Many bodybuilders are fanatical about their training and never skip a workout. However, this obsessive mentality may not yield the best results. Believe it or not, there is sound scientific evidence that suggests missing a workout here, and there can make you stronger.
University of Memphis researchers has recently shown that strength increases occurred when athletes had a two or four-day rest from their regular resistance training workouts. Additionally, the harder the athletes trained before the rest, (regarding overload), the more benefit they reaped from a missed day of training. The reason for the new-found gains was due to more recovery. Particularly during tough programs, the athlete just benefits from more rest. It’s that simple.
Therefore, if you are a dedicated lifter, don’t be too hard on yourself if you happen to miss the occasional workout here and there. You may well reap some quality strength gains in your next workout. In fact, if you are the kind of bodybuilder who never misses a workout, I recommend that you skip a workout every once in a while. For the truly dedicated athlete, I wouldn’t see a missed workout as a form of laziness; it’s more like a strategic tool the smart bodybuilder can occasionally use to boost strength gains.
That being said, don’t use this research as an excuse to start blowing off workouts each week. In fact, to counter this research, Paul Delia says emphatically that a missed workout can never be made up. Once you miss or skip a chance to ignite muscle growth, you can’t go back in time and retrieve that opportunity ever again. He designed Max-OT to take extreme advantage of overload and recovery. With Max-OT optimum overload is paired with optimum recovery. One of the key principles of Max-OT is a full week of recovery every 8 weeks. It’s just one technique of many that keep maximum gains coming workout after workout.
