Taking Time Off

Kal_El2 · June 7, 2006, 5:25am

How often should a person take time off from the gym? I have been training hard and steady now for 6 months, I workout 5 days a week with the following schedule.

Mon- Chest/Tri/Shoulder (Wide Grip)
Tues-Back/Bi/Legs (Wide Grip)
Wed- Chest/Tri/Shoulder (Narrow grip)
Thurs-Back/Bi/Legs (Narrow grip)
Fri- Chest/Tri/Shoulder (attempt PR)
Sat-Rest
Sun-Rest

I have read that a person should take a week off here and there. What advise can ya’ll give.

As for recovery aid supplements, I take Glutemine with shakes, Vit C, and ZMA at night.

Professor_X · June 7, 2006, 7:52am

[quote]Kal-El wrote:
How often should a person take time off from the gym? I have been training hard and steady now for 6 months, I workout 5 days a week with the following schedule.

Mon- Chest/Tri/Shoulder (Wide Grip)
Tues-Back/Bi/Legs (Wide Grip)
Wed- Chest/Tri/Shoulder (Narrow grip)
Thurs-Back/Bi/Legs (Narrow grip)
Fri- Chest/Tri/Shoulder (attempt PR)
Sat-Rest
Sun-Rest

I have read that a person should take a week off here and there. What advise can ya’ll give.

As for recovery aid supplements, I take Glutemine with shakes, Vit C, and ZMA at night. [/quote]

I don’t take weeks off and never have. Unless you are preparing for a competition and putting your body under enormous stress as a result, then I could see the need for taking that much time off. if you are training right and above all EATING ENOUGH TO GROW AND ADAPT, you shouldn’t be running yourself into the ground like that.

Bauer97 · June 7, 2006, 10:48am

[quote]Professor X wrote:

I don’t take weeks off and never have. Unless you are preparing for a competition and putting your body under enormous stress as a result, then I could see the need for taking that much time off. if you are training right and above all EATING ENOUGH TO GROW AND ADAPT, you shouldn’t be running yourself into the ground like that.
[/quote]

Agreed. I honestly don’t see many people training with enough volume or intensity to warrant the amount of time they take off for “recovery”.

I have never actually planned to have more than 2 days away from training. My life has enough going on that I get “time off” without actually trying to make it happen…

jjay · June 7, 2006, 12:03pm

dont listen to these guys. you do need time off, unless your on steroids ?

when your body feels tierd and your not motivated take 2 weeks. when you come back you will be weaker but it will come right back and you’ll go beyond what you were.

if you dont you can work yourself to a point were you hate lifting and you wont be in the gym for a year

dont feel bad about 2 weeks some people dont lift at all

Bart_Paulson · June 7, 2006, 12:55pm

He didn’t say he wanted to take a break or that he was tired of the game though, he just wanted to check whether or not it was a physical necessity.

So Prof X told him it wasn’t really, as long as he supplied himself with enough nutrients to keep up with the pace.

Personally I take two months off a year, one for midterms and one for finals.

I’m sure some of you guys can combine school/work with lifting but I sure as hell can’t!

Professor_X · June 7, 2006, 1:13pm

[quote]Bart Paulson wrote:
He didn’t say he wanted to take a break or that he was tired of the game though, he just wanted to check whether or not it was a physical necessity.

So Prof X told him it wasn’t really, as long as he supplied himself with enough nutrients to keep up with the pace.

Personally I take two months off a year, one for midterms and one for finals.

I’m sure some of you guys can combine school/work with lifting but I sure as hell can’t!

[/quote]

I was often in the gym late at night the day before finals or midterms. It never affected my grades. If anything it helped me focus.

lostinthought · June 7, 2006, 1:33pm

This is discussed in a ton of other threads. I never take more than 3 days off in a row and even at that, I start to feel guilty and lazy and all.

But if you absolutely feel you need time off, take a week. But I would never go beyond one week.

jjay · June 7, 2006, 1:46pm

you do need time off however you want to do it especially if your in it for the long haul

i like that 2 months a year thats pretty much what i do except 2 weeks every 3 months or so

EnTransit · June 7, 2006, 1:55pm

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Bart Paulson wrote:
He didn’t say he wanted to take a break or that he was tired of the game though, he just wanted to check whether or not it was a physical necessity.

So Prof X told him it wasn’t really, as long as he supplied himself with enough nutrients to keep up with the pace.

Personally I take two months off a year, one for midterms and one for finals.

I’m sure some of you guys can combine school/work with lifting but I sure as hell can’t!

I was often in the gym late at night the day before finals or midterms. It never affected my grades. If anything it helped me focus.[/quote]

Hell yea! When its finals week here, I make sure I set aside time to train. I find this really helps me relieve stress from being in the books all day.

EnTransit · June 7, 2006, 1:56pm

[quote]Bart Paulson wrote:
He didn’t say he wanted to take a break or that he was tired of the game though, he just wanted to check whether or not it was a physical necessity.

So Prof X told him it wasn’t really, as long as he supplied himself with enough nutrients to keep up with the pace.

Personally I take two months off a year, one for midterms and one for finals.

I’m sure some of you guys can combine school/work with lifting but I sure as hell can’t!

[/quote]

Why two months? I dont know about you, but here Midterms happen at the teachers discretion (meaning they set the times) and finals all happen within a week.

Go_Rilla · June 7, 2006, 2:24pm

How old are you and do you always do the same thing on the same day of every week?

If you are seeing improvements and you are not just burnt out why take a break unless you are injured?

I’ve never taken an extended break but I have changed my routine and goals over the years and found that it can put a little life back into my program.

lostinthought · June 7, 2006, 3:33pm

[quote]jjay wrote:
you do need time off however you want to do it especially if your in it for the long haul

i like that 2 months a year thats pretty much what i do except 2 weeks every 3 months or so[/quote]

So you’re taking four plus months off in a year?

jjay · June 7, 2006, 4:10pm

2 months

im 28 but ive been training scince i was 12

the point of the break is so you can see more improvment i feel better and hope to get more out of my body

if you know your getting a break in 3 or 4 months whatever you can train harder to

look i know there are other variables like what your taking and doing but there is such a thing as overtraining and its not that hard to do

Brendan_Ryan · June 7, 2006, 9:13pm

Unless you’re severly overtrained I have found that it’s really not necessary to take weeks or monthes or whatever off. I find a way to get to the gym no matter what.

Bauer97 · June 7, 2006, 9:23pm

I very rarely flat out tell people on here that they’re wrong, but unless you’re doing some VERY extreme training & competition, such as a triathlon, or maybe a national level bodybuilding show, or something of that nature, taking time off that can be measured in MONTHS is counter-productive to improving your strength, physique or performance.

You just can’t possibly need that much time to “recover” from standard strength and conditioning training, in my opinion.

I’d say anything beyond a week, maybe 2, just doesn’t really make sense physiologically…

Professor_X · June 7, 2006, 9:43pm

[quote]Bauer97 wrote:
I very rarely flat out tell people on here that they’re wrong, but unless you’re doing some VERY extreme training & competition, such as a triathlon, or maybe a national level bodybuilding show, or something of that nature, taking time off that can be measured in MONTHS is counter-productive to improving your strength, physique or performance.

You just can’t possibly need that much time to “recover” from standard strength and conditioning training, in my opinion.

I’d say anything beyond a week, maybe 2, just doesn’t really make sense physiologically…[/quote]

Agreed. Your training and eating is completely screwed up if your body needs that much time to recover from what you are doing to it. It means you weren’t making much progress to begin with because someone who was would obviously be recovering enough to grow and get stronger.

MNguns · June 7, 2006, 10:44pm

WARNING WARNING WARNING! ! ! !

EXPECT SOME SERIOUS DEBATE WITH THIS TOPIC ! ! !

My $.02.

I never thought rest and recovery days were all that important. Hell when I started lifting, I could go 3 maybe 4 days in a row and make gains. I’ve now been lifting regularly for 5-6 yrs. Gains generaly come quicker to newbies. As the athelete becomes more experianced gains “may” not come as easy.

For about 4 yrs now I have read most of Ian Kings books, own many of his video series’ on training, strething, rest and recovery methods, oly. lifts, benching, squats, controll drills,abd. training, deadlift, linear perioization & progression.

Needles to say I have grown acustom to his training methods and philosphies. Why? Because I’ve tried others and got ok success. I’ve tried his and got better more frequent success. Now that’s not to say his method/philo. is the best, or the only thing that works.

That’s blasphemy! I read many other books, watch videos, philo. etc… hell I use their methods too. Ok Ok I’m getting off track. Way off track.

Here’s what I’m getting @. Ian discusses the importance of rest, recovery days and monitoring your training via log. He discusses how many people can lift 2-3 days in a row and make gains, some can lift more then that and make gains. Many can lift only 1-2 days in a row and make gains.

Some people can lift only every other day or even more frequent rest days in order to make the gains they want. It all lies in the athelete. Which person are you? I encourage you to use a log. For 3-4 months to find out which person you are.

Here’s my annual training schedule:
GPP: low intensity , high volume , 60-70 mins. a training session. Training 2 days in a row.

SPP: mod. intensity, mod. volume , 50-60 mins. a training session. Train every other day.

CP: High intensity, low volume, 30-40 mins. a training session. Train 1 day on 2-3 off.

This is me. And this is what works best for me to get the results I want.

Maybe you are one of those guys who can handle more frequent workouts. Go for it. I’m jealous if you are.

If you would like more info. on this topic. I would highly encourage you to read Ian Kings Get Buffed book series I-III. How to write strength training programs. Foundations of Physical Prep. and watch the video series on Rest and Recovery methods. PM me if you would like more info or a link.

Some quick things to consider on rest:
-Atheletes age.
-Training history.
-Stress level.
-Hours @ work.
-Nutrition plan.
-Sleep pattern & plan.
-Weight.
-Use of ergogenic aides.

There it is, my $.02. And just that. My $.02.

In closing: Don’t be a lemming. Train smarter not harder.

MNguns · June 7, 2006, 10:48pm

One more thing.
I find it interesting, how there is a trend with the times.

I’ve been reading T-Nation for years now. Great site. I love it!

…but I remember reading many articles in the past years about importance of rest/recovery days. Many by popular trainers. Now it seems there is a trend not to rest/ recovery as much. And it is these same people pushing this new technique.

think about it

Bauer97 · June 7, 2006, 11:04pm

[quote]MNguns wrote:
WARNING WARNING WARNING! ! ! !