Man. I’m just finishing up an “off” week. I’m going friggin’ nuts!!!
I try and take off every 6th to 8th week completely from lifting to give my mind and body some extra recovery. It helps when I come back to the gym frothing at the mouth with a huge wave of aggression and annihilate whatever weights get in my way the next week.
I know it’s a good thing, and it really does help me in the long run-- just have to VENT!
Does everyone take off weeks? How often???
Used to, now I follow CT’s idea of retaining intensity but reducing volume by 50%
If you haven’t read his Blocks of training thread, here it is
Thanks, I checked that out. Interesting.
Warhorse,
I took my first “official” active week off and I only lasted 5.5 days…haha. I was keeping active by doing a few HIIT sessions and some ab work, going for walks, mowing the lawn and a few times I went into the weight room and lifted VERY light. But I was itching to start hittin the weights again!! True, I didnt take a FULL week off, but 5 days is close enough…haha.
Man, this is one area I have always had trouble in, I dont want to leave the weight room ,and really unless I go on vacation to some foeign island where there are no weights in sight, that will probably be the case for quite some time. I love hitting the weight stack!
Used to take a week off every 6-8 weeks but have recently stretched this last cycle to 15 weeks. Have some soreness in the shoulders but still making gains. I’m with you, I hate taking time off.
I take 9 days off (Sat thru following Sunday) ala HST style. It works wonders.
i like to take off weeks when ever it is called for, like: health reasons colds or pains, vacations, studying time, recovery from androgens. laters pk
I tried a week back in March and I made it 5 days. However, they weren’t really off days, as I found myself doing calf work and grip training here and there. Staying away from the gym is torture for me, but boy is it healthy.
the most i might take off would be a half week. that would come in the next three or four days after a meet.if a meet was on saturday i would resume training on the next thursday.