Can i do pushups on rest days

Thread: Should I do push ups in rest days? Should I do push ups in rest days? I only work out 3 days a week monday, wednesday and friday , and in off days I feel like I could be doing something more, should I do push ups in those off days? Well it sounds like you want more workout days. I know I dont feel really worked with only 3 days in the gym a week.

I wouldn't. Do one more set of each exercise you're doing on your workout days and if you want to do more - target legs and abs. Think of it as though your muscles are wounded and they need approx. It is very important to allow your body time to recover from the intense daily workouts. Muscle tissue is broken down during exercise but will rebuild itself during periods of rest and recovery.

Working the muscles on consecutive days will hamper the rebuilding process and limit your progress. Remember, the body needs 48 hours to recover and adapt to the stress of strength training. After making impressive strength gains early on in the program, occasionally your body will take a while to "catch up. Also, ensure you breathe correctly during the workout. Holding your breath inhibits your ability to perform "good-form" pushups and should be avoided. Try closing your hands and making a fist to perform the pushups.

This way your body weight ends up on your knuckles instead of your palms, thus avoiding the wrist extension motion. Please be sure to do this type of pushup on a padded mat, plush carpet or, even better, a folded towel. Good form should put your chest within an inch or two of the floor. There is no specific need to touch the floor with your chest, but aim to form a degree angle at your elbow joint. Your body responds by attempting to repair the damaged cells.

Immediately after your workout, special cells called satellite cells flock to the injured area, fusing to the damaged cells and to each other. This repairs damaged muscle fibers and forms new muscle protein strands, leading to an increase in muscle size and strength. Not allowing enough rest between workouts can lead to a condition called overtraining syndrome , which can stunt your muscle growth and lead to injury. The day after a tough workout, it's not unusual to feel some soreness.

This is a sign that your body is still working to repair muscle damage. If your chest workout was really tough, you might even be sore for two or three days afterward. Especially if you've added in some new exercises your body isn't used to, DOMS can be pretty marked. Typically, if you're still sore, it's an indication that your body is still repairing the damage done during your workout and that you should wait before doing any more chest exercises. It's normal to have lighter and heavier lifting days.

If you took it easy on your chest day and you want to do some push-ups the next day — go for it. The reason: After a hard workout, the body initiates an inflammatory response to help you recover. But if you do too much high-intensity exercise, that inflammatory response can work against you.

That could easily translate to more sick days and less gym-time. Moderate-intensity activity will also boost your circulation, introducing new oxygen and nutrients into your muscles, he adds.

Even sitting in a sauna or hot tub for 20 minutes will aid recovery, as the heat helps improve circulation, McCall says. After all, the goal here is recovery, McCall says. One way to gauge intensity on an active rest day is to use the rating of perceived exertion RPE scale, or how hard you feel like your body is working.