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.
