How is Taking a Week Off Supposed to Make You Stronger?

[quote]debraD wrote:
elano wrote:
Taking a week off only works if your over-training.

hmmm. I took a week off recently when I was out of town and set some PRs when I got back. I was surprised but maybe it just means I need to take days off more frequently. I don’t usually take any off until I feel the need.

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shit changes once you move past the pink dumbbells

im with josh86 on this one

debraD has more LBM than me and most likely can out lift me in all exercises, obviously on roidz:)

[quote]hawaiilifterMike wrote:
Taking off a week is no big deal, I took off months at a time. (If you want to keep progressing then maybe you shouldn’t though). How many people actually over train and how many hours per day would it take to over train?
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Well there is a difference between overtraining, and training too much to progress. How many people are able to add 5lbs to all lifts EVERY week?

[quote]dankid wrote:
hawaiilifterMike wrote:
Taking off a week is no big deal, I took off months at a time. (If you want to keep progressing then maybe you shouldn’t though). How many people actually over train and how many hours per day would it take to over train?

Well there is a difference between overtraining, and training too much to progress. How many people are able to add 5lbs to all lifts EVERY week?
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I don’t know, I barely can add 5lbs to a lift in a year so it is hard for me to imagine people adding weight on almost weekly or even monthly basis. For me it is because I do not train hard enough or consistently enough to progress, but I guess for others it might be they are doing too much training (mma, weights, running, plyo, etc…) that could hamper their progress.

I take a week off after every competition or photo shoot and I always come back with more energy, and more excited to hit the weights.

For myself and everyone I’ve trained with a deload week is actually better for recovery than doing nothing

For myself and everyone I’ve trained with a deload week is actually better for recovery than doing nothing

i don’t know, i get pent up with too much time off, three days in a row is my limit. BB makes you crazy in the sense that after a few days off i think, shit…am i shrinking? am i the only one who thinks this crazy shit?

Growth occurs after extreme stimulation, w/ rest and food first, then super compensation, e.g/ growth occurs. Sometimes however not moving iron, not getting the pump will drive you a bit nutty.

i need a blowjob tonight or someone may die.

You need to confiscate your muscles to make them respond, not necessarily grow in size, aye. Keep the volume on eh higher end so’s you see the size adaptation.
Taking a week off raises level of musculature confusion = higher synovial response rather than systemic. Also remember that striated hypertrophy is different from systemic hypertrophy, and train for eh goals accordingly. Good luck.

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:
I recently took a week off, and the same thing happens as always…I come back, and I lose a rep on every single exercise. Not a huge loss, but I’m definitely not stronger. For those that are proponents of taking a week off every 6 or 8 weeks or whatever, what’s your logic? I’ve had 2 year stretches where I don’t take a week off and I seem to do just fine. [bitter over wasting a week][/quote]

[quote]missmg1976 wrote:
I take a week off after every competition or photo shoot and I always come back with more energy, and more excited to hit the weights.[/quote]

you’re 33?

I’ve only taken weeks off for vacation and senior trip, my diet didn’t change and i wasn’t doing anything stupid. I came back to the gym lighter and weaker than i had been the month prior… i said screw a week off
(the way i train is consitered overtraining) it doesn’t do anything but give you time for the soreness to wear off your vagina.

[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
missmg1976 wrote:
I take a week off after every competition or photo shoot and I always come back with more energy, and more excited to hit the weights.

you’re 33?

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Ya…as of July 4th

I don’t think i’d take a week off unless I had truly beaten myself into the ground.

By that I mean:

I’d be weaker than usual, i.e - I couldn’t do the same weight as the week before no matter how hard I tried. I’d be depressed, no appetite, couldn’t get it up even if jamie eason was straddling me with no panties on… (I think that might actually impossible)

THEN i’d take a week off… Maybe.

A week off is depressing.

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:
I recently took a week off, and the same thing happens as always…I come back, and I lose a rep on every single exercise. Not a huge loss, but I’m definitely not stronger. For those that are proponents of taking a week off every 6 or 8 weeks or whatever, what’s your logic? I’ve had 2 year stretches where I don’t take a week off and I seem to do just fine. [bitter over wasting a week][/quote]

You are not training hard enough and don’t “need” a week off. If you’re not over reaching then a week off training is a wasted week, which may be okay if you’re sick or need to leave town. It just can’t be a frequent thing, obviously.

For some reason your post kind of irritated me, maybe the bitterness is ringing through and getting to me. I take weeks easy or even completely off if I need to and I’ve done so before every meet I’ve ever done. So do my training partners.

So do lots of other strength athletes I know. We don’t “lose reps” or get weaker, but it’s because we actually need the time off. I took a look at your training log and I’m not sure you’re strong enough to need any real time off if you’re not trying to peak for a meet.

As for the the logic, I’m not sure what the actual physiological mechanism is. Conceptually, it is attributed to the the two-factor model with fitness and fatigue as separate variables. As you build fitness you also accumulate fatigue, which masks your ability to perform. When you deload, fatigue is recovered and you can perform at your new level of fitness unhindered.

I always come back stronger, and even larger after time off. A couple years ago, after not training for a week, my arms actually grew 1/4 of an inch,… which means I was just beating myself into the ground without adequate recovery. Planned time off can be a positive.

I’m going to be going to Orlando this coming week, so for the last 3 weeks have upped my training in an attempt to over-reach a bit and make gains with the time away from the weights. The only time I can imagine someone not coming back stronger, and refreshed, is if their ‘off’ diet is complete crap, and maybe not getting sufficient rest necessary to actually repair and grow.

S

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:
I recently took a week off, and the same thing happens as always…I come back, and I lose a rep on every single exercise. Not a huge loss, but I’m definitely not stronger. For those that are proponents of taking a week off every 6 or 8 weeks or whatever, what’s your logic? I’ve had 2 year stretches where I don’t take a week off and I seem to do just fine. [bitter over wasting a week][/quote]

You might lose a rep on the first week back, but when your 2 and 3 weeks back you’ll be more fresh and stronger than you would be if you didnt take any rest. I usually take some rest (a week) every 7-8 weeks. Mainly for CNS reasons.

Instead of being stronger on the first week back (which ive done a few btw) aim to be stronger on the second week back than you were before your rest, and then for the rest of your training cycle get stronger and stronger…

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I always come back stronger, and even larger after time off. A couple years ago, after not training for a week, my arms actually grew 1/4 of an inch,… which means I was just beating myself into the ground without adequate recovery. Planned time off can be a positive.

I’m going to be going to Orlando this coming week, so for the last 3 weeks have upped my training in an attempt to over-reach a bit and make gains with the time away from the weights. The only time I can imagine someone not coming back stronger, and refreshed, is if their ‘off’ diet is complete crap, and maybe not getting sufficient rest necessary to actually repair and grow.

S
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What Stu said could also be true, id continue to eat as if i was training, your hoping with this added recovery you’ll grow.

Yep, I’ve taken a week off before and it did not help at all (well apart from a slight motivational increase). I think you should only take a week off when you feel like you REALLY need it and not because you read somewhere that a few times a year you ought to take a week or so off. Even then a smarter approach might be to actually ‘deload’ when you feel like you need time off from training.

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I always come back stronger, and even larger after time off. A couple years ago, after not training for a week, my arms actually grew 1/4 of an inch,… which means I was just beating myself into the ground without adequate recovery. Planned time off can be a positive.

I’m going to be going to Orlando this coming week, so for the last 3 weeks have upped my training in an attempt to over-reach a bit and make gains with the time away from the weights. The only time I can imagine someone not coming back stronger, and refreshed, is if their ‘off’ diet is complete crap, and maybe not getting sufficient rest necessary to actually repair and grow.

S
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Knowing I was going to have a week off I busted my ass the two weeks before and even more the few days before and maintained my diet while I was away and while I did drop some fat I was stronger when I got back.