Do you ever take a week off?

[Byakuya]

I'm taking the week off from bodybuilding this week. I take one week off every two months, and it just happened to fall on Christmas week. Just curious who else does this.

Also, what do you do during your week off if you take one? Do you do cardio? Or nothing at all? Do you still consume the same amount of protein as you would during a normal week?

[shlape]

I'm taking the week off from bodybuilding this week. I take one week off every two months, and it just happened to fall on Christmas week. Just curious who else does this.

Also, what do you do during your week off if you take one? Do you do cardio? Or nothing at all? Do you still consume the same amount of protein as you would during a normal week?

Only if I'm injured or so drained that the workouts borderline futility. Does that mean I've progressed from 'Gym Junkie' to 'Psychological disorder'?

On an extended break the appetite drops so I'm not taking in as much. I might try fitting in some cardio depending on the reason why I'm taking time off, i.e. if it's a bad injury little or no activity may happen. Based on my body type (endomorph) I'll try steering the food intake toward a keto diet to prevent 'filling out'.

[chodan9]

I dont take scheduled breaks any more
but generally life has a way of throwing an unscheduled one at me every so often.
Rarely for a full week though.
I do a 5 day on 2 day off split so I have 2 days rest per week and each body part gets a week to rest. With that and and the variables life throws in I tend to get plenty of down time.

[ironwill2008]

I deload on a regular schedule instead of taking time off.

[Inthegrass]

Involuntarily because of exams and assignments at the end if each semester.

[*STEVE*]

My job gives me breaks from the gym ( when a job comes up everything pretty much stops and its all about the work for those few weeks/months ) otherwise no , being union gives me lots of down time lately to keep a good workout schedule, besides I feel off if I dont make it to the gym. Cardio 7 days a week and weights 5/6 days a week !!!

[user94984100999]

yes i take off a week about every 2 months

[Karl_Hungus]

I don't take scheduled breaks....IMO, there is no need to take a break simply because X amount of time has passed since the last break. Usually, my body tells me when it is time to take a break. I'll start feeling stiff in the gym, or accumulating minor injuries, etc. When that time comes, I'll take a week off.

Sometimes, I just take a break from specific exercises. Usually, it involves taking a week off from deadlifts or squats if my low back is feeling stiff, or if my left quad is bothering me (I have chronic problems with it).

[StressMonkey]

Not scheduled, just based on what life throws at me. I went months without a break and took some time off for Thanksgiving. I'll take some time off for Xmas too.

[Bando]

Not scheduled, just based on what life throws at me. I went months without a break and took some time off for Thanksgiving. I'll take some time off for Xmas too.

Same here. Plus my (University) gym isn't available so much during this time.

[SP1966]

I have been off from Thanksgiving until tomorow morning! Back got f'ed up doing military!!

Anything more than a few days off is depressing!!

[mavrick77]

yep, I take 2 weeks off a year. I would not call it a scheduled break, its more along the lines when I can feel my body is completely fatigued, my joints are hurting, and my body tells me when its time. This ussaully happens about once every six months.

HOWEVER, I would not say everyone needs a week off a year. If your gym is like mine, you have the guys that are talking half the time, screwing around, and not lifting hard..I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THEM.... I don't think they need a week off, never really even see them break a sweat.

[BrotherWolf]

Not because I want to ... my job gets in the way
however if I could train 3-4 months straight I would take a few extra days off when needed
not necessarily scheduled but only when needed...

[dungeonmistress]

i usually take the week between xmas and new years off. this year i'm training right thru as i had to take some time off in june to deal with a death. it's working out that keeps me sane (well as sane as i'll ever be lol).

oops almost forgot - no cardio either. basically i just hang out with my kid and sit on my ass. i do cardio at the gym as part of my regular training regime.

[ArchAngel'73]

I deload on a regular schedule instead of taking time off.

This


end thread/

[paolo59]

I'm about to take two weeks off. It will be good. Not going to pig out overly, going to rest, enjoy family, drink a lot of coffee; when you're up at 4:00 A.M. with the "older folk" you do that sort of thing. I'll enjoy sunrises, sunsets, just how much frost is on the ground, and if I'm lucky, I'll see some real snow! I'll look at some livestock, hear stories I've heard 100 times before, smell my mom's home cooking, better yet enjoy it at her table, and hear my dad talk about politics, and I'll feel absolutely at home! God, why does Christmas come around only once a year? Lay off the weights once in awhile. If you're with folks you love and who love you, the time spent can only produce positive results in the long run! Merry Christmas! What happens in your body takes place first in your heart and mind!

[Byakuya]

yep, I take 2 weeks off a year. I would not call it a scheduled break, its more along the lines when I can feel my body is completely fatigued, my joints are hurting, and my body tells me when its time. This ussaully happens about once every six months.

HOWEVER, I would not say everyone needs a week off a year. If your gym is like mine, you have the guys that are talking half the time, screwing around, and not lifting hard..I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THEM.... I don't think they need a week off, never really even see them break a sweat.

yeah, I've seen guys like that at my gym. there's one guy who sits at a machine and does one or two sets, and then he talks to every single person in the gym. I wear headphones to avoid conversations as much as possible, but he talks to me anyway. I'll have a brief polite conversation with him and go back to my workout. and then he's moved on to someone else.

I think my body was ready for a week off. my joints were getting pretty sore..

[jf1]

I dont take scheduled breaks any more
but generally life has a way of throwing an unscheduled one at me every so often.
Rarely for a full week though.

agreed!
i NEVER plan to take time off, something, sometime always comes up where i am forced to;
injury, sickness, emergency, broken car, vacation, etc...

i think taking scheduled time off is ridiculous.
what happens when you take your scheduled break and then 3 days later one of the above happens?

[peter03]

they need rat poision to get rid of this gym rat.

one week is way too long. I will become suicidal with dark dark thoughts.

[mullettjf]

av not been trainin very long( around 4 months now) but in that time never had a week off! but this week my routine has been screwed over cos my cars snowed in! cant move it anywhere so looks like i may be havin this week off!

gutted!

[Iron Barbarian]

I don't take time off. I do 6 days on 1 day off. A lot of those days I do 2 workouts so I am in the gym for 3 hours a day. I never feel burned out and recover quick. If I do feel burnt out then I may take 2 days off during the week in a row to let my body recharge.

[Marius_Ursus]

I take a week off every three days.

[agsuper]

Taking some time off next week while my oldest daughter is with us over Christmas break.

[IdahoViking]

I regret to say I take far more unscheduled breaks than I would like.

[2nd_chance]

Light week (50%) for me every 6th week. This negates the need for a week off.

[socket]

About every 18 weeks I take a week off.

[x-trainer ben]

I'm taking the week off from bodybuilding this week. I take one week off every two months, and it just happened to fall on Christmas week. Just curious who else does this.

Also, what do you do during your week off if you take one? Do you do cardio? Or nothing at all? Do you still consume the same amount of protein as you would during a normal week?

Yes, a week to let things heal and to regain "interest" in the sport. When you lift hard and are consistent your body has tons of energy when you return after the layoff. A week off is a week off so family stuff. I eat maybe 10 percent less clean during this period.

[RdRacer]

I'll take a week off every few months or so.

Nothing scheduled, I just know when it "feels right"; my body has a way of telling me it's time.

When I take that week off, I do not go to the gym at all.

I have found that when I come back the following week, I'm actually a bit stronger. I have used this "technique" on more than one occasion to break through a plateau...

[christos_swc]

I take unscheduled rest days rather than rest weeks.
When my body tells me not to go to the gym I listen to it, put that down to hard lessons learned in the past.
Once I feel ready to go I go.
Usually takes just one more day of rest.
I see no reason to deload or take a week off since I try to listen to my body before I go to the gym and during the workout.

[KindaBigGuns]

I just listen to my body. If I need off, I'll take off or deload. If a vacation is coming up, I might just delay the deload until then if it's only a few weeks or less. Of course I'm only 8 months in so the gains are still "noobyish".