Muscles: It is Important to Give the Muscles a Day Break

Question

I know that it is important to give the muscles a day break after working them. My client is curious what the benefit is for army personnel to work their muscles day after day. Are there any benefits for an ordinary person to work the same muscle groups one day after another? What about non-weight bearing exercises such as push ups or crunches? Can those be done day after day?

Answer

Very good question. Military training has a variety of purposes that extend beyond just the physical aspects of exercise training. This could be better explained from the source itself. However, with regards to the physical aspects of training everyday, it really all comes down to the volume and intensity of training. There is not a problem with working the same muscle groups everyday, and in fact that is what we should be doing. The army is more than likely trying to build a high level of physical (and mental) tolerance in our soldiers, which is needed for the jobs and purpose that they serve to their country/province.

In reference to this question, "Are there any benefits for an ordinary person to work the same muscle groups one day after another? " it needs to be determined what type of training are we talking about?

• Heavy weight training? The answer is No. This should not be done every day over extended periods of time for the same muscle groups. This does not allow sufficient recuperation of tissue and can lead to injury and hormonal deficits.
• Walking/jogging? Yes it can be done everyday, keeping in mind the amount the person is capable of handling and how much they are doing (volume/Intensity).
• Pushups and sit-ups? (They are weight bearing, just a different form) Yes they can be done everyday, keeping in mind the amount the person is capable of handling and how much they are doing (volume/Intensity).

The benefits of working the same muscle groups everyday is that we get EXERCISE everyday. However, the volume must be low-to-moderate especially for the detrained or deconditioned person (such as most of the American population).

The down side to performing the same exercise for the same muscle group is adaptation. After a few weeks, the body will adapt to the exercise and the results will gradually decline. Also, if the volume and intensity are not monitored, tissues may not repair properly and lead to some form of injury.

Best case scenario is to perform some type of exercise everyday, but vary what you: movement, volume and intensity. This helps to avoid stagnation and decreased results.