Having a week or two off

[RobRocks]

If you take a week or two off the gym will you lose any gains?it will be good for the body?are there Benifits of taking time off the gym?

[JBWarren70]

Yes, it is a good idea to take time off, every once in a while.


Gains in what? Strength and/or muscle size?

Depending on how long you have been lifting will determine how much strength you may lose. You will only gain muscle size during the break because muscles grow when resting not when in the gym.

[DuracellBunny]

Loss of gains: no
Benefit: yes

Training is about stressing and repairing/building muscle within a margin of error. Without the stress of training for a week or two, your body can devote everything to repair/recovery without piling on additional stress.

I'm 3 days in to a 6 week enforced break (surgery) and with a break of that length it will take me 6 weeks or so of being back in the gym to return to my pre-surgery state. Apart from being a bit more sore when you train, you shouldn't even notice a week or 2 off.

[Garage Rat]

It is a smart thing to do every so often.
Leaving the weights alone and doing some sort of active recovery will help you feel rejuvenated.
Walking,hiking,swimming,bike riding can all be active recovery.
Sometimes with a week off you come back stronger if you've been hitting it hard before your layoff.