Taking a training bye-week. Who else?

giantrobot_powerlifting
giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Cripes, I have to to this. I have not taken a solid dedicated week off in a year or more and I really need my body to rest and heal up coming off this last meet over the weekend. Actually, I am taking two weeks off before gearing up for my next planned meet January 16th. I seriously feel the need to get on program again, but know better.

Doesn't help.

Who else?

Replies

  • armylife
    armylife Posts: 196 Member
    I took a month this summer. It was good. I had a little twinge in my shoulder during the press. I did two to three recovery runs a week during that time, tons of prehab/rehab work, and some body weight workouts. I came back stronger so I feel like it was good. Enjoy
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    armylife wrote: »
    I took a month this summer. It was good. I had a little twinge in my shoulder during the press. I did two to three recovery runs a week during that time, tons of prehab/rehab work, and some body weight workouts. I came back stronger so I feel like it was good. Enjoy
    Pretty much my plans too, except the running, still trying to recover from an achilles sprain.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    Oh my word! I can't wait for my week off. Dec24-jan1 rest and recover.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    All the time. I used to go long periods without any breaks but now I just follow 5/3/1 and take every 4th/7th week off. My gains have been much better since doing this.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    All the time. I used to go long periods without any breaks but now I just follow 5/3/1 and take every 4th/7th week off. My gains have been much better since doing this.

    Same here. Certainly does help.

    Most of the competitors over at iron-sanctuary take the week off after their comps....course they're also squatting and deadlifting anywhere from 550 to 600lbs....that takes a toll.

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Do this. You owe it to your body. You'll be glad!
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited October 2015
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    All the time. I used to go long periods without any breaks but now I just follow 5/3/1 and take every 4th/7th week off. My gains have been much better since doing this.

    Yep, I'm am now "forced" to take the 4th week deload now. (For this cycle I'm doing the 3/5/1 configuration.) I'm 44 and I can't just push it like I did the year before, or the last training cycle which damn near killed me, not really.

    Speaking of training cycle, got my next 11 weeks planned this morning up until my next meet.
    arditarose wrote: »
    Do this. You owe it to your body. You'll be glad!

    Yeah I know. I didn't have a full month to throttle down before last weekends meet (3 weeks this time), but the less work has helped me recover quite a bit and making some changes in my office where I sit all day.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I do 5/3/1 and take the 7th week for deload. I'm still lifting but at a much lower intensity. I normally take it down to two days that week (one day squat/bench, one day DL/press) because the workouts are so short.

    I used a trainer last year who mostly worked with people age 40 and up. He said he liked 9/9 cycles where his clients trained 9 weeks and then took 9 days (a week bookended with weekends) off.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    I take off every time I travel. I last traveled end of September, I'm about to travel again beginning of November. So, it'll basically be 6 weeks between breaks.

    If I didn't have travel I'd probably take a deload week and just go easy.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    I don't schedule out off weeks, they just happen.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited October 2015
    Iron_Miss_Canada wrote: »
    Oh my word! I can't wait for my week off. Dec24-jan1 rest and recover.
    I know how you feel because during my last off-season I kept saying to myself during some of the more grueling morning sessions: "I can't wait for my off-weeks!"

    Still though...
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    My weeks off were rarely scheduled, but they were needed when they did happen. I took a few months off this summer. It was hard getting back into it after that. I needed the time off though.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    My weeks off were rarely scheduled, but they were needed when they did happen. I took a few months off this summer. It was hard getting back into it after that. I needed the time off though.
    I try to remind myself its as much mental time off as physical time off.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    nakedraygun wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    My weeks off were rarely scheduled, but they were needed when they did happen. I took a few months off this summer. It was hard getting back into it after that. I needed the time off though.
    I try to remind myself its as much mental time off as physical time off.

    Yes! Time off is good mentally and physically.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    nakedraygun wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    My weeks off were rarely scheduled, but they were needed when they did happen. I took a few months off this summer. It was hard getting back into it after that. I needed the time off though.
    I try to remind myself its as much mental time off as physical time off.

    Yes! Time off is good mentally and physically.

    I think I speak for many others when I state this (including myself), its good to have you back.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    nakedraygun wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    nakedraygun wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    My weeks off were rarely scheduled, but they were needed when they did happen. I took a few months off this summer. It was hard getting back into it after that. I needed the time off though.
    I try to remind myself its as much mental time off as physical time off.

    Yes! Time off is good mentally and physically.

    I think I speak for many others when I state this (including myself), its good to have you back.

    <3 Thank you! It's nice being back mentally and physically. That was a very rough patch.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    nakedraygun wrote: »
    Iron_Miss_Canada wrote: »
    Oh my word! I can't wait for my week off. Dec24-jan1 rest and recover.
    I know how you feel because during my last off-season I kept saying to myself during some of the more grueling morning sessions: "I can't wait for my off-weeks!"

    Still though...

    I haven't had a deload week since the second week of July ... currently overreached and massively cranky because of it. About to beg to start my peaking for my next meet on Thursday or Friday just so I can have a major drop in volume. At least I know my week off is going to happen because the gym is going to be closed. And I get a deload recovery week and then two weeks of some cycle before the week off.

    The only thing keeping me going is the fact that 8 of my teammates are in the exact same boat and just as cranky.

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