No weightlifting for 6 months... good idea?

[Meso_z]

Open Google, search for "over training". Forget these stupid assholes, they are just children, you can't get good advice from these idiots. Long rest is best cure for this, but searching information helps you decide what more you can do.

When I hit the same wall, it take whole year to get back in to business, meaning the point where I was before the crash. You must take it easy, no hurry and you will be good. You will feel when you are ready to go back to gym, and meanwhile you have good time to think your training all over again. I was doing four split with heavy duty type- training without any light weeks, and it put me on my knees. While resting, I study other ways to do it, and I find out that with three split I can go as heavy as I want to week by week without any problems. Four years training before the crash +10 after it tells me that I find right answer for me. Another point is that earlier I was going straight by the program, when I start over I concentrate for the body part, and choose exercises in the moment. I don't really plan my training, I play by the ear, I am feeling good and my PB's are steadily rising.  

very good post..

[BOUNCER DAVE]

.  i was up to 7000 calories a day (thanks dante ) .

why ? did he do your diet or training ?
I doubt he would have put you on that , and you do not sound like someone he will encourage to train his way.

[TrueGrit]

which direction is that?  steroids?  is this why everyone jumps on?  i mean, i would have been satisfied with where i was at, if only my workouts didn't completely suck and make me feel like shit, instead of healthy and lively like they used to.

No, I didn't mean steroids at all. I meant overtraining/burn-out.

[King Shizzo]

why ? did he do your diet or training ?
I doubt he would have put you on that , and you do not sound like someone he will encourage to train his way.

Hi Dante

[Tito24]

[The Grim Lifter]

I took 3 weeks off a few months ago and after a few weeks coming back i was about 2 pounds heavier and leaner. Needed the rest bad to recover.

I started training heavy and was getting stronger than ever but felt very tired a lot. So i doubled my sets (normally 1 per exercise) and trained at 65-70% of the weights i was doing, nice and controlled reps, and since then i look bigger at the same weight, more blood in the muscle? Don't feel as tired either.

I have done this before it doesn't seem to work forever but it showed me i need to change things around often.

I wouldn't take 6 months. I think if you are smashed take 1 month. Even very overtrained i have found i am right after 3 weeks. 6 months is a bit long.

[The Grim Lifter]

Open Google, search for "over training". Forget these stupid assholes, they are just children, you can't get good advice from these idiots. Long rest is best cure for this, but searching information helps you decide what more you can do.

When I hit the same wall, it take whole year to get back in to business, meaning the point where I was before the crash. You must take it easy, no hurry and you will be good. You will feel when you are ready to go back to gym, and meanwhile you have good time to think your training all over again. I was doing four split with heavy duty type- training without any light weeks, and it put me on my knees. While resting, I study other ways to do it, and I find out that with three split I can go as heavy as I want to week by week without any problems. Four years training before the crash +10 after it tells me that I find right answer for me. Another point is that earlier I was going straight by the program, when I start over I concentrate for the body part, and choose exercises in the moment. I don't really plan my training, I play by the ear, I am feeling good and my PB's are steadily rising.  

Very good points, i find even training lighter you will still overtrain the nervous system. You still need light weeks, i always found 6 on, 1.5 off and i felt myself recovering in that time off until i was ready to go again.

You can always go as heavy as you can, even after 6 weeks. But you feel like garbage and the lifts start to suffer. The time off shouldn't be a worry, you can just start where you left off. I find this far better than training heavy every week as the system will give out.

Also, i prefer 1 set to failure HIT but found i had to do other things. I couldn't just keep going heavy all the time. I could never do this when i had only trained 2-3 years, but i can feel lighter weights so well now so i train like that at times. It doesn't change how strong you are even if you dropped a little it would come back very quickly.

[Meso_z]

I took 3 weeks off a few months ago and after a few weeks coming back i was about 2 pounds heavier and leaner. Needed the rest bad to recover.

I started training heavy and was getting stronger than ever but felt very tired a lot. So i doubled my sets (normally 1 per exercise) and trained at 65-70% of the weights i was doing, nice and controlled reps, and since then i look bigger at the same weight, more blood in the muscle? Don't feel as tired either.

I have done this before it doesn't seem to work forever but it showed me i need to change things around often.

I wouldn't take 6 months. I think if you are smashed take 1 month. Even very overtrained i have found i am right after 3 weeks. 6 months is a bit long.

Did you upped your cals to recover or cut them back a bit in order not to get fat from the lay off?

[The Grim Lifter]

Did you upped your cals to recover or cut them back a bit in order not to get fat from the lay off?

I still eat at least 5 meals a day but i now just eat when hungry. I don't stress about it, actually some days i've only eaten 4 meals of very few calories, then for 2 days i might eat 3 clean meals and 2 junk meals on those days.

But, i do find when i get overtrained my metabolism can slow down until i rest a bit. When i took those 3 weeks off it was still running fast and i didn't really change how i ate, maybe a little less junk needed towards the end of the rest as i was pretty much recovered. But before the rest i was very lean at around 199 pounds and after i trained a few weeks i was not going below 201 and being leaner. When i wake up weighing 201 i am usually very hungry and the 2nd meal that day will be with more junk food.

I used to plan what i ate each meal but fuck it. If i'm full i'm full. If i go 5 hours between meals because i'm not hungry so be it and if i eat a meal and i'm hungry 2 hours later then i'll eat. I just make sure i have enough food with me.

[The True Adonis]

All the advice on this thread has been mediocre at best. (At least in my opinion).


You don`t need to take anytime off.  What you NEED to do is take a look at yourself and diet down.  You stated earlier that you were on the Dante 7000 calorie Delusion diet a few years back.  I take it if you have not dieted down since those days, you are most likely a bit obese. This needs to change and you need to set a goal to become very lean.

Once you set this goal and stick to it seeing the inevitable results, you won`t feel the stagnation that you currently are experiencing.

All you need to do is eat around 2000 calories or so each day and every 10 or so days take a day where you eat whatever number of calories you feel like.  Keep your lifting up as well.

Problem solved.

[Meso_z]

"Dante 7000 calorie Delusion diet" rofl

[Ropo]

Did you upped your cals to recover or cut them back a bit in order not to get fat from the lay off?

I don't eat cals, I eat food, I love food, give me more food...

[Ropo]

All the advice on this thread has been mediocre at best. (At least in my opinion).


You don`t need to take anytime off.  What you NEED to do is take a look at yourself and diet down.  You stated earlier that you were on the Dante 7000 calorie Delusion diet a few years back.  I take it if you have not dieted down since those days, you are most likely a bit obese. This needs to change and you need to set a goal to become very lean.

Once you set this goal and stick to it seeing the inevitable results, you won`t feel the stagnation that you currently are experiencing.

All you need to do is eat around 2000 calories or so each day and every 10 or so days take a day where you eat whatever number of calories you feel like.  Keep your lifting up as well.

Problem solved.

Medicore at the best?? This is quite familiar, wait a minute...what was that...YOU. IT FITS YOU PERFECTLY!

[mitchyboy]

Man, burnout at 24??? That has to totally suck. I'm 10 years older and am in better shape now then when i was 24.
Look at your life and see what needs changing.

To much drinking?
Not enough sleep?
Could you possibly be sick, anemic, diabetic?
Depression could be a real problem here, but I'm just speculating.

2 weeks off should get the job done, especially at 24. If not something else is the culprit.

While i do agree test would make you feel much better, that's a slippery slope my friend.
At 24, that still kills me ha ha, you should NOT be feeling this way.

[Ropo]

Man, burnout at 24??? That has to totally suck. I'm 10 years older and am in better shape now then when i was 24.
Look at your life and see what needs changing.

To much drinking?
Not enough sleep?
Could you possibly be sick, anemic, diabetic?
Depression could be a real problem here, but I'm just speculating.

2 weeks off should get the job done, especially at 24. If not something else is the culprit.

While i do agree test would make you feel much better, that's a slippery slope my friend.
At 24, that still kills me ha ha, you should NOT be feeling this way.

Overtraining isn't same as burn out. Lear how to Google, use it , learn.

[mitchyboy]

I will learn google when you learn english

[Dr Dutch]

I will learn google when you learn english

I warn you upfront: leave musclecenter out of this...

[Natural Man]

why did you start lifting weights int he firstplace? Maybe this reason has no meaning anymore. Then you have to find another meaning.

I agree with chaos saying you should stop "bodbyuild", and "lift weights" instead.

We all started thinking we would become the biggest baddest tough guys on earth and that every of our problems would solve themselves magically, and all ended figuring life was a lot more complicated than that.

[affeman]

why did you start lifting weights int he firstplace? Maybe this reason has no meaning anymore. Then you have to find another meaning.

I agree with chaos saying you should stop "bodbyuild", and "lift weights" instead.

We all started thinking we would become the biggest baddest tough guys on earth and that every of our problems would solve themselves magically, and all ended figuring life was a lot more complicated than that.

Quality post. Should be written at the wall of every gym.

[The True Adonis]

why did you start lifting weights int he firstplace? Maybe this reason has no meaning anymore. Then you have to find another meaning.

I agree with chaos saying you should stop "bodbyuild", and "lift weights" instead.

We all started thinking we would become the biggest baddest tough guys on earth and that every of our problems would solve themselves magically, and all ended figuring life was a lot more complicated than that.

I am quite confident that you look horrible.

[Marty Champions]

Quality post. Should be written at the wall of every gym.

yes 4 the lul

[el numero uno]

Take a month off, quit "bodybuilding" and start lifting weights.

This is the best advice so far. Don't worry about the rules that tells you you need to rest "x" between sets, or you have to do at least "x" sets per body part or whatever. Just go and do as you feel, ENJOY your workout. But take a month or a few weeks off.

So, Quit the bodybuilding style workouts and enjoy the fucking workout!!!!!!!!