We’ve all heard the strength training rule that you should wait at least 48 hours in between training sessions for the same muscle groups, which will give your muscles time to recover and grow.

If you’re in a full-body strength program, this could be spread across three sessions per week. For example, working out all your muscle groups on alternate days like Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

This is a good rule to follow in a perfect world. But what if you don’t live in a perfect world? Maybe you’re working 12-hour shifts Sunday through Thursday, leaving only Friday and Saturday open for your gym time. Or maybe most of your week is dedicated to child care and you can only go to the gym on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings.

Whatever the case may be, sometimes a hectic schedule forces you to strength train on consecutive days. Does that mean you still can’t train the same muscle groups two or more days in a row? Is that a waste of time?

Conventional wisdom would say yes, but many trainers have questioned the 48-hour rest rule, and there are several studies to back them up. Read this blog to learn more about the advantages of working out the same muscles multiple days in a row at our Thornton gym.

What 4 Studies Say About Working Out the Same Muscles on Consecutive Days at the Gym

While we’ve all been led to believe that your muscles need at least 48 hours to recover and grow after a strength training session, the latest science shows that your muscles can recover faster. Below are 4 studies supporting this theory.

Gym Study #1

A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in July 2019 split up a group of experienced bodybuilders into two groups. During the study, both groups of men trained for 5 days per week, Monday through Friday, for 8 weeks. Both groups also followed identical training programs (same exercises, sets, and reps), but with one key difference.

• Men in the first group worked different muscles on different days—chest and triceps on Monday, legs on Tuesday, back and biceps on Wednesday, and so on.
• Men in the second group trained their entire body during every workout, every day.

The study was set up so that all participants performed the same amount of training. The number of weekly sets was identical for both groups, but they were spread out differently. Which group got better results?

Neither! Researchers found no significant differences in strength or size gains between the two groups. This study suggests that 10-15 sets distributed over 5 days provides similar gains to the same number of sets performed once per week.

There are also other studies showing how muscles can recover and grow with just 24 hours of rest between workouts.

Gym Study #2

A 2022 study at Edith Cowan University asked 3 groups of participants to perform arm resistance exercises (bicep curls with dumbbells) for four weeks. Changes in muscle strength and thickness were measured and compared at the end of the study. The groups were set up as follows:

• 6×5 Group — Did 6 contractions per day, 5 days per week
• 30×1 Group — Did 30 contractions on a single day per week
• 6×1 Group — Did 6 contractions on a single day per week

After four weeks, here were the results:

• 6×5 Group — Saw a more than 10% increase in muscle strength with an increase in muscle thickness similar to the 30×1 group
• 30×1 Group — Showed no increase in muscle strength but muscle thickness increased 5.8%
• 6×1 Group — Showed no changes in muscle strength or muscle thickness

This study suggests that very manageable amounts of strength training done regularly can have a real effect on people’s strength and muscle growth. In other words, it’s not always necessary to complete a lengthy session of resistance training at the gym.

However, even though the 6×5 group lifted more frequently, they still had two rest days per week, which is critical to a successful program. Muscles appear to like being stimulated more frequently, but they need rest to improve mass and strength.

Gym Study #3

In another study, researchers at the University of South Florida compared two strength training programs.

• The first program involved squatting and bench pressing 3 days per week. This group did 4 sets per exercise. Deadlifts were done once a week.
• The second program involved squatting and bench pressing 6 days per week. This group did 2 sets per exercise. Deadlifts were done twice a week.

After 6 weeks, there was no difference in strength or size gains between the two groups. In addition, the 6-day group gained 5.7 pounds of muscle mass, while the 3-day group gained 3.7 pounds of muscle.

Gym Study #4

A study published in the June 18, 2018, issue of Frontiers in Physiology indicated that training on three consecutive days builds just as much muscle as inserting a day of recovery in between each workout. During this study, scientists worked with 30 healthy men and split them into two groups:

• The first group lifted 3 days per week, but their workouts were on consecutive days (i.e., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday).
• The second group also lifted 3 days per week, but on non-consecutive days (i.e., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).

In each workout, both groups performed 3 sets of 10 reps on the leg extension, shoulder press, leg curl, lat pulldown, and leg press.

Both groups of lifters got stronger and gained muscle, with no notable differences between the two groups.

That means individuals who perform 2 to 3 consecutive days of strength training per week – such as those weekend warriors who work long hours at the office Monday through Friday — should not be afraid of lifting three days in a row.

The Takeaway

The overall message, then, is that you don’t need to worry or feel guilty if your muscles only get 24 hours of rest between workouts. Your muscles are probably ready to work again a lot sooner than was previously believed. As long as you rest for the remainder of the week, you should achieve the same gains as if you worked out every other day.

The Secrets of Double-Stimulation Training at the Gym

Working out the same muscles two days in a row is not as novel as you might think. In some circles, it’s called “double-stimulation training” and it has become a popular way to achieve optimal gains in the gym.

Here’s how double-stimulation training works:

• On day one, do heavier, longer lifting sessions with big compound strength training exercises
• On day two, do 15-20 minutes of lighter pump work for the same muscle groups

When you work the same muscle groups two days in a row in this fashion, you’ll probably feel a better contraction and better pump on the second day. Proponents of this method say that double-stimulation training provides three main benefits:

• Prolonged protein synthesis — After a heavy strength-training session, protein synthesis and breakdown are both high. For the first 4 hours, protein breakdown is elevated more than synthesis. But, for the next 20 hours, protein synthesis goes higher than breakdown. Doing a second strength training session 24 hours after your first one can extend protein synthesis for 12-24 more hours. This, in turn, builds more muscle.
• Enhanced muscle feedback — This is a great way to improve mind-muscle connection. When you train a muscle group, you’ll be much more aware of it the next day because it’s harder, more tender, and maybe even sore. If you train the muscle group again while it’s in this state, you’ll feel the muscle a lot more. Over time, this can improve your mind-muscle connection.
• Enhanced muscle responsiveness — The day after heavy strength training work, a muscle is actually more responsive to training. While your muscles might not be fully recovered from stiffness and soreness from the previous day’s workout, training that muscle with lighter weights while focusing on the quality of the contraction will give you a better response than working with a fully fresh muscle.

There are multiple ways to plan out double-stimulation training workouts. One example could be:

• Day 1 — Train your pressing muscles (think bench press) hard and heavy.
• Day 2 — For the first 15 minutes of your workout, hit your pressing muscles again with lighter pump work. Go for constant tension with 8-12 reps per set. Then do your main heavy workout for the pulling muscles (back work).
• Day 3 — Do 15 minutes of pump work for the pulling muscles. Then train your legs heavy.
• Day 4 — Do 15 minutes of pump work for your legs. Then train your abs heavy.
• Day 5 – Rest.
• Then repeat.

Don’t Forget to Eat a Nutrient-Dense Diet

Gym enthusiasts who go this route must make sure their diet is on-point. That means plenty of complex carbohydrates (whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits) to fuel their workouts and lots of high-quality protein to give their body what it needs to build muscle.

Daily Muscle Training at AFAC Gym

So, it turns out that you can train the same muscle groups several days in a row and make the similar (or even better) progress compared to alternate-day training. When you think about how Olympic athletes train, it makes sense. These are arguably the strongest athletes in the world, and one thing they have in common is daily resistance training.

Just remember that you don’t build muscle in the gym. On the contrary, during your strength training sessions, you’re breaking your muscles down. Your muscles rebuild stronger after you leave the gym and recover with sleep and a nutritious diet. The harder you train your muscles, the greater damage you do, and the longer you need to give them to rebuild and recover. How fast your muscles recover depends on several factors. In addition to diet and sleep quality, age and overall health also can affect your recovery time.

This also doesn’t necessarily mean that training each muscle group 5-6 times per week is the best way for everyone to train. The ideal amount of time between workouts is highly individual and will vary from person to person. It all depends on the type of training you’re doing, how long you’ve been lifting weights, and what your schedule will allow.

The best news is, results from multiple studies suggest that you can be a lot more flexible about how you set up your strength training program.

Whether you’re just starting to strength train or have been lifting for as long as you can remember, AFAC gym is here to support you. Our team of personal trainers can tailor a strength training program to match your fitness level, schedule, and goals. We can also show you our wide array of cardio machines that you can use to supplement your strength training program at the gym.

If you’d like more information about our strength training equipment, cardiovascular machines, and packed schedule of fitness classes, please stop by and speak to our team at AFAC gym. We can give you a tour and show you why we’re the best gym in Thornton, Colorado. For more information and assistance, you can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club.