The topic of rest and recuperation has already been introduced in the Evaluating Sleep section and describes why we need to rest after our workouts. By the same token, we also need to rest sufficiently between and after exercises to help promote recovery.
As soon as you stop exercising (placing strain on the muscles), your body will immediately begin to repair your damaged muscles tissue so you are ready for further activity. You know your muscles are being tested as you become 'weak' during your exercise, finally becoming so weak you can no longer perform another repetition. This is not because your muscles are too weak to operate, but because the muscle tissue has broken down and it is this that provides the strength. Unless you give your body adequate resting time between exercises and training sessions, your body will not be in ideal shape to progress. In this situation, you will deplete the muscle tissue which has not repaired itself from the last strain you placed upon it, and so it will not withstand the same strains in your next workout. Instead of building up your muscles you will be effectively hindering or reversing their growth and your progress.
For this reason you must take a little time to recover between exercises as you will inevitably use some of the same muscles you previously worked in the last exercise. This time depends largely on your recovery ability and your general health. Always try to reduce your breathing and heart rate down to a normal level as this will help the body cope with the stress. The heart rate needs to be maintained at a good pace (but not racing) to increase the blood flow around the body while training. Never rest so long as to cool the body down as the body needs to be kept warm during and after the training time. If this is a problem, wrap yourself in a blanket until you feel able to continue. You muscles will not grow weak if you rest for too long between exercising but they will if you don't rest for long enough. 2 mins as average for a healthy beginner though this time will grow the more stress you place on your body. Don't be fooled into taking an unsuitably short time as you must feel able to continue before you do so: if it takes 10 mins, then it takes 10 mins!
After your training session the same considerations have to be observed to maximise your repairing potential. Don't continue to perform heavy activities after you end your workout (such as heavy lifting or manual work) as this will stop your repair process and hinder your activities as well. For this reason, you must never train before you begin work as this will weaken your muscles more than if you simply skipped a few days. You can also find it difficult to train during the day for the same reasons, so you may be better off training in the evening instead. Night workouts may also be more ideally suitable but you must remember to eat correctly before you workout (at least 1hr before) and try to have a snack 2hrs before you go to bed.
The final rest period you must consider, and also your longest, is the time taken between training sessions. You must not train too early after your last workout for the reasons stated above. You must also avoid taking too long between workouts as this can lead to loss of gained muscle (Atrophy). Again, the length of time can vary depending on your health but a general rule is to wait at least 48hrs after your last training period to allow enough recovery time. Between 48 and 96hrs is considered long enough though some may find that a weekly workout may be all that is needed, especially for very heavy training or slimming etc. You can also take a long rest period if you have plateau'd (see The Plateau ) or to heal incurred injuries.
