Taking a week off from the gym...but....

[dropxxzone]

...I didn't really eat to well yesterday. I went to the nyc to an all day dave matthews concert yesterday and I ate a lot! I didn't exactly eat To bad, I mean I had a gyro with just chicken, lettuce, tomato and a little hot sauce. I also had a burrito with about the same thing except I had beef and chicken on the burrito. I also ate a pretzel, drank a huge lemonade, a slice. Then a met-rx big 100 bar on the way home.

With all that being said, should I still take the week off, seeing as my meals weren't exactly spaced out and as well put together as I usually make them?

I haven't took a week off in a long time and I am starting a new routine after 4 weeks, to switch it up a little, but I am feeling burnt out so I figured this would be a good time to take one.

Should I continue to use my cla, glutamine and whey on the break.

And finally should I eat smaller meals then regularly?

Thanks in advance.

[RipStone]

One cheat day isnt gonna kill ya...dont worry about it. Just get bacl on track with your diet for the rest of your off week. IMO off weeks are essential in progressing in your training so defintley still keep it as planned.

For the rest of the week, just eat at your maintence caloric intake and eat clean of course!

[dropxxzone]

One cheat day isnt gonna kill ya...dont worry about it. Just get bacl on track with your diet for the rest of your off week. IMO off weeks are essential in progressing in your training so defintley still keep it as planned.

For the rest of the week, just eat at your maintence caloric intake and eat clean of course!

Nice. I knew a cheat day wouldn't be bad, but I just didn't know about if I wasn't working out for the whole week after it, if that would be bad or not. But great, i'll keep it as scheduled. Thanks!

[liluno]

Bro,

I did not workout for 5 days. Needed a rest and did very little cardio at that. I decided I was going to eat whatever I wanted Friday, Saturday, Sunday and hit it hard again Monday.

Well Monday is here and I really enjoyed my weekend of eating but yet I also feel like I cheated myself (mentally), so if you dont have that problem I would recommend this for you.

If your taking a week off next weekend or even just 2 days ENJOY yourself. You will be supriosed how much junk or food you can eat period after eating healthy for a while.

Friday I ate around 4,000 calories... mainly good food just lots of cereal. keep in mind I usually consume around 2000-2500. Then Saturday around 6,500 cals. Had 3 Blasts from Sonic and then a taco from a Mex. Restaurant but besides that eveything else was semi healthy with the exception of an excess in Calories and alot chips. Sunday, after I late night of partying, I ate probably around 5000 Calories. Oatmeal, Cereal, Granola Bars, umm Cereal lol and the cereal I had was GREAT because even though it was Kashi Go Lean I used NORMAL milk. Then I had a Medium Pizza from Dominoes.

Point is I woke up today realizing I need to hit it hard, cardio and weight lifting and actually decided that the last day of every month I will have a cheat DAY along with still having my CHEAT MEAL every week on Sunday.

If you can handle it mentally I recommend it. I gained I think 1.5 -2 lbs over the weekend. If you can handle that knowing that it will be gone by the next week RELIEVE your stress.

* I do not recommend you doing this while you are traning only if your taking a break and dont do it for the whole break period. 3 days max. The reason I recommend this during a break is because your relaxed not thinking about working out and this will help and allow you to hit it hard the next week... if your strong mentally again I stress that. But if your tranining I do not recommend it because you will not Enjoy it.

[dedicated_1]

Well, we all need a break man. We dont eat and work the same way others work. The way I see it every once in a while a cheat day is fine. I use to do it every Sunday. I know do a cheat meal evey Sunday and a cheat day once every month.

MY cheat meal on Sunday I get with all my friends and we eat down on this Mexican Street where its all GREAT food and I enjoy myself.

Everyone needs to enjoy themselves. How long have you been eating healthy and following a diet plan and how strict having you been holding up to it?

Dependining on your answer there I would recommend what liluno has said above. If you have been following it strict for months ENJOY yourself for a couple of days and even get fast food if youd like. You would be surprised though how much you crave your normal food over say a chocalate bar even if you know you can have that choc. bar.

I usually take 1 week off every 3 months and get a new diet routine in set, weight lifitng routine in set, etc and in for that break period I will eat what I want for 2 days, but a weekend I might try just never did it Fridays for some reason.

ALl up to you

[paul e]

I had a slightly different experience.. After several months of lifting, including lifting max-ot style, I figured it was time for a wk off, which I took.. I listened to some advice, and didnt cut back my intake, which at the time was a clean 2500-3000 cals per day, in a 40/40/20 split.

What I found was that, at the end of the week, I had put on about 5 more lbs, and at first, I thought, Great... look how my body is sprouting muscle now that im allowing it to grow, away from the gym.

But when I went to put on my 34" waste jeans, I found this wasnt the case.. I might have grown some muscle, but a noticeable amount of fat was there also. My 34s, which Ive worn (size wise) for over 10 yrs, could barely be fastened.. My stomach and my ass were growing out of proportion to all sanity.

What I found was that, even when lifting, Ill get fat, mostly to my belly and hips, if I consume over 2500 cals.. I really need to keep it around 2000 - 2300 in order to stay lean. Everybody says, youve got to eat like a monster in order to grow.. Maybe with gear. But on natural supplements, like what IM taking, including test and atd, if I want to fit into my jeans, Ive got to keep the cals to this level. Im still able to put on muscle with this intake, and I wont outgrow my jeans. I was gonna say its cause of my age, but ive heard from guys even older than me, if thats possible, who consume tremendous amounts of cals without gaining pants sizes.

Unles my tendency to grow the waistline has anything to do with muscle increase, which I dont think it does, I guess im just not able to eat like some of you big consumers. I guess as long as I continue to make lifting gains in the gym, its ok.

[dedicated_1]

Wow
Only eating 3000 cals for a week you gained 5 lbs. I dont know but most people, evn exiting the weight lifting, burn around 2000 - 2500 calories daily.

so 500 x 7 would equal 3,500 calories, which would mean you should have barely gained a lb. Everyone re acts different,b ut thats why above I stressed do not do it more than 3 days.

I had a slightly different experience.. After several months of lifting, including lifting max-ot style, I figured it was time for a wk off, which I took.. I listened to some advice, and didnt cut back my intake, which at the time was a clean 2500-3000 cals per day, in a 40/40/20 split.

What I found was that, at the end of the week, I had put on about 5 more lbs, and at first, I thought, Great... look how my body is sprouting muscle now that im allowing it to grow, away from the gym.

But when I went to put on my 34" waste jeans, I found this wasnt the case.. I might have grown some muscle, but a noticeable amount of fat was there also. My 34s, which Ive worn (size wise) for over 10 yrs, could barely be fastened.. My stomach and my ass were growing out of proportion to all sanity.

What I found was that, even when lifting, Ill get fat, mostly to my belly and hips, if I consume over 2500 cals.. I really need to keep it around 2000 - 2300 in order to stay lean. Everybody says, youve got to eat like a monster in order to grow.. Maybe with gear. But on natural supplements, like what IM taking, including test and atd, if I want to fit into my jeans, Ive got to keep the cals to this level. Im still able to put on muscle with this intake, and I wont outgrow my jeans. I was gonna say its cause of my age, but ive heard from guys even older than me, if thats possible, who consume tremendous amounts of cals without gaining pants sizes.

Unles my tendency to grow the waistline has anything to do with muscle increase, which I dont think it does, I guess im just not able to eat like some of you big consumers. I guess as long as I continue to make lifting gains in the gym, its ok.

[georgiacorn]

dropzone, one should take a week off from the weightlifting every 8-12 weeks. many people come back stronger as the body has an extended period of recovery.

[GoLeafsGo]

...I didn't really eat to well yesterday. I went to the nyc to an all day dave matthews concert yesterday and I ate a lot! I didn't exactly eat To bad, I mean I had a gyro with just chicken, lettuce, tomato and a little hot sauce. I also had a burrito with about the same thing except I had beef and chicken on the burrito. I also ate a pretzel, drank a huge lemonade, a slice. Then a met-rx big 100 bar on the way home.

With all that being said, should I still take the week off, seeing as my meals weren't exactly spaced out and as well put together as I usually make them?

I haven't took a week off in a long time and I am starting a new routine after 4 weeks, to switch it up a little, but I am feeling burnt out so I figured this would be a good time to take one.

Should I continue to use my cla, glutamine and whey on the break.

And finally should I eat smaller meals then regularly?

Thanks in advance.

Dude, are you serious? For a guy that went to an all-day concert, I think that you made some pretty good food choices. When you go to something like that, just have fun and make some reasonable food choices, which you did.

Enjoy your week off.

[paul e]

Wow
Only eating 3000 cals for a week you gained 5 lbs. I dont know but most people, evn exiting the weight lifting, burn around 2000 - 2500 calories daily.

so 500 x 7 would equal 3,500 calories, which would mean you should have barely gained a lb. Everyone re acts different,b ut thats why above I stressed do not do it more than 3 days.

really. After I put on the weight, I was so surprised.. The wt seemed to accentuate the traps and the pecs... made the whole body look fuller.. cept it destroyed the wasteline.. Now I know why they call it a Spare Tire.. cause, like a donut, it goes All the way around... you can grab a hand full of fat to the rear of the hip bone.... I hate that.. Im working out 5 days times 55 minutes, max ot style, per wk. Im eating in a 40-40-20 percent ratio. So, Ill eat as much as I can, but not so much that Ill grow this spare tire. Thats my 'check and balance'... It may not be the best thing to do.. But at my age, I think the 'rules of thumb' and perceptions might change a bit. I bet if I were 30, Id be able to consume 2700 cals per day on my workout schedule, and be lean and mean.. But now, even though some guys on here in their late 50s or 60s can consume 4000 cals a day and not get fat, it just doesnt work for me. And yet in highschool, I was 5'11.5 and weighed 130 and had a 31" wasteline...

[dropxxzone]

Dude, are you serious? For a guy that went to an all-day concert, I think that you made some pretty good food choices. When you go to something like that, just have fun and make some reasonable food choices, which you did.

Enjoy your week off.

Yeah, I didn't even drink any beer...it takes me a lot to get drunk and @ $6 for a friggin budweiser is ridiculous! I would've spent like $100 just to get buzz and none of my friends wanted to get there early to drink in the parking lot! bastards! lol.

Anyways, thanks for the replies everyone!