Week Off, How Do You Do It?

[NewYorkIslander]

OK, My body has essentially called me an asshole and after talking with my older cousin (who is RIPPED UP) he has convinced me to take a week off of exercise (gym AND running) to shock my body and get better results once I start up again. He does it every 8 weeks. My surgically repaired right arm is throbbing (a sign that I think Earl is going to come closer to NYC than people are thinking) and I have an achillies issue.

So I'm on day three today, Wednesday, and by yesterday afternoon I was a freaking lunatic. My appetitie was still on workout mode because I'm sure my metabolism is still running in overdrive. Do you guys who do this eat normally? Do you watch what you eat more carefully? Do you do any kind of lesser resistance training (like long walks)? I do have hockey games tonight and tomorrow to keep me from driving the Mrs crazy, but I'd be curious to hear from those who have done this and how they felt it worked.

 

[Thomas]

I've taken a 'week' off, usually in response to injury/overtraining. Haven't done it in a while, though. As far as things go, I just eat what I feel like eating (because I've probably depleted myself along the way), and sleep as much as I can. To occupy myself/burn off energy I seek out the projects I've been putting off and get them squared away. If activity calls, I'll go along, but avoid any pounding or wear-and-tear. Once I feel the bounce returning to my legs, I start it up again, whether it's been 3 or 5 or 7 days. It's certainly helped.

 

[gdl203]

I'm on my 87th week off and everything seems to be all right

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by gdl203

I'm on my 87th week off and everything seems to be all right
Same here, maybe even longer, and things are great.

 

[sho'nuff]

taking a week off is great. i used to do it every once in awhile, not that because i needed recuperation ( i dont know, i guess my body is not really prone to injury or i do everything really carefully and properly) but i did it just out of psychological unmotivation.


i would get mentally drained of my work out regiment and more so because i wouldnt see any new physical results, so i would stop for a week (or even 2) and veg out and eat. i would gain a little layer , or my muscle would shrink a little or go a little soft, but when i got back to working out, boy, did my body respond. physcially/visually respond much better and also the power in my resistance training would be a little higher.

this was back in the day. these days it's just mainly stretching, lite weights, and tons of stairmaster.

 

[Lagrangian]

I have taken a week off every now and then, just basically going by my gut feeling - ie. was feeling pretty torn up and my shoulders were acting up so I decided to give myself a wk to recover.

Didn't really alter anything regarding my diet, just ate the way I always do. Clean, unprocessed foods, didn't count the cals/macros though, but I'd guesstimate I was basically at maintenance. For me, I was really hyper by day 3 or 4 (I tend to be a gym rat), but I sticked to my decision of no resistance training, just did some very light LISS cardio (long walks, as you suggested might be excellent in that regard), stretching and stuff like that.
When I eventually hit the gym again, I was full of energy and the intensity was back up. Can't remember if I broke any PR's, but I definitely felt that the recovery week did pay off.

If you're afraid of losing any gains you've made in the weight room/lifts/what have you, one wk is too short a time for any huge performance drop to happen (assuming no injuries). On the weight gain/weight loss side of things, a week off training and at maintenance calories is an excellent thing, especially if you've been dieting for quite some time already - it'll help restore leptin and cortisole levels, but I digress. If your diet is in check, you wont gain major weight during one week either.. the only way I see that happening is with all-out binges and pig-outs, but that's hardly the case here, right.

If you feel that you're really tearing yourself apart with your training, maybe it'd be worthwhile to check out periodization and introduce a light week in your training every once in a while.

 

[PipPip]

I just took almost 2 weeks off exercise as I was on holiday in the French Alps at nearly 3,000 metres. One attempt at running at that altitude was enough to convince me to rest. I ate only unprocessed foods, lots of salad, veg, fish and lentils. My weight came down around 5 pounds in those 2 weeks.

 

[sho'nuff]

i used to read a lot of Muscle Fitness mags and such, and Dorian Yates (multipe reigning Mr. Olympia champion during the 90s) had a work out regiment where he hit a muscle group only ONCE a week. but he hit it hard of course. and obviously, he's professional, already was at the peak of muscle development (and perhaps steroid usage) so perhaps that doesnt really apply here.

 

[Lagrangian]

Originally Posted by sho'nuff

i used to read a lot of Muscle Fitness mags and such, and Dorian Yates (multipe reigning Mr. Olympia champion during the 90s) had a work out regiment where he hit a muscle group only ONCE a week. but he hit it hard of course. and obviously, he's professional, already was at the peak of muscle development (and perhaps steroid usage) so perhaps that doesnt really apply here.

Pro bodybuilders and their training routines have little carryover for us natural guys, I'm afraid. Most pros in mags are on so much gear (or have the genetics to respond superiorly to the type of AAS) that they'd put on lean mass by just sitting on the couch eating B&J and watching daytime TV.

Sorry for the thread derailment.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by sho'nuff

i used to read a lot of Muscle Fitness mags and such, and Dorian Yates (multipe reigning Mr. Olympia champion during the 90s) had a work out regiment where he hit a muscle group only ONCE a week. but he hit it hard of course. and obviously, he's professional, already was at the peak of muscle development (and perhaps steroid usage) so perhaps that doesnt really apply here.

iirc, he really liked Mentzer's Heavy Duty regimen - which advocated the same thing: a considerably lower training volume than was popular back then.

 

[Aaron01]

Yates was doing a modified form of Mentzer's HIT, I think he actually lifted more than once a week though. But this is really just a side point now...

As for the OP's question. When I take a week off, mine are usually fairly unplanned, I can tell when one I required by how I feel doing certain lifts, I keep my calories much lower than normal, sometimes I'll do a PSMF. Usually I'll do some light cardio (i.e. 30minute walks) a couple times during the week, but most of the time I'm just taking the whole week off from as much physical activity as possible. You're trying to let the CNS recover, so doing too much would be counterintuitive.

 

[Lagrangian]

Originally Posted by Aaron01

Yates was doing a modified form of Mentzer's HIT, I think he actually lifted more than once a week though. But this is really just a side point now...

As for the OP's question. When I take a week off, mine are usually fairly unplanned, I can tell when one I required by how I feel doing certain lifts, I keep my calories much lower than normal, sometimes I'll do a PSMF. Usually I'll do some light cardio (i.e. 30minute walks) a couple times during the week, but most of the time I'm just taking the whole week off from as much physical activity as possible. You're trying to let the CNS recover, so doing too much would be counterintuitive.

I was under the impression that the OP wasn't on a cut.. I could very well be mistaken as well.

 

[APK]

It's been a while, but here's my plan for my week off at the end of this month:

- Foam rolling
- Light band work
- Fasted walks
- Other recovery work (e.g. rotator cuff)

 

[NewYorkIslander]

Welp, gave in and hit the gym today, I did keep the weight lower and increased my reps. I guess my body wasn't as "ready" for the week off as I thought. I did try and go easy there though. It may be my only visit there this week. I have hockey games tonight and tomorrow to keep me going and a few walks with the Mrs may help me through Labor Day Weekend. The past two days I was going nuts because it was so hot outside...I was basically in the house after 10AM until around 6PM when it cooled off a bit.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[Cary Grant]

Rob-

You do need a break- the fact that you're wondering about it means take a break. I take a week about every three months unless the body says otherwise.

As far as diet- you need those calories for recovery. Eat normally but otherwise take it easy. If you're going stir crazy, go for an easy walk, etc.

I know what's going through your head too, having been there: you lost a ton of weight, and now you feel like you cannot take any steps back for fear you'll get off track. Ignore that- you've been in great shape a long while now; enjoy some rest.

EDIT- just saw your response above mine- I forgot you play hocley, etc... that counts against not getting any rest, too. Remember, muscle grows while you rest, not in the gym.