Lifting weight every other week for recovery?

[Kotsobali]

41 year old, male.
I noticed that I feel tired after weightlifting sessions and don't recover well.
When I was 17 (in Olympic weightlifting sport) I had to interrupt my training for 2 weeks several times due to workload and when I came back I was lifting more, was stronger and in perfect form. My strength declined if I had to interrupt for 3 weeks or more and I was losing muscle coordination. ( snatch and clean & jerk)

At 41, when I go on vacation, I interrupt for 2-3 weeks and I can tell that my muscle has increased.

Is this experience an indication that I need more time to recover?
Can I train every other week and still expect results? At this stage of my life, I don't want strength any longer. I go for hypertrophy in the 3 X 10 rep.

[air2fakie]

It’s an indication that you have a lifting program that’s not suitable for you.

[bsmit107]

Most likely you're doing too much in your lifting sessions or you're placing too much load on your body for your age/recovery abilities.

When you were 17 was 24 ago and I would hope that you're not lifting in the same manner/volume/frequency. I'm 36 and I've had to listen to my body and adjust accordingly many times in the last decade.

What are your goals and what does your "program" look like?

Every 6-8 weeks or so I consciously do a "deload week" where I do more of active recovery movements, not really lifting weights, letting my body get back to a fully recovered state.

[2nd_chance]

You're tired?? Don't work so hard. Take 12-15 minute breaks between sets and drink a protein shake before you go to your next exercise.

[PhDPepper1111]

Definitely every other week off is a bad idea. The older you get the sooner decline happens after stopping workouts. So as others have already said, going lighter, fewer workouts possibly, maybe even fewer high intensity days. Dr Mike with Rennaisance Periodization has some very good videos on youtube on load management.

[Cantplankwell]

FWIW My system is a hybrid of some oly lifting mixed with accessory work in the 3x-8-10 range...essentially full body..I train more like an amateur athlete........And I started much later in life at this...mid 40s

I would not suggest you go every other week either.

Me at 55 with a super busy life...stress is stress.....now I am finding out I have to roll my days now for awhile and go with how I feel. This means monday isn't always "squat day". My lifting "week" might actually take 8 or 9 days. So squat day might be Tuesday this week, and wednesday the next....if you get what I mean. I also have to be happy if I can add a kg here or there or an extra rep when I feel it, so slow going. Additionally I also deload every 3rd of these "weeks" I just pull back to 50 or 60% and cut out some reps.

Issues can crop up...a couple of nights of crappy sleep..for example and this last week or two I fighting some sort of tendonitis issue with my right arm, so I am skipping the accessories that directly affect it the most. Once winter reduces the amount of yardio around the house (and it calms down at work) I should have a good 3-4 months run of getting back to a more regular 7 day week lifting rotation. I take what I can get.

[Darkius]

I just wait until soreness is fully gone in that muscle group, and do active recovery while I wait. I don't yet have gains, but I don't feel tired either.

My issue is I get sore after every workout, sometimes very sore. But I just wait the soreness out.

[Kraken]

Mentzer used to do all kinds of weird stuff, experimenting with everything he could. He would push recovery periods and found that, with HIT and TUT methods he was finding recovery was upwards of 10 days.

Keep in mind that some of this was in his later years, was a heavy smoker, and any other "assistance" that he was on at the time, so take some of ths stuff with a grain of salt. Just something to think about. The average would likely put you in the 7 days range with volume adjustments.

[xTeTe]

Personally I would take every other week off.

How many days a week are you lifting ? Maybe take a day or two off between workouts if you are lifting daily.