No weightlifting for 6 months... good idea?

[cephissus]

I've totally crashed.  I have no idea why.  Maybe from 8 years of abusive, bodybuilding style workouts?  I've tried everything over the last two or three years, but the workouts have only gotten worse and worse.  Every once in a while I'll have one halfway decent workout, and then another two weeks or a month of utter failure -- no pump, no muscle sensation at all, no soreness.  I no longer feel like I'm even exercising in the gym.  I can understand a lack of progress in terms of increasing lean mass or decreasing bodyfat -- that's to be expected. But when you set foot in the gym and walk out an hour later without even breaking a sweat or pumping any blood into the muscle, no matter how hard you try, and nothing to show for it but a creeping ache in your joints, what's the point?  I don't even feel healthy.

Last night i went for a jog, nothing serious, about 30 minutes at a nice, even pace.  It felt atrocious on my hip flexors (never had that problem before), and i just got the impression my body was broken and worn down.  But it did allow me to feel good about myself, a little bit.  It DID feel like i was exercising, like i was working to maintaining some semblance of health.

So, I got to thinking, should I just put down the weights for a while, and jog a little to satisfy my instinct for exercise?  I never wanted it to come to this, but I truly feel as if I've exhausted every other option short of loading up on hormones (which I'm not going to do).  I finally feel as if I've tried everything.  I've looked into form, posture, stretching, volume/intensity/exercise selection, different diets, mobility work, everything I can think of, and none of it seems to help.  The only remaining option I can see is to take time completely off, and seeing if my body heals on its own.

I'm a little scared to do this, because as miserable as I am now, I do at least have a decent physique, which I don't want to lose completely.  But as it is, I'm just grinding through three utterly sad and ineffective workouts a week, which don't even stimulate me.  I suppose at this point I think it's worth the risk to see if time off can help me; if it can't, then I'm just in for a slow, sad slide into shit-physique-ville anyway.

Does this sound like a good idea to anyone else?  Has anyone else had a similar experience at some point?

[tbombz]

you just need to change the way you train. as you said, its from years of abusive workouts. "stimulate, dont annihilate"-lee haney.  short, to the point, intense but not damaging workouts that stimulate the target muscle are all you need. stay out of the gym untill the muscle feels rested.

[cephissus]

doesn't work at this point.  i'm fully planning on training like that when i come back, but I can't even "stimulate" the muscle anymore, much less "annihilate."

it's like my muscles have just been switched to "off" and i can't do shit about it

[The Wizard of Truth]

U won't last a month
I had a crave for fitness over the years and took up jogging, for two wks
It will make ur hunger for the weight greater though so aim for two months, not six
And prepare to love the gym again pretty shortly

[tbombz]

fair enough. you dont need 6 months out of the gym though. remember it takes a couple weeks for your body to adapt to a new trainin method. you might feel like it wont work, but stick with it and youll see it does.


also, TESTOSTERONE.. get some

[Natural Man]

I've totally crashed.  I have no idea why.  Maybe from 8 years of abusive, bodybuilding style workouts?  I've tried everything over the last two or three years, but the workouts have only gotten worse and worse.  Every once in a while I'll have one halfway decent workout, and then another two weeks or a month of utter failure -- no pump, no muscle sensation at all, no soreness.  I no longer feel like I'm even exercising in the gym.  I can understand a lack of progress in terms of increasing lean mass or decreasing bodyfat -- that's to be expected. But when you set foot in the gym and walk out an hour later without even breaking a sweat or pumping any blood into the muscle, no matter how hard you try, and nothing to show for it but a creeping ache in your joints, what's the point?  I don't even feel healthy.

Last night i went for a jog, nothing serious, about 30 minutes at a nice, even pace.  It felt atrocious on my hip flexors (never had that problem before), and i just got the impression my body was broken and worn down.  But it did allow me to feel good about myself, a little bit.  It DID feel like i was exercising, like i was working to maintaining some semblance of health.

So, I got to thinking, should I just put down the weights for a while, and jog a little to satisfy my instinct for exercise?  I never wanted it to come to this, but I truly feel as if I've exhausted every other option short of loading up on hormones (which I'm not going to do).  I finally feel as if I've tried everything.  I've looked into form, posture, stretching, volume/intensity/exercise selection, different diets, mobility work, everything I can think of, and none of it seems to help.  The only remaining option I can see is to take time completely off, and seeing if my body heals on its own.

I'm a little scared to do this, because as miserable as I am now, I do at least have a decent physique, which I don't want to lose completely.  But as it is, I'm just grinding through three utterly sad and ineffective workouts a week, which don't even stimulate me.  I suppose at this point I think it's worth the risk to see if time off can help me; if it can't, then I'm just in for a slow, sad slide into shit-physique-ville anyway.

Does this sound like a good idea to anyone else?  Has anyone else had a similar experience at some point?

i trained for 9 years 5/6 hours a week (natural). Then i got a life (job, girl, moved etc) and i only train 2 to 3 hours a week and play outdoor sports two to three hours a week. I only train biceps, chest and abs, as it s the only thing my girl is interested in, and that most people respect. You can keep a good body if you trained for years and keep maintaining it with only two to three hours a week - if you dont ruin your nutrition though-.

It's normal to get bored of something as uterly vain as 'bodybuilding'. It means you grew up mentally. It's in fact abnormal when you dont get bored and are still obsessesive about it. No, there's no point caring about your muscles every minute of the day and making a fool of yourself in front of everyone constantly because you cant let the insecurities go. Also, no amount of training or/and drugs is going to solve anything that's psychological.
 You may have reached the limits of the stupid part of ''bodybuilding''. Now you re entering the healthy part.

[DK II]

fair enough. you dont need 6 months out of the gym though. remember it takes a couple weeks for your body to adapt to a new trainin method. you might feel like it wont work, but stick with it and youll see it does.


also, TESTOSTERONE.. get some

this.

[tbombz]

i trained for 9 years 5/6 hours a week (natural). Then i got a life (job, girl, moved etc) and i only train 2 to 3 hours a week and play outdoor sports two to three hours a week. I only train biceps, chest and abs, as it s the only thing my girl is interested in, and that most people respect. You can keep a good body if you trained for years and keep maintaining it with only two to three hours a week - if you dont ruin your nutrition though-.

It's normal to get bored of something as uterly vain as 'bodybuilding'. It means you grew up mentally. It's in fact abnormal when you dont get bored and are still obsessesive about it. No, there's no point caring about your muscles every minute of the day and making a fool of yourself in front of everyone constantly because you cant let the insecurities go. Also, no amount of training or/and drugs is going to solve anything that's psychological.
 You may have reached the limits of the stupid part of ''bodybuilding''. Now you re entering the healthy part.

once again, uberman is a fuckin moron and cant see past his own shit.

[DK II]

once again, uberman is a fuckin moron and cant see past his own shit.

Damn Tballz, i really like your posts today, you should only post when people dumber than you are online.

[Natural Man]

once again, uberman is a fuckin moron and cant see past his own shit.

-you re fat, gay, retarded mongoloid of a dad sexually assaulted you
-as a result you are gay
-you have a retarded mongoloid face
-you date fat, ugly black women black people dont want to fuck
-you have no education
-your last carreers; pool ''lifeguard''' and 'bouncer'
-you re exposing yourself on the internet because you re an attention whore



Shut the fuck up, please.

[cephissus]

this.

i'm curious, do you think this is really the problem?  do you think that, if i injected hormones, my muscles would come to life instead of remaining these cold, lifeless lumps?  i'm curious because i believe my problem is abnormal.  i don't think most people need injections just to feel basic pumps and be able to exert themselves on the same level they could three years ago (when i had pretty much just entered my 20s).  am i wrong about this?

thanks everyone for the advice so far.  i liked okami's post particularly.

[tbombz]

Damn Tballz, i really like your posts today, you should only post when people dumber than you are online.

thanks    

-you re fat, gay, retarded mongoloid of a dad sexually assaulted you
-as a result you are gay
-you have a retarded mongoloid face
-you date fat, ugly black women black people dont want to fuck
-you have no education
-your last carreers; pool ''lifeguard''' and 'bouncer'
-you re exposing yourself on the internet because you re an attention whore



Shut the fuck up, please.

post a picture of your face and if it is even comparable to mine ill quit getbig forever   btw, im bisexual cuz the society i grew up in didnt make man-on man sex a negative thing in my eyes, and i was heavily influenced by my mother and sister in my behavior and attitude, leading me to appreciate male qualities as a female does and only seeing positives associated with gay sex i came to desire it. your attempts of psychoanalysis are so futile and unsophisticated and that is why i always berate you. my girlfriend has big fat ass and a tiny little waist and the face of an african princess.   suck it

[Stavios]

great idea !!!

I'm tired so I'll take half a fucking year to relax ! 

[cephissus]

great idea !!!

I'm tired so I'll take half a fucking year to relax !  

 

it's not like that lol!

for years now i haven't even been ABLE to work out hard.  have you ever felt like that?  it's the most miserable thing in the world.  it doesn't matter how much i WANT to work out, it just isn't happening.  muscles won't turn on, joints hurt.  it's not a matter of willpower, i wish it was... because no one has more than me!

if it hadn't been for me believing, for a short while, in "rest weeks," i wouldn't have taken off more than two days since i first picked up a barbell, 8 years ago!

[DK II]

i'm curious, do you think this is really the problem?  do you think that, if i injected hormones, my muscles would come to life instead of remaining these cold, lifeless lumps?  i'm curious because i believe my problem is abnormal.  i don't think most people need injections just to feel basic pumps and be able to exert themselves on the same level they could three years ago (when i had pretty much just entered my 20s).  am i wrong about this?

thanks everyone for the advice so far.  i liked okami's post particularly.

I had the same myself, no progress, tired all the time and so on...

Hormones changed that pretty fast, lol.

[MP]

Eat lots of carbs for a few weeks. You'll be ready to tear it up again.

How old are you?

[cephissus]

Eat lots of carbs for a few weeks. You'll be ready to tear it up again.

How old are you?

24.  trust me, it won't work.  i was up to 7000 calories a day (thanks dante ) back when i first started posting here.  same exact feeling.

[Stavios]

it's not like that lol!

for years now i haven't even been ABLE to work out hard.  have you ever felt like that?  it's the most miserable thing in the world.  it doesn't matter how much i WANT to work out, it just isn't happening.  muscles won't turn on, joints hurt.  it's not a matter of willpower, i wish it was... because no one has more than me!

if it hadn't been for me believing, for a short while, in "rest weeks," i wouldn't have taken off more than two days since i first picked up a barbell, 8 years ago!

few cc of testosterone, few cc of deca, tiny bit of HGH

2 weeks off, 3 days a week in the gym for the next 2 weeks and then you are good to go for a few months



Stavios approved

[cephissus]

I had the same myself, no progress, tired all the time and so on...

Hormones changed that pretty fast, lol.

The thing is, im not tired!  I WANT to lift.  It's just that my workouts are so pathetic I walk out of the gym and feel like i may as well just have spent an hour playing videogames.

i guess i could explain it as a car analogy, where being tired is equivalent to having an empty gas tank.  i think the tank is still full, it's just like the gas pedal is disengaged, so no matter how hard i press down nothing happens.

[MP]

24? 24?

On one hand, I want to smack you in the head and say suck it up. You have no clue what being worn down feels like until you're into your 30s and 40s when you mix in career, wife and kids with gym time.

On the other hand, I want to say go ahead and take a break and go do other things. Come back rested with new perspective.

My vote is for #2. Take a break. If it ain't working. It ain't working.

[Stavios]

24? 24?

On one hand, I want to smack you in the head and say suck it up. You have no clue what being worn down feels like until you're into your 30s and 40s when you mix in career, wife and kids with gym time.
On the other hand, I want to say go ahead and take a break and go do other things. Come back rested with new perspective.

My vote is for #2. Take a break. If it ain't working. It ain't working.

 

[garebear]

Why six months? That seems like an especially long time.

I would be climbing the walls after a week, myself.

You should run a couple of miles three times per week and quit lifting weights for a month (tops).  As long as you're keeping the fat off it's not like your muscle is just going to instantly go away.

Just see how you feel after that month.

I've always noticed that when I take a week or so off and come back to the gym, I get great workouts. Also, I am a lot more sore and it just feels like when I first started.

Good luck.

[cephissus]

Why six months? That seems like an especially long time.

I would be climbing the walls after a week, myself.

You should run a couple of miles three times per week and quit lifting weights for a month (tops).  As long as you're keeping the fat off it's not like your muscle is just going to instantly go away.

Just see how you feel after that month.

I've always noticed that when I take a week or so off and come back to the gym, I get great workouts. Also, I am a lot more sore and it just feels like when I first started.

Good luck.

I've taken as much as three weeks off before, where all i did was 20 mins of jump roping each day.  Came back and absolutely zero improvement.  I think, if I can ever get out of this slump, it's going to have to be a significant break.  I was originally thinking three months, but anyway you're right -- the number is sort of arbitrary, and i'll be assessing how i feel as i go along.  i hope it won't be too hard to stay out of the gym.  jogging should help with that.

[Rami]

I've taken as much as three weeks off before, where all i did was 20 mins of jump roping each day.  Came back and absolutely zero improvement.  I think, if I can ever get out of this slump, it's going to have to be a significant break.  I was originally thinking three months, but anyway you're right -- the number is sort of arbitrary, and i'll be assessing how i feel as i go along.  i hope it won't be too hard to stay out of the gym.  jogging should help with that.

change your diet and give your body a break from high protein and let trainings only be real short and sporadically. You will feel as your body come back to where it should be and you will feel when you can increase training again.

[pluck]

Whenever I'm in a rut at the gym I take a few weeks off training and eating protein all the time then go back at it.

6 months seems like too long to take off anything.

Take off 4 to 6 weeks. Eat shitty and enjoy yourself. After that hit it again with a new attitude.

Asses your goals and try new routines ...start a new workout style. Doesn't have to be only weights. Focus more on cardio or whatever that will make you see more progress.

I've been lifting for the past 10 years and now I'm at the point where going heavy and my previous splits and aren't good anymore. I do a lot more functional cardio like running and boxing. Doing a lot more super sets and giant sets where I'm gassed after most of them.