Getbig.com: American Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure
Getbig Female Info Boards => Womens Physique, Bodybuilding, Wellness and Training => Topic started by: Butterbean on October 03, 2007, 10:29:12 AM
-
How often do you take a week off of training?
Rip, et al will you list pros and cons please! Thanks :)
-
How often do you take a week off of training?
Rip, et al will you list pros and cons please! Thanks :)
I am BAD, as I LOVE to train and hate to take time off. However, I usually take a week or so off sometime shortly following a competition. Any other time off (more than a few days) is usually not by choice. I struggle mentally with taking time off...I usually feel guilty and feel like I am getting fatter by the minute, but a week off really isn't enough to do damage like that unless it is accompanied with some serious bad eating.
+In general, it's good to give the body a rest and ample time to fully recover from any sort of training or strenuous exercise.
It helps to prevent over-use injuries.
+Taking a week off can help to prevent burnout and plateauing, mentally and physically.
+Taking a week off can be just enough time away from the gym to get you re-motivated to get back in there and train more intensely. You can use that time to re-evaluate your training goals and change up your training routine.
+Usually, you feel STRONG when you come back after a week off because your body is fully rested.
+Muscle grows most when it is recovering from training, not when it's training.
-Taking a week off can be hard mentally...you may start feeling fat and guilty and lazy like I do. :-[
-If you don't eat properly, your conditioning can suffer during time off, and you can compromise the muscle gains you may be making by giving your body the rest.
-Taking time off can make you extra sore for the first week or so when you get back into the gym, especially if you come back with motivation to train more intensely.
It is also important to continue to eat well during your recovery week in order to provide your body with what it needs to recover and grow.
:)
-
I used to take a week off every 8 weeks. I was following the training module from AST but that was a while ago.
I took 2 weeks off last year after competing and it was tough! I was ready to hit it again after 3 days but was instructed to stay away from the gym. Other than that, once my trainer kicked me out of the gym because I was getting over theflu and lost about 8 pounds (I'm a hard gainer)
pro's for taking off - everything RIP said
con's - everything RIP said
-
many eons ago when I was in high school my track coach's philosophy on taking off was "7 days makes one weak".
-
many eons ago when I was in high school my track coach's philosophy on taking off was "7 days makes one weak".
I used to always hear "for every week you take off, you will lose three weeks of fitness."
I never believed that one.
-
Thanks rip and az....the positive points make me feel better :)
-
Thanks rip and az....the positive points make me feel better :)
Did you take a week off? was it by choice?
If it was a week off to go to the Olympia, then you should be extra-inspired when you hit the gym again!
-
Did you take a week off? was it by choice?
If it was a week off to go to the Olympia, then you should be extra-inspired when you hit the gym again!
Yes I took a week off. I didn't work out at all at the O and haven't worked out since I got back. I have just been so lazy tired and so tell myself I was "overtraining." :)