Buzz
Let’s challenge a fitness myth. I vividly recall being taught, almost as if my life depended on it, that you should never train the same muscle group on back-to-back days. However, as it turns out, this 'rule' isn't rooted in any natural law. You can train at any time you like, and on any muscle you choose.
The version I encountered often sounded something like this: Once a muscle is worked, it requires time to recover. Exercise breaks down muscle fibers, and recovery repairs them, so alternating workouts is essential. If you didn’t, you might not build muscle, risk injury, or face both consequences. The soreness I sometimes felt the day after a workout seemed to support this idea. It’s better to rest if you’re sore, right? (It’s not.)
I adhered to this belief for years, without a solid reason to back it up, other than that it was widely accepted. This mindset led to some odd decisions, such as committing to a Monday-Wednesday-Friday workout routine and then abandoning it if I missed Monday’s session. I couldn’t work out on Tuesday, because that would mean exercising both Tuesday and Wednesday! That would ruin everything.
I should have recognized the flaw in this thinking. After all, we use our muscles every single day just by doing everyday tasks. You don't take a rest day on Tuesday just because you went for a walk on Monday. And when it comes to more strenuous work, think about those whose jobs require physical labor. Do farm workers, construction crew members, or carpenters schedule a rest day after every workday? Of course not, and that should make us reconsider.
The process of muscle breakdown and recovery isn't bound to a 24-hour cycle. Some of the body’s adaptations to exercise take days or even weeks to fully develop, and we don’t need to wait for them to complete before we can lift weights again.
So, what really happens if you train the same muscle two days in a row?
Not much. You get two days of training. You might feel a bit weaker on the second day, which is fine because training days are not test days. You lift as much as you can, and you still get stronger.
So what choices do I truly have?
If you only have two or three days a week to dedicate to strength training, a full-body routine is your best bet. This way, you'll target every muscle group more than once a week. It's smart to space these sessions out based on your schedule, though a rest day between workouts is not essential, it can help you feel refreshed for each session.
Alternatively, if you prefer breaking up your workouts by body part, this method became popular when bodybuilding and weightlifting diverged into distinct sports. The Olympic lifts work your entire body, but if your goal is to focus on sculpting specific body parts, you can dedicate a day to each muscle group. Many people now follow a 5-day split, targeting a different muscle each day (chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, etc.), or split the workouts into upper/lower body days, or pushing/pulling days. All of these are great options for distributing your training throughout the week.
You can also choose to do full-body workouts on as many days as you want. Going on vacation for a long weekend? Feel free to stack your full-body sessions together so you can take a four-day break afterward.
Perhaps you're thinking of transitioning from a 3-day weekly workout (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) to a 4-day plan (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday). As long as you arrange your toughest days wisely, this adjustment should work well.
For the past few years, I've been lifting five or six days a week without focusing on specific muscle groups. Instead, every workout is a full-body session. It's working just fine for me, and I’m amazed I once feared this approach.
What rules do you need to follow?
If you plan to train your full body every day, there are just a few key points to keep in mind.
The most important thing to consider is whether your overall workload matches what your body can handle. For instance, if you're accustomed to doing two full-body workouts per week and you suddenly try to jump to six, it could be tough. However, if you go from two to three, you’ll likely adjust well, and once you're comfortable with four, moving to five won't be a problem.
Another consideration is that while you don't have to completely avoid fatigue, you can manage it wisely. Personally, I reserve deadlifts for my last heavy day of the week, usually Friday or Saturday, and then I do snatches—the lift requiring the most coordination—on Monday after the weekend's recovery. I also recognize that fatigue accumulates, so I incorporate an easier day midweek to give myself a break.
To put it simply, your body is adaptable. You must be cautious not to overwork it, but with time, it can handle greater intensity. The calendar isn't your only guide, so feel free to adjust your routine to discover what works best for you.
