Two Weeks and No Gym

Off Topic
1

Okay, so I use a college gym for lifting.

I’m mid-bulk, all my lifts are currently improving. Everything going great. I’m lifting five days a week. I have an upper-day, a lower-day and an “arm+exe.” day. It’s been working well.

Anyways, Spring Break is coming up, and the gym will be closed for two weeks, so I’m asking for advice. This is my first half-way serious bulk, and it’s been about three months since I’ve had any real time off (I have two off days a week).

Should I:

  1. Use this as a mini-cut/conditioning period: two weeks eating under-maintenance, focusing on mobility, and general conditioning, doing what I can with the 50ilb dump-bells I have at home.

  2. Use this as a purely recovery time, cut back slightly on calories, but stay at or above maintenance, but don’t do any more cardio/HIT type work than normal.

  3. Suck it up, and pay to use one of the crappy commercial gyms in the area, and keep steaming ahead as normal.

Option two seems like the least fun, and seems like it’s probably over-kill, on the other hand you read about people getting some major growth from taking some time off and eating. Option one sounds nice, but is two weeks really long enough to put a dent in some of the not-muscle weight I’ve added. And three involves spending money, and dealing with working around a new group of people all fighting for the one squat rack (whaaa).

2

I think the right choice to this is so obvious, I’m baffled as to why you even posted the question. You don’t seem very committed to your “bulk.”

Anyway, get a 2 week trial membership at a local gym.

3

Beginner section please

4

[quote]goochadamg wrote:
I think the right choice to this is so obvious, I’m baffled as to why you even posted the question. You don’t seem very committed to your “bulk.”

Anyway, get a 2 week trial membership at a local gym.[/quote]

this

5

Two weeks is significant. Find somewhere else to go and keep chuggin’ away. 1 & 2 seem like absolutely terrible ideas.

6

4 weeks and no gym for me (injury)

2 weeks off is fine you need a deload if you’re lifting heavy 5 days a week

7

I’d always have at least a long db with about 200 lbs in plates close by. Doesn’t take much space, isn’t too expensive and will serve just fine when being at home but having no access to the gym.

Strength: unilateral pulling/pressing movements.
Conditioning: Tabata goblet squats, anyone?

8

yea man, if your serious about your training, than the cost for a gym membership shouldnt matter…your eventually going to be home for summer anyway so just join the gym than freeze it, than when you come back for summer unfreeze it…thats what i always did…taking 2 weeks off in the middle of your first serious bulk doesnt make much sense…
IronWarrior

9

[quote]IronWarrior34 wrote:
yea man, if your serious about your training, than the cost for a gym membership shouldnt matter…your eventually going to be home for summer anyway so just join the gym than freeze it, than when you come back for summer unfreeze it…thats what i always did…taking 2 weeks off in the middle of your first serious bulk doesnt make much sense…
IronWarrior[/quote]

I’m not in college, I just use the gym because I can basically use it for free, and it’s right next to me. They’re open all summer. Spring Break is really the only time all year that they’re closed.

It’s not about being committed to the bulk, I’ve added an inch to my arms in the last two months (about to hit 17"), and almost thirty pounds, but there is talk of de-loading, and some of these guys are recommending a week or more off for every two-three months of solid work. I’ve had three + months of really solid work, and I’m really happy with the gains, but I’ve noticed my energy level decreasing of this past week, so I was thinking “Since the gym is going to be closed anyways, maybe this is a good time to take a breather.” Sounds like most would say keep on chugging.

Thanks for the advice.

10

ahh ok i getya, yea there were a few guys that worked out at my school gym who did the same thing, cant beat a free membership! if you really feel like your energy is starting to decrease and you feel yourself not wanting to lift, than you gotta listen to your body and take some time off, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that…

maybe even try a week of higher rep days with some giant sets or complexes, sometimes just switching your routine to something completely different to what your doing can really help…i find myself switching what i do every couple weeks because i hate doing the same routine for too long, i get bored…

IronWarrior