How often do you take breaks from weight lifting? 49 year old getting started

[chevjerico]

Hey guys I started working out again. I'm following the over 40 beginners guide on this site.

Question is how often do you take a break, and for how long?

Thanks!

[Bo_Flecks]

It's an individual thing. Here... read this, opie.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121391461

[snake1856]

Hey guys I started working out again. I'm following the over 40 beginners guide on this site.

Question is how often do you take a break, and for how long?

Thanks!

You will probably get a lot of different answers from many people more experienced than me but here's my take:

Listen to your body. I just got started back this February and went with a 12 week cycle, hitting the weights same body part 2-3 times a week with very intense, high volume sets and by week 9 I was pushing my tendons to their pain point.

I have read that if you are over 40 you should be taking a deload week around week 6 or week 8. This cycle, I went 8 weeks but upped the intensity with shorter rests between sets.

After this deload week coming up I'm going to probably stick to the 6 to 8 week cycles if I stick to the same high volume plan I'm on currently.

Hope this helps and Congrats on making the decision to start lifting again! Eat right, follow your plan and make sure you are getting good, quality rest and you will definitely see results.

[chevjerico]

It's an individual thing. Here... read this, opie.

Great read! Wish I had read that before. Previously I had gotten to the point where I had to keep on dropping exercise to the point I couldn't even do shoulders or incline anymore. The tendons in my right arm were sore.This time around I'm definitely doing my homework. So far everything seems okay.

[chevjerico]

You will probably get a lot of different answers from many people more experienced than me but here's my take:

Listen to your body. I just got started back this February and went with a 12 week cycle, hitting the weights same body part 2-3 times a week with very intense, high volume sets and by week 9 I was pushing my tendons to their pain point.

I have read that if you are over 40 you should be taking a deload week around week 6 or week 8. This cycle, I went 8 weeks but upped the intensity with shorter rests between sets.

After this deload week coming up I'm going to probably stick to the 6 to 8 week cycles if I stick to the same high volume plan I'm on currently.

Hope this helps and Congrats on making the decision to start lifting again! Eat right, follow your plan and make sure you are getting good, quality rest and you will definitely see results.

Thanks man, yea I'm focused. Diet is good and solid since January. Been doing cardio and just started lifting light weight third week in. Going to hit the weight harder starting today.

Wish I had listened to my body before. Sleeps been great beer intake is way down!

Great info from both you guys. I have the tools and info I was looking for. Good deal! Thank you!

[ElrondHubbard]

I started last October, with no idea what I was doing. I took a break for a couple of weeks in February because I was getting some really annoying shoulder pain. It wasn't until then that I started doing any real research. Since then I've been skipping a scheduled day about every three weeks or so, and that's been keeping me more or less pain free. I've still got some residual pain from earlier, but it's gradually decreasing.

[snake1856]

Thanks man, yea I'm focused. Diet is good and solid since January. Been doing cardio and just started lifting light weight third week in. Going to hit the weight harder starting today.

Wish I had listened to my body before. Sleeps been great beer intake is way down!

Great info from both you guys. I have the tools and info I was looking for. Good deal! Thank you!

I hear you totally on the beer intake. Mine was ridiculous in hindsight. I still have some but not nearly as much. I find that it really helps with CNS recovery and the sleep is much better. I also take a 3mg Melatonin at night and it works like a charm to prevent insomnia and it's dirt cheap. I'm not a huge supplement guy but on my second cycle I incorporated free form BCAA's in my workout and feel that it helped tremendously with recovery. I use Xtend by Scivation and until i feel it is not working anymore, I'll keep it in my routine.

[unilx]

I take a week off every 8-12 weeks depending on how my body feels.

[chevjerico]

I started last October, with no idea what I was doing. I took a break for a couple of weeks in February because I was getting some really annoying shoulder pain. It wasn't until then that I started doing any real research. Since then I've been skipping a scheduled day about every three weeks or so, and that's been keeping me more or less pain free. I've still got some residual pain from earlier, but it's gradually decreasing.

Good info man. Sounds like a similar situation as I. Guess I'm not alone.

[chevjerico]

I hear you totally on the beer intake. Mine was ridiculous in hindsight. I still have some but not nearly as much. I find that it really helps with CNS recovery and the sleep is much better. I also take a 3mg Melatonin at night and it works like a charm to prevent insomnia and it's dirt cheap. I'm not a huge supplement guy but on my second cycle I incorporated free form BCAA's in my workout and feel that it helped tremendously with recovery. I use Xtend by Scivation and until i feel it is not working anymore, I'll keep it in my routine.

My recover is painful and slow! I feel great after taking two days off though. I have some ON creatine powder and some BCAA I was thinking about starting to help with recovery, but the six star protein powder already has 2.5 grams of creatine. At two scoops per day I'm getting 5 grams. The creatine page on this site says you can take up to 10 grams at my weight.

What do you guys think?

[RT1957]

I do a deload week the last week of each month. I still workout but it's very light and I think of it as active recovery. Ligaments and tendons don't recover as fast as muscle. That week of light work draws blood to all those tissues without me tearing myself down farther. It also helps prevent getting really sore when I up the intensity as would happen if I took a week off then came back hard

[chevjerico]

I do a deload week the last week of each month. I still workout but it's very light and I think of it as active recovery. Ligaments and tendons don't recover as fast as muscle. That week of light work draws blood to all those tissues without me tearing myself down farther. It also helps prevent getting really sore when I up the intensity as would happen if I took a week off then came back hard

I guess it makes sense to play it safe, so you can always come back and hit the weights productively. I'm starting to get a good feel for deload. First I heard of it was today. Much appreciated!

[Robfitx]

It's an individual thing. Here... read this, opie.

Great read, very informative. Thanks for sharing it.

[mtpockets]

Hey guys I started working out again. I'm following the over 40 beginners guide on this site.

Question is how often do you take a break, and for how long?

Thanks!

I pretty much let life dictate my breaks.

[chevjerico]

I pretty much let life dictate my breaks.

Love your sig!

[Ermintrude38]

Hey guys I started working out again. I'm following the over 40 beginners guide on this site.

Question is how often do you take a break, and for how long?

Thanks!

I used to be on a S&C program and every 4 weeks I'd drop one set and lower reps and weights for my deload week. 3 weeks ago I switched it up to a BB split and unless I start feeling the need to I don't intend on deloading at all. I'm working at slightly lower weights and higher reps to increase time under tension, but will probably do 6 weeks in this phase then 2-4 weeks in strength phase (3-5 reps) before smashing back on to 8-10 reps again...listen to your body. If you start feeling weaker you either need to change your diet or take a deload week.

[66mark]

It's an individual thing. Here... read this, opie.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121391461

t


Thanks for the link Bo, I am turning 49 also this summer and got back into lifting again a couple months ago. I usually end up having to stop because of injury, will try de-loading this time around.

[Steron99]

Knock wood,I seem to be blessed. I do full body workout,three times a week,three hour each.[I work at the gym so I do it before my shift.]I don't know how much genetics come to play in that but I get in the zone and it's great theropy for me. As a bodybuilder the only time I've taken time off is one week when I was on vacation and it wasn't an option.

You say you're starting to workout and ALREADY you're asking when to take a break? !

What's that all about? You need commitment and to make the gym a habit,even if you have no passion for it.

No room in the gym for half-hearted !

[69cam]

I am doing HST now, so every 6 weeks I take a week off.

[coachcalande]

Hey guys I started working out again. I'm following the over 40 beginners guide on this site.

Question is how often do you take a break, and for how long?

Thanks!

Life gets in the way, that means a day off now and again...., every 6-8 weeks I might feel like I need to lighten up the wts or take a couple of days off....but now I am rolling. 3 months without missing a day.

[NuclearArms]

As you get more advanced, more time is needed. I just took 3 months off due to a grueling work schedule and need to let joints recover.

[DuracellBunny]

Unless medically required, I don't take time off at all.

My microcycles typically run 4-8 weeks; I don't feel the need for deloads or time off.

[JimmyG1220]

Thank you for that! Great information!

[Robosco]

The longer the break, the less inclined you would be to get back to the gym.

[ajdahlheimer]

Every 12 weeks. I've noticed deloads really get more and more important with age.....

[melDorado]

I take a week off every 8-12 weeks depending on how my body feels.

Same

[jamesovercome]

Just took 9 complete days off to goto Costa Rica. I'll deload once a month on 531. That's all.