Thinking about taking a month off.

[Humble Narcissist]

Switch to calisthenics for a month and you will feel refreshed.

[IroNat]

Nasser El Sonbaty used to recommend one full month off per year.

Ronnie would do 3-4 full months off each year after the Olympia, and start training again around the Arnold Classic.

Then there's Kevin Levrone, who took around 5.5 months off per year from gear...not sure about training, but I would assume training too.

Because they went off drugs.  No other reason.

Take a week off, see how you feel.  A month is a long time to not train if you enjoy training.

[Taffin]

Anyone ever take a month off? I never have but I’m contemplating doing just that to give my whole body a break and relax for a while. Thinking that my food poisoning or whatever is a good start to my month off cause I feel absolutely horrible.

Masturbation..?  Don't think I could manage it, if I'm being honest

[robcguns]

Masturbation..?  Don't think I could manage it, if I'm being honest

A month without that would be difficult but I will add that to the mix and give daily updates on not lifting and not masturbating for 28 days.

[Soul Crusher]

Anyone ever take a month off? I never have but I’m contemplating doing just that to give my whole body a break and relax for a while. Thinking that my food poisoning or whatever is a good start to my month off cause I feel absolutely horrible.

F that noise - Keep Hammering.  Stay in the Fight. 

[ProudVirgin69]

Sure, it’s not a big deal and will likely rejuvenate your enthusiasm for the iron again.

Take up yoga for the month

[Cook]

A month without that would be difficult but I will add that to the mix and give daily updates on not lifting and not masturbating for 28 days.

ok now you’re talking torture

[tatoo]

ill take 2 weeks every now and again...... or just lighten up the load in the gym.... if i feel really beat up..ill even up my calories

[Hypertrophy]

A month will have minimal effect on strength.  You'll feel a little rusty the first week back and then actually start ramping up to a higher strength than you had before. The endocrine system needs periodic breaks to recover.


https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279389609_The_Endocrine_System_in_Overtraining

[beakdoctor]

If I take off more than a week it does more harm than good.

It's as if my joints are totally fucked. The only thing holding them together is muscle. If I take more than a week or two off I really start to feel old as hell. It's as if the more the muscles relax the more stress my joints begin to feel.

[Taffin]

A month without that would be difficult but I will add that to the mix and give daily updates on not lifting and not masturbating for 28 days.

Yeah, I failed today already...

Twice..

[joswift]

had almost a year off, bounced back in 8 weeks

[pamith]

Tbh today I didn't train, slept all day and my left arm felt kinda sore, I guess i'm a bit overtrained

[Gym-Rat]

I tried a 4-day per week routine last week (week before) this week I already went back to 5-days.
Fucked w/ my head a bit. Huge mental-health boost from going hard in the gym in the AM before work.

Makes for a long/boring work day at home if I don't get out early and train 1st.

A month? Could never do it. A week?? Maybe, but I'm not going to try.
Am I insane?? Probably... 

[GymnJuice]

Tbh today I didn't train, slept all day and my left arm felt kinda sore, I guess i'm a bit overtrained

I admit it, I'm taking a break from movies for a while

Not training, not watching movies... are there feels bro?

[robcguns]

Switch to calisthenics for a month and you will feel refreshed.

This is what I will do maybe for good. I will alternate Bodyweight dips, ab stuff, calve raises one day with pull ups,chin ups,ab stuff and body weight squats another day. Prob on a m/w/f routine and cut the waking down to 1 hour a day and strict keto.

[Humble Narcissist]

This is what I will do maybe for good. I will alternate Bodyweight dips, ab stuff, calve raises one day with pull ups,chin ups,ab stuff and body weight squats another day. Prob on a m/w/f routine and cut the waking down to 1 hour a day and strict keto.

I've been doing cals only for months. Did 120 pushups straight yesterday. Will go back to lifting next month and mixing weights and cals. I have definitely lost muscle not lifting regularly since December. Cals become addictive.

[CalvinH]

Unless I'm sick or injured I can't take more then two weeks off.

[ThisisOverload]

A month will have minimal effect on strength.  You'll feel a little rusty the first week back and then actually start ramping up to a higher strength than you had before. The endocrine system needs periodic breaks to recover.


https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279389609_The_Endocrine_System_in_Overtraining

Yeah, the first week or two back in the gym you will feel weaker. But I've always made good gains by week 3-4 after a long break.

In fact, when i was struggling to make improvements for a while, I'd take two weeks off and come back stronger.

The hardcore beat yourself into the ground style of training is silly and terrible for you.

[King Shizzo]

Taking a month off? Try taking a month on first.

[beakdoctor]

Whatever style of training you do, whether it's crossfit or weight lifting, or bodyweight calisthenics, whether its heavy duty or volume or hit or whatever else.... you should enjoy it. If you're not enjoying it, if it becomes a chore or a burden then do something else. Every body needs a little motivation from time to time but when you're burnt out you got to know when to take a break.

Rob, aren't you traveling around alot? (Correct me if I'm wrong) but you also just lost a good buddy, you just had pretty bad food poisoning. Also-again correct me if I m wrong but didn't you have the rona a couple of times? Any of those things can ware you out all of them together can turn into a real grind. Sounds like you need a good rest. Eat what you want, sleep in, recharge your batteries.

My 2 cents fwiw.

[robcguns]

Whatever style of training you do, whether it's crossfit or weight lifting, or bodyweight calisthenics, whether its heavy duty or volume or hit or whatever else.... you should enjoy it. If you're not enjoying it, if it becomes a chore or a burden then do something else. Every body needs a little motivation from time to time but when you're burnt out you got to know when to take a break.

Rob, aren't you traveling around alot? (Correct me if I'm wrong) but you also just lost a good buddy, you just had pretty bad food poisoning. Also-again correct me if I m wrong but didn't you have the rona a couple of times? Any of those things can ware you out all of them together can turn into a real grind. Sounds like you need a good rest. Eat what you want, sleep in, recharge your batteries.

My 2 cents fwiw.

Yes beakdoctor you are correct on all those things. I really should just relax and rest but I feel like I have to keep moving. Partly anxiety induced I guess. But yes sleeping in and eating whatever sounds quite nice.

[IroNat]

Bhanky took a day off for the flu-rona and dropped 30 lbs and his neck went from 19" to 16".

You sir, are no Bhanky.

[Taffin]

Yes beakdoctor you are correct on all those things. I really should just relax and rest but I feel like I have to keep moving. Partly anxiety induced I guess. But yes sleeping in and eating whatever sounds quite nice.

That sounds like a good idea, but do me a favour and maybe just lay off the sausage for a while

Bhanky took a day off for the flu-rona and dropped 30 lbs and his neck went from 19" to 16".

You sir, are no Bhanky.

Who is though?  Not even bhanky

[wes]

Back in the day I planned on taking a week off......it turned into a 7 year drunken binge.