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tryna get hench
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Just wonderin how often you guys take a week off gym to fully recover?
How often do you guys take a week off gym?
- Thread starter tryna get hench
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freakshow85
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I've never taken a week off, personally. I look forward every single day to working out and rarely take 1 day off, to be honest. That's just me, but I still spread my workouts to let muscle groups heal, and I eat like a horse and never get sick from over training or anything like I had in the past from working out too much and not eating right.
I'm curious as to what people's opinions are on this, too.
I'm curious as to what people's opinions are on this, too.
tryna get hench
New member
Thats interesting... Apparently although you feel fine and want to train you should give your body a rest to fully recover and result better growth. Last year I trained my ass off all year with no time off. I went on holiday for two weeks and in those two weeks i felt like i had got visibly bigger than before I left :s
tryna get hench
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Freakshow do you feel you could be affecting your gains in a negative way or do you feel that your consistently making gains without plateus?
tryna get hench
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I found that even ifbb pro olympians take one or two weeks off to relax and fully recover after their competitions.
you take time off when your body tells you to take time off.
I have taken 2 weeks off twice in the past 3 years.
and even in those 'off' times i still exercised. muscle can take as much as a pounding as you want to give it. ligaments and tendons are not the same way as muscle.. if you lose cartilage from pounding away excessively with heavy weight you will be messed up later in life for sure. also anti-inflammatories will speed up problems
and a nice healthy diet full of good omega's will keep your joints in good shape. remember when you lift using shitty form and lifting for 1 or 2 reps you are using your ligaments and tendons to lift, when you lift with good form and more reps you are using your muscles which is what you want to do.
so if you are a guy who likes to go excessively heavy then expect bad things to happen as you get older.
i know guys in their 50's and 60's who have no cartilage left from pounding away their whole lives.. and i know guys in their 40's and 50's who lift heavy at the gym.. we are talking benching close to 500, and squatting 500+ who take anti-inflammatories before the gym and look like King Tut with their wrappings, belts, and everything else they use. those are the guys who will be crippled as they age.
I have taken 2 weeks off twice in the past 3 years.
and even in those 'off' times i still exercised. muscle can take as much as a pounding as you want to give it. ligaments and tendons are not the same way as muscle.. if you lose cartilage from pounding away excessively with heavy weight you will be messed up later in life for sure. also anti-inflammatories will speed up problems
and a nice healthy diet full of good omega's will keep your joints in good shape. remember when you lift using shitty form and lifting for 1 or 2 reps you are using your ligaments and tendons to lift, when you lift with good form and more reps you are using your muscles which is what you want to do.
so if you are a guy who likes to go excessively heavy then expect bad things to happen as you get older.
i know guys in their 50's and 60's who have no cartilage left from pounding away their whole lives.. and i know guys in their 40's and 50's who lift heavy at the gym.. we are talking benching close to 500, and squatting 500+ who take anti-inflammatories before the gym and look like King Tut with their wrappings, belts, and everything else they use. those are the guys who will be crippled as they age.
I take time off when I'm tired. I don't usually train weekends so I get plenty of rest but sometimes work can be a bit too hectic or I don't get enough sleep in which case I'll skip the gym till I'm feeling better but I don't just skip days cos its leg day and I'm scared of that sick to the stomach feeling you get (or at least I do!)
About twice a year, I take 5-7 days off from the gym. Usually the week before I will do a deload week too. This usually sparks a lot of growth and strength gains when I come back, so there is benefit for me.
I'm actually in the middle of my deload week right now....taking 5 days off next week, then starting my cycle fresh and fully ready to kill it!
I'm actually in the middle of my deload week right now....taking 5 days off next week, then starting my cycle fresh and fully ready to kill it!
I tend to cycle volume more. Most days I will workout around 4 days a week of weights with 1-2 days of cardio/sports, then I'll flip the two and do a cycle of 2 short strength days (think a 5x5 style workout one day, then a weight lifting styles the next) and 4 days of sports)
tryna get hench
New member
Alot of different opinions on here its great to see different peoples thoughts on this subject. Maybe il try deload weeks instead of taking the whole week off. Ive had exams all this week which has resulted in me missing two days of gym so I figured id just take the whole week off and come back refreshed on monday. But i might go 3 days this week and just do a deload working all my body parts split into 3 days. chest/shoulders/bis - back/tris - legs/abs
zipzopzippity
New member
Unfortunately, we all probably lift too much in a year. I know that once I hit a pleateu, if I took literally an entire month off lifting (still keeping active through various bodyweight resistance activities) when I come back I would be slightly weaker, but then a month later id break the plateu from two months earlier.
Unintentionally, I've had to take time off from the gym like this, and I always come back weaker, but then I make huge gains very fast and end up stronger than before. Problem is, I can't force myself to stay out of the gym, so I have to wait for real life to f me in the azz in someway that keeps me away from the gym for a bit.
Unintentionally, I've had to take time off from the gym like this, and I always come back weaker, but then I make huge gains very fast and end up stronger than before. Problem is, I can't force myself to stay out of the gym, so I have to wait for real life to f me in the azz in someway that keeps me away from the gym for a bit.
zipzopzippity
New member
Unfortunately, we all probably lift too much in a year. I know that once I hit a pleateu, if I took literally an entire month off lifting (still keeping active through various bodyweight resistance activities) when I come back I would be slightly weaker, but then a month later id break the plateu from two months earlier.
Unintentionally, I've had to take time off from the gym like this, and I always come back weaker, but then I make huge gains very fast and end up stronger than before. Problem is, I can't force myself to stay out of the gym, so I have to wait for real life to f me in the azz in someway that keeps me away from the gym for a bit.
Unintentionally, I've had to take time off from the gym like this, and I always come back weaker, but then I make huge gains very fast and end up stronger than before. Problem is, I can't force myself to stay out of the gym, so I have to wait for real life to f me in the azz in someway that keeps me away from the gym for a bit.
tryna get hench
New member
The exact same thing happens to me. Come back and break pleateu within a month it unexplainable lol. Only thing I can think of is your body gets so used to lifting that the same effect isnt present anymore so you have to take time off in order to fully recover and once you go up ur bodys is ready to get bigger and stronger than before
themondtster
New member
I've read several articles that after 5 days your body will start to loose muscle from lack of stimulation because your body wants to find a balance that's easy to maintain. A short week once a year was suggested...preferably during the winter holidays. Other than that 48-60 hours at most.
The only time I stay out of the gym is 3 days before a meet. But the week before and after I deload. If I am beat up in a training cycle I will deload for a couple training sessions. The rest of the time its balls to the wall.
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After every major arm wrestling competition, I take about a week off.
ONLY when forced to. Vacations, sickness, etc... Taking a week off (unless recovering from something severe...like being sick or a competition) is a great way to become unconditioned.
exactly shit happens when you HAVE to take time off. when this happens i take time off. but I don't make a habit of taking time off ..
I am the most happy when I am in the gym everyday. sometimes I don't feel like going but i go anyway then when i get there I am so happy parking and walking into the gym!!
i think its the drive itself i hate sometimes, but the actual going into the gym i love.
I never plan any time off really, except holidays and stuff but I have to miss days here and there anyway as sometimes work gets in the way.
I always take at least a week off after a fight but that's necessary cos I'm all bruised and strained.
I always take at least a week off after a fight but that's necessary cos I'm all bruised and strained.
