Supported by research published in the National Library of Medicine.

Taking rest is important for recovery. But according to Arnold Schwarzenegger, too much rest can work against you.

In the April 7 edition of Pump Club, the Austrian Oak and his team have highlighted some research-based narrative about what actually happens when people take an entire week off from lifting or exercising.

According to the newsletter, “At some point, every lifter hits the same crossroads: you've been training hard and wonder if an extended break will help you come back stronger.”

In response, the 7-time Mr. Olympia said that lifters don't need a full week of rest to build strength or muscle. To support his argument, Schwarzenegger cited a randomized controlled trial conducted by Max Coleman and team and published in the National Library of Medicine, USA, in 2024.

Schwarzenegger added, "The trial found that taking a full week off in the middle of a training program led to no muscle-building advantage over training straight through and actually led to smaller strength gains.”

During the research, the researchers randomly assigned adults who were engaged in resistance training to 2 groups and assigned a 9-week high-volume program to both groups.

But one group rested for an entire week at the midpoint, while the other group trained continuously.

The researchers used ultrasound measurements to compare the 2 groups.

According to the newsletter, “At the end, ultrasound measurements found no meaningful difference in muscle size between groups.

But the continuous training group came out ahead in both isometric and dynamic lower-body strength. Somewhat surprisingly, the rested group also reported slightly lower psychological readiness to train afterward, which is the opposite of what most would predict.”

However, the legend of bodybuilding cautioned that taking a complete rest week is not the same as a deload week, which involves reducing volume or weight over 7 days.

He said, “To be clear, this was not a planned deload. In a deload, you don’t stop training. Instead, you cut back on volume or intensity. In the study, researchers tested total rest. Dropping weight and sets by 40-50% for a week is a meaningfully different intervention than doing nothing. This study doesn’t speak to that approach.

There’s no problem with taking days off. However, if you’re banking on a full week off as a performance tool, the evidence isn’t there to support it….  Consistent training with fatigue managed throughout the week is almost certainly doing more work than any planned couch week.”

While Schwarzenegger does not support a full week off for lifters, he believes that lifters and gym-goers often take longer breaks due to burnout, which is why he offered his suggestion to address the issue.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals the Issues With Modern Training Approaches

The bodybuilding legend revealed that training approaches must support progress. They must not cause burnout.

According to him, “The bigger issue might be your training program itself. The participants were put on a program designed to help them make progress. Not one that’s designed to cause burnout.

So if rest feels that necessary, it’s worth reconsidering your current approach, and if you’d be better off trying a program design for progress, not exhaustion.”

However, there can be situations where life forces a week away. In that case, one needs to take a break but should use that time creatively. People can go on vacation or do some activities.

He says, “Muscle holds longer than you think. But if you’re using longer breaks as a deliberate strategy, the research suggests you might be better off if you keep training.”

So, do you utilize your week off creatively?

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil