As an athlete that was new to lifting, I was addicted to the gym. While playing football every day I was also lifting usually twice a day if not only once as well. While in your mind this may seem beneficial, it can cause some issues.

INJURIES

Overworking yourself in the gym by going twice a day, or even once a day every day of the week, can overwork your body to the point of injury. Working the same muscles repeatedly can cause them to fatigue and will lead to injury. This is why rest days are important. Rest days allow your muscles to recover and rebuild on the days they are not being worked. This will keep you on the field, ice, court, etc and most importantly, in the gym.

MUSCLE GROWTH

Muscles need time to grow. By overworking your muscles in the gym and not giving them any time to recover and grow, you are stunting the growth and not allowing yourself to improve. You will see less improvement in your lifts and/or physique if not given enough time to rest and recover. Make sure you are on a split that gives your muscle groups at minimum 1 but optimally 2+ days to recover before working them again

I LOVE BEING IN THE GYM EVERY DAY, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

If you love being at Athletic Kulture enough to want to be there twice a day, or 7 days a week, we love to hear it, and there are lots of solutions. Instead of going to lift, maybe do a light cardio session instead, cardio will never hurt and will only improve your mental and physical health. You can also go in for a sauna, the electric saunas at Athletic Kulture are very relaxing and beneficial. Pop in, connect your phone and relax. Another recommendation if you just love being in the gym space, is to have a nice long stretching session in our stretching zone. Your body can never have too much stretching and it’s another excuse to be within our 4 walls.

So with all that being said, enjoy your time, stay safe and healthy, and happy lifting!

WRITTEN BY TYLER MCMASTER