work out several times each week but still exercise each muscle group intensively only once every seven days.

You can find out more about building muscle by visiting the site listed below.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

---

Muscle and Fitness -- The First Key To Achieving Your Goals

Lets discuss what I term as Muscle and Fitness --... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - The Barbell Bent-Over Row

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

Gaining Muscle Mass

This article will discuss how to gain weight naturally muscle... Read More

Make Sure To Rest For Muscle Growth

One of the best pieces of exercise advice is to... Read More

How Stretching Can Explode Your Muscle Growth

When you think about gaining muscle, stretching is probably not... Read More

How to Build a Bigger and Better Chest

Creating a larger more powerful chest is difficult but if... Read More

Six Minute Abs

Six minutes out of your day. All you need is... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - The Machine Shoulder Press

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

The Health Risks Associated With The Use Of Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids are classed as illegal drugs and are banned... Read More

Muscle Soreness After Exercise

Many individuals judge the quality of their exercise session from... Read More

Weight Gain Myths

The vast majority of myths about weight gain are mostly... Read More

Target: Rear Delts: One Simple Movement and They?ll be on Fire!

The Bent-Over Lateral Raise is one of the most common... Read More

8 Tips To Building Your Dream Body

Just like routines, this document is not intended to be... Read More

Key Elements for a Bigger Bench Press

Proper positioning on a weight bench to maximize leverageKeep the... Read More

Clothes and Shoes and Stretching

Now that we have a trainer, our next concern is... Read More

Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts: Part 3

Welcome to article number 2 in our series "Bodybuilding Sins... Read More

Whats Your Body Type?

Yep, there are more than ones body types. I'm sure... Read More

Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts: Part 2

Welcome to article number 2 in our series "Bodybuilding Sins... Read More

Perfects Abs - Three Ab Routines To Show Your Six Pack

Crazy, ripped, hard abs. That's the key to showing an... Read More

BMI Calculator Results

BMI, Body Mass Index, is the most popular and simple... Read More

Lift More Now - Weight Less Forever!

It's week three, and you've already learned the importance of... Read More

Muscle On The Brain

"A six-week cycle's gonna cost ya $170, lady -- you... Read More

How Proper Calorie Fragmentation Improves Body Composition?

It is a well-established fact that calories control everyone's bodyweight.... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - The Bent-Knee Sit-Up

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

Know Your Muscles - The Shoulders And Arms

Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - The Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - Seated Pulley Rows

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

The Ultimate Hard Body Exercise

The Front Squat:As you may have already discovered, the squat... Read More

Preliminary Isometric Tension Improves the Effectiveness of Dynamic Work by up to 20%

Are you looking for a simple and effective way to... Read More

The Importance Of Creatine In Building Lean Muscle

Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most... Read More

Why my Lactate Threshold Training is better than any other Strength Training System

It's a very simple training system. Consisting of using your... Read More

The Dangerous Secret of Extreme Muscle Growth

You've decided to join a gym, but you're not sure... Read More

Train for the Look You Want

So the Olympics are almost upon us. While you have... Read More