As I get older, I especially notice that layoffs play an increasing role in continued progress - not only in resting the muscles, but also in resting the CNS. Right now, I try to take 7-9 days off every 8-10 weeks or so.
What are your thoughts on layoffs —do you feel you need to take them regularly, or can you get away without them? If so, how often, and for how long? Do you take them as complete rest, or is there some form of active rest (some light, non-intense sport activity) involved for you?
Taking a layoff can be beneficial to some, and a hazard for others.
For the lazy crowd that never trains to failure, only uses compound movements, trains for less than 45 minuts, and cries about overtraining. A week off will just cause them to stagnate even more.
For the hardcore athlete who can’t seem to get enough, always playing sports or pumping iron, it can be a good thing to focus on recovery for once.
I just try and use as many recovery methods as possible year round, and never take time off.
In my opinion, you’re taking way too much time off way too frequently. Personally, I never take time off. I will have a “back-off” week about every 5 months, buy that’s it. In the past when I’ve missed gym time for whatever reason (sick, vacation, etc.) I’ve always felt like crap, I felt sluggish when I got back in the gym, and my lifts suffered. And yet, many people preach off weeks, so maybe its just me. If what you are doing is working, stick with it.
When I take a layoff I take it to play other sports. I take a week off every two months because I want to spend all the week playing soccer, basketball, cycling, etc without worrying about soreness.
I’ve become a big fan of backoff weeks versus total layoffs.
After 5-6weeks of heavy lifting and regular wrestling & BJJ practice, I take 1-2 weeks where I still keep going to the gym every day, but I only look to break a sweat and perform a full range of motion with relatively light loads on a couple of compound lifts(something like 5x3 with 60%).
I like these a lot because you don’t get that feeling that you’re getting lazy you mentioned, plus you don’t break the habit of regular gym attendance, yet you’re not really breaking anything down or challenging your CNS much so your body is able to catch up its healing process in the background.
[quote]Roy wrote:
Taking a layoff can be beneficial to some, and a hazard for others.
For the lazy crowd that never trains to failure, only uses compound movements, trains for less than 45 minuts, and cries about overtraining. A week off will just cause them to stagnate even more.
For the hardcore athlete who can’t seem to get enough, always playing sports or pumping iron, it can be a good thing to focus on recovery for once.
I just try and use as many recovery methods as possible year round, and never take time off.
[/quote]
When you say “only uses compound movements,” how would that be a bad thing?
Don’t quite a lot of people get really strong, good physiques from doing just deads, squats, bench, presses, and snatches?
[quote]dhuge67 wrote:
Roy wrote:
Taking a layoff can be beneficial to some, and a hazard for others.
For the lazy crowd that never trains to failure, only uses compound movements, trains for less than 45 minuts, and cries about overtraining. A week off will just cause them to stagnate even more.
For the hardcore athlete who can’t seem to get enough, always playing sports or pumping iron, it can be a good thing to focus on recovery for once.
I just try and use as many recovery methods as possible year round, and never take time off.
When you say “only uses compound movements,” how would that be a bad thing?
Don’t quite a lot of people get really strong, good physiques from doing just deads, squats, bench, presses, and snatches?
[/quote]
I assumed he meant they don’t add in any supplementary work after they are done with their compounds. Like they walk in and squat, then leave instead of doing some unilateral work or isolation work in trouble spots, or anything else at all.
Roy, I know many people who take a week off and only do Bench, Squats, deads, and Rows, and come back stronger then ever. Hell even I take a week off every 12-14 weeks and I come back stronger.
When your lifts stop going up, no progression, let’s say maybe 4-5 weeks since your last layoff… would you change your routine and lifts and try to progress on the new lifts or you take a week for recovering?
I take 1 week long breaks about 2 times a year. I keep up my normal eating during those times and I’m confident that I will gain in some aspects or maintain at the very least upon my return. Not yet have I come back weaker (except after mono). If it matters, I’m also 20. I think they are very useful as long as they aren’t abused.
I am a walking poster child for the need for layoffs and backoffs. After 21 years of pushing myself too hard, too often and some debilitating injuries, I HAVE to take about 2 weeks off out of every two months minimum. But then I am an outlier as I can only manage one(yes one!) workout every week (besides walking) due to chronic overtraining/adrenal fatigue these last 15 years or so. TAKE HEED! Backoff now or pay later…
They kill me. Let me explain. It takes about 3 weeks to form a habit, and it only takes about one week to break it. Every time I take a week off, I have to struggle to re-establish the habit of working out again.
I am thinking of just deloading a week now, rather than stopping completely.
[quote]tweaker wrote:
They kill me. Let me explain. It takes about 3 weeks to form a habit, and it only takes about one week to break it. Every time I take a week off, I have to struggle to re-establish the habit of working out again.
I am thinking of just deloading a week now, rather than stopping completely.[/quote]
That sounds like a pretty good idea. When I come back next week, I think I will try to do something like this every month instead of taking a week off of the gym completely. Its likely not as hard psychologically either as keeping away entirely.
When you say “only uses compound movements,” how would that be a bad thing?
Don’t quite a lot of people get really strong, good physiques from doing just deads, squats, bench, presses, and snatches?
[/quote]
I think we’re seeing the pendulum start to swing away from full-body/compound focused routines. For the next year I’m pretty certain training to failure and body part splits are going to be T-Nation’s holy grail. There never seems to be a middle ground.
I train to become a better athlete, so my training is definitely different, (oly lifts, full body movements, 4 lifting days 3 conditioning days), and im also still growing (only 17), but i find that taking a back-off week every 4th week makes me feel better.
Back-off weeks also usually lead to me braking PRs. I also generally take half of a week off following every 12-week cycle, and focus on learning new lifts and possibly some light technique work. I believe back-off weeks are helpful because they allow for optimal utilization of the supercompensation phenomenon.
I never take a planned break. My breaks are normally forced breaks that are the result of travel from from work. Anytime I can lift I take advantage of it knowing something will eventually come up where I may be forced to not lift. I don’t worry about layoffs.
[quote]Joaquin wrote:
I never take a planned break. My breaks are normally forced breaks that are the result of travel from from work. Anytime I can lift I take advantage of it knowing something will eventually come up where I may be forced to not lift. I don’t worry about layoffs. [/quote]
It’s similar in my case, except that I don’t have to travel for work. During those short periods when I get to do little or no lifting, I focus on sprinting, bodyweight exercises, a bit of running, mobility work, etc.
Doing nothing at all makes me feel sluggish and if anything, I have a feeling it hampers my progress.