Time off lifting weights

[Arnies_Peak]

Hi,
I was in a car accident recently and suffered whiplash, nothing too severe. The doctor told me to take a couple of weeks off weight training to allow my back / shoulder to heal but said cardio, such as treadmill, was fine.

Can anyone please recommend to me what they would do in this situation, I know its only a couple of weeks but Im sure most folks here appreciate that the gym comprises a large part of my daily schedule!

Is it worth upping the cardio to get bf% down or will that cause me to lose muscle over this period?
How about diet? Reduce when not lifting?

Thanks for the advice.

[dyslexic]

Just take the time off. It can't hurt you any worse than what you are already hurtin'

After the rest and recovery, get back to it.


BTW, Cardio sux. 

[Arnies_Peak]

OK,thanks Ill just take a break.
Keep eating same number of calories or drop it?
..and yes, cardio does indeed suck!

[Permabulker]

What does he know???  Hes only a Doctor???!   

Just take the time off.  It will suck mentally but think of how motivated you will be upon returning!

[iron_dawg]

take the time off you could do more damage and be out even longer

[Emmortal]

Take the time off bro, nothing like going back to the gym after an injury just to make it worse.

[Arnies_Peak]

Thanks for the advice, I'll take 1 - 2 weeks off lifting.

Obviously this is a forced hiatus I will have to take from wieghts but if someone is injury free all year round, how often would you recommend they take breaks within one year and how long should each one be?

[Zach Trowbridge]

I had to take a little over a week off from training after a car accident in September, and then had to cut my weights down for about the first month on all of my leg and back exercises.  I still get a bit achy in my neck after heavier workouts, so I'm getting 2-3x/week chiro adjustments.  Was it your fault or someone else's?

[D-bol]

Thanks for the advice, I'll take 1 - 2 weeks off lifting.

Obviously this is a forced hiatus I will have to take from wieghts but if someone is injury free all year round, how often would you recommend they take breaks within one year and how long should each one be?

i train 9 months and 3 months off (three months on, one off)
can't train continuously - need to recharge batteries
imo its a common phobia that you should not take time off - its an illusion that will lead to overtraining and exhaustion

[Soundness]

Hi,
I was in a car accident recently and suffered whiplash, nothing too severe. The doctor told me to take a couple of weeks off weight training to allow my back / shoulder to heal but said cardio, such as treadmill, was fine.

Can anyone please recommend to me what they would do in this situation, I know its only a couple of weeks but Im sure most folks here appreciate that the gym comprises a large part of my daily schedule!

Is it worth upping the cardio to get bf% down or will that cause me to lose muscle over this period?
How about diet? Reduce when not lifting?

Thanks for the advice.

Were you training to failure? If so, after you rest the entire couple of weeks, you may be surprised:
You will likely be stronger than you were before you took the time off.

[Arnies_Peak]

Zach Trowbridge -
Unfortunately it was my fault - driving too fast on wet roads and went into the back of a van. I managed to slow down but my friend who studies medicine told me whiplash is actually worse when you have time to prepare for an impact.
I've taken a week and a half off and am now slowly moving back into my routine, minus back and shoulders for the moment. Still have a bit of pain in my neck so will try and take it easy but its difficult when you are used to a gym mentality that laziness and lack of commitment are to be combatted.

D-bol -
I agree that time off is neccesary, from what I've heard not only the muslces but also the central nervous system needs a break, however I would struggle to stay away from the gym for a month - I just get bored.

Soundness -
I train alone, so training to failure can be risky on, for example, bench press but what I usually do is to aim for 8 reps a set and then end up doing 5-6 on my 4th or 5th set.
I've heard your gains can substantially increase after a break before, so fingers crossed.

Thanks for th info / tips guys.