Rest Period

[witkowsd]

Does anyone take a week off every once in a while from working out? I work out 4 days a week giving my body 3 days rest period but some people say I should take off a full week every once in a while. Any thoughts on this?

 

[gymtime]

It's actually a very good thing to do every three or four months, assuming you're training hard and consistently during that time. Some say even every two months. It's tough though because your body really wants to get back to work after even a couple days off.

I do it every four months, give or take, and I always comeback stronger. It serves to remind me of the value of rest, especially for us 30+ folks.

 

[jerkbox]

yes...good thing in my opinion.

 

[casualbb]

Even if you don't agree with HST, one of the elements that everyone can and should incorporate is the SD, strategic deconditioning. Without getting too technical, it makes it so you can grow again. Any program will get stale, even HST. The difference btw HST and another program is that HST has you take two weeks off at that point so that the weights you were using become effective again at inducing growth. Other programs just have you switch stuff up, which isn't as effective.

So, to recap, every 2 months or so, take two weeks off completely from weightlifting. When you get back into it, start light and build up over a couple weeks to your working weights. This will have some side benefits also, such as injury recovery, reverse overtraining effects, etc. Once you realize the power of it, you'll overcome the desire to keep working. I know it hurts to be out of the gym

CoolColJ, for instance, I know trained using an abbreviated HST program awhile ago. Now he trains for different goals, but still incorporates strategic deconditioning to allow continuous growth (if I'm not mistaken).

-casualbb