How Much to Eat on an Off-Week?

Nutrition
1

How many calories above or below my normal slow-bulking calories should I consume on a off week?

Ideally I’d like to remain in a state of stasis for the off-week - not gaining or losing any muscle and not gaining or losing any fat. I eat the same thing every day so I know I consume 3240 calories every day when working out (i.e. 51 weeks of the year). This has allowed me to bulk at a VERY slow rate whilst gaining no (visibly) noticeable fat.

How much below 3240 calories should I consume daily for the off-week?

2

Give us some information please. What is your off day diet like, what rate of weight gain do you have, activity levels, your training, ect. Even after telling us the best that can be done is guess work.

3

263.4 calories less… just cut back a little on the starchy carb/fruit intake. What do you normally eat? then I could give a more specific recommendation.

don’t go crazy, I’m assuming your off week is recovery, so I wouldn’t drop it too far.

4

I normally reduce the calories by a couple hundred. Also what jehovasfitness said, it’s a week for recovery, so dropping the calories significantly doesn’t make much sense.

5

Why are you taking an off-week?

Lacking a specific goal/deadline, why do you think a one-week period has any particular significance?

Why do you think anyone can accurately quantify what your adjustment should be? And even if they claimed to, why would you believe them?

6

[quote]fisch wrote:
I normally reduce the calories by a couple hundred. Also what jehovasfitness said, it’s a week for recovery, so dropping the calories significantly doesn’t make much sense.[/quote]

I would love to see the physiques of you guys who need that much recovery.

You can train your body to deal with more stress…and it doesn’t look like many of you are doing that.

7

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]fisch wrote:
I normally reduce the calories by a couple hundred. Also what jehovasfitness said, it’s a week for recovery, so dropping the calories significantly doesn’t make much sense.[/quote]

I would love to see the physiques of you guys who need that much recovery.

You can train your body to deal with more stress…and it doesn’t look like many of you are doing that.[/quote]

shrug- I’m following a program designed by some elite level coaches (yeah yeah I know), it calls for a recovery week every 3 months or so. Didn’t seem to halt my progress thus far.

but you’re right, my physique is not huge, theirs is though

8

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]fisch wrote:
I normally reduce the calories by a couple hundred. Also what jehovasfitness said, it’s a week for recovery, so dropping the calories significantly doesn’t make much sense.[/quote]

I would love to see the physiques of you guys who need that much recovery.

You can train your body to deal with more stress…and it doesn’t look like many of you are doing that.[/quote]

shrug- I’m following a program designed by some elite level coaches (yeah yeah I know), it calls for a recovery week every 3 months or so. Didn’t seem to halt my progress thus far.

but you’re right, my physique is not huge, theirs is though[/quote]

You should ask them how many weeks off they took to build the majority of that size.

“Do as I say and not as I do” is hilarious in bodybuilding.

9

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]fisch wrote:
I normally reduce the calories by a couple hundred. Also what jehovasfitness said, it’s a week for recovery, so dropping the calories significantly doesn’t make much sense.[/quote]

I would love to see the physiques of you guys who need that much recovery.

You can train your body to deal with more stress…and it doesn’t look like many of you are doing that.[/quote]

shrug- I’m following a program designed by some elite level coaches (yeah yeah I know), it calls for a recovery week every 3 months or so. Didn’t seem to halt my progress thus far.

but you’re right, my physique is not huge, theirs is though[/quote]

You should ask them how many weeks off they took to build the majority of that size.

“Do as I say and not as I do” is hilarious in bodybuilding.[/quote]

Meh- I hear ya man. I’m just following the plan. I didn’t feel the need to take the time off at that point, but it was nice to have an extra 45-mins several days a week from a mental aspect.

10

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]fisch wrote:
I normally reduce the calories by a couple hundred. Also what jehovasfitness said, it’s a week for recovery, so dropping the calories significantly doesn’t make much sense.[/quote]

I would love to see the physiques of you guys who need that much recovery.

You can train your body to deal with more stress…and it doesn’t look like many of you are doing that.[/quote]

I don’t ever take weeks off “just to recover”. I only do that when it’s surgery/injury that causes it. That’s still a “recovery” week, and if my activity level drops significantly due to the injury/surgery no im not going to eat the same calories.

Going from lifting 4-6 days and week and 20-30 mins of cardio 3-4 times a week to nothing means my calorie needs drop. It makes no sense to eat the same amount.

11

Please google or search on here: “strategic deconditioning”.

12

[quote]fisch wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]fisch wrote:
I normally reduce the calories by a couple hundred. Also what jehovasfitness said, it’s a week for recovery, so dropping the calories significantly doesn’t make much sense.[/quote]

I would love to see the physiques of you guys who need that much recovery.

You can train your body to deal with more stress…and it doesn’t look like many of you are doing that.[/quote]

I don’t ever take weeks off “just to recover”. I only do that when it’s surgery/injury that causes it. That’s still a “recovery” week, and if my activity level drops significantly due to the injury/surgery no im not going to eat the same calories.

Going from lifting 4-6 days and week and 20-30 mins of cardio 3-4 times a week to nothing means my calorie needs drop. It makes no sense to eat the same amount.[/quote]

That’s all fine, but I am now wondering just how often you get injured.

I took a whole week off after my motorcycle accident. It sounds like some of you take weeks of for sore shoulders.

13

I take a week off when and only when my body tells me. Joints and tendons get to hurting when I go on the heavier side of things so I try not to do it to often. Over the course of a year I may take 3 weeks off. As far as eating, eat what you want. No need to get crazy anal with caloric intake and expenditure math on an off week. Stay active and continue to eat. If one week of no lifting and eating whatever affects you in any way other than making you appear a little soft then you are doing something wrong…

14

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]fisch wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]fisch wrote:
I normally reduce the calories by a couple hundred. Also what jehovasfitness said, it’s a week for recovery, so dropping the calories significantly doesn’t make much sense.[/quote]

I would love to see the physiques of you guys who need that much recovery.

You can train your body to deal with more stress…and it doesn’t look like many of you are doing that.[/quote]

I don’t ever take weeks off “just to recover”. I only do that when it’s surgery/injury that causes it. That’s still a “recovery” week, and if my activity level drops significantly due to the injury/surgery no im not going to eat the same calories.

Going from lifting 4-6 days and week and 20-30 mins of cardio 3-4 times a week to nothing means my calorie needs drop. It makes no sense to eat the same amount.[/quote]

That’s all fine, but I am now wondering just how often you get injured.

I took a whole week off after my motorcycle accident. It sounds like some of you take weeks of for sore shoulders.[/quote]

This past 14 months I had a ECU Subluxation surgery on my right wrist (full arm cast 2 months), Hip labral tear surgery (4 weeks no weight bareing) with very little ROM for months, some shoulder popping issue that still lingers, shoulder impingement, and for the past 7 months something wrong with my foot that the docs literally have no idea which makes it painful to walk/put pressure on it.

So lately my body is injured often. For most of these I lift around them. But after the hip surgery I had to take multiple weeks off, same with the wrist surgery.

This is why I will also not post any physique pictures right now even though I offer advice on this fourm. I’ve lost a lot (over 30 lbs) in the past 2 years because I have had multiple injuries, not soreness.

Sorry for the sidetrack OP. Moral of the story is taking weeks off just to recover isn’t something you should plan usually. Life will plan them for you after a while.

15

Its seems like the people who tell the “I never take deload/recovery weeks except when injured” story are the same ones who tell the “here is my long list of injuries that prevent me from training” story right afterwords. An alternative moral of the story might be to plan a deload week every once in a while before you are too injured to train.

16

[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
Its seems like the people who tell the “I never take deload/recovery weeks except when injured” story are the same ones who tell the “here is my long list of injuries that prevent me from training” story right afterwords. An alternative moral of the story might be to plan a deload week every once in a while before you are too injured to train. [/quote]

?

X said it made him wondered how often I was injured, and even though im sure he doesn’t actually care I answered. Don’t blame my injuries on lack of deload, blame it on shit genetics and a dumb doctor. My hip was almost entirely genetic, aggravated by squatting.

The shoulder issues stem from the original wrist surgery and an idiot rehab protocol. The foot injury has nothing to do with lifting. Tell me how lifting causes the ball of your foot to become nerve damaged. I’ll wait.

I trained 3 days a week, 4, 6, deloads, no deloads. I got injured on all, I’ve always gotten hurt since the day I was born. Multiple sprains, muscle pulls, strains, nagging pains since I was 4 years old and way before I started lifting.

I trained using 5/3/1 for a while (6+ months) where a deload was taken every 4th week. That’s when my wrist tore, probably my most severe injury until the hip surgery. Every 4th week being a deload is probably way more then most would suggest.

I still do not recommend deloads “just to recover”.

17

^^^ That sucks, I’m truly sorry to hear that.

Nevertheless, it also doesn’t change my sentiments, I personally think the occasional planned deload keeps training fresh, makes you stronger in the long run, and reduces the risk of injuries. X has his opinions, and he’s obviously accomplished and I respect that, but I think there is room for disagreement on this issue. I’m also an old fucker so maybe that plays into it as well.