Do you have a rest week?

tulips_and_tea

If you are having aches and pains or injuries, then yes, sometimes it's necessary to take some time off.

Otherwise, I have to stay active. It helps my mind probably more than my body. Because of this I'm purposely careful to NOT over do it and risk injury because I'd go crazy (and drive everyone else around me crazy) if I couldn't work out and get to the gym.

Gisel2015

I have taken up to 5 weeks off while on vacation; and by off/rest I mean no gym or fitness classes. I just do a lot of walking, do some body weight exercises, and watch and control my eating habits. I go very hard at the gym before my planned vacation regardless of how many days or week I will be taking off, so when I go on vacation my body and joints need and welcome the rest.

When I came back, I get rapidly in the zone and sometimes I even enjoy some "small" newbie gains.

CasperNaegle

We just took our first week off in 6 months.

PiperGirl08

I take off the end of the of year due to weather and the holidays and just for a physical recovery period, but otherwise, no. I read an article -- I think it was in Outside -- just recently that spoke this topic and it provided some really good data as to why taking time off is a bad idea, and if I recall, it said something to the effect that you start to see setbacks after something like three days, including muscle atrophy. So, I will take recovery days, but no real avoidable time off.

mommazach

I have a rest day. Once a week, only because I can't fit in a good workout around my Wednesday Schedule. I do change up my routine if I have some time off for vacation. I still want to get my steps in, and will generally find some way to get rid of the normal calories I intake.

Gisel2015

PiperGirl08 wrote: »

I take off the end of the of year due to weather and the holidays and just for a physical recovery period, but otherwise, no. I read an article -- I think it was in Outside -- just recently that spoke this topic and it provided some really good data as to why taking time off is a bad idea, and if I recall, it said something to the effect that you start to see setbacks after something like three days, including muscle atrophy. So, I will take recovery days, but no real avoidable time off.

We may lose strength by taking a long time off but muscle atrophy will only happen if we don't work our body or a body part, at all (aka being in a hospital bed) or by being very sick. As long as we keep moving and eating protein I doubt that our muscles will reach atrophy.

Muscle atrophy is when muscles waste away. The main reason for muscle wasting is a lack of physical activity. This can happen when a disease or injury makes it difficult or impossible for you to move an arm or leg

SingingSingleTracker

PiperGirl08 wrote: »

I take off the end of the of year due to weather and the holidays and just for a physical recovery period, but otherwise, no. I read an article -- I think it was in Outside -- just recently that spoke this topic and it provided some really good data as to why taking time off is a bad idea, and if I recall, it said something to the effect that you start to see setbacks after something like three days, including muscle atrophy. So, I will take recovery days, but no real avoidable time off.

Probably best to define what exactly is a "rest week". Sounds like the article in Outside was about actually taking "time off". A traditional "rest week" in the exercise world is not taking "time off" at all. It's using active recovery, shorter durations/volume, and if HIIT is involved - doing much less of it. That's a "rest week". Some coaches with structured training use the 5 day "rest week", some use "6 or 7" - but none of them advocate taking "time off".

It's a week for the body to be able to enter supercompensation and build itself back up to a peak that was higher than you were in before. Once that is accomplished, you launch into the next block of training in a much "stronger, bigger, faster" condition to tear it all down again.

Wash, rinse, repeat with the training effect.

PiperGirl08

Gisel2015 wrote: »

PiperGirl08 wrote: »

I take off the end of the of year due to weather and the holidays and just for a physical recovery period, but otherwise, no. I read an article -- I think it was in Outside -- just recently that spoke this topic and it provided some really good data as to why taking time off is a bad idea, and if I recall, it said something to the effect that you start to see setbacks after something like three days, including muscle atrophy. So, I will take recovery days, but no real avoidable time off.

We may lose strength by taking a long time off but muscle atrophy will only happen if we don't work our body or a body part, at all (aka being in a hospital bed) or by being very sick. As long as we keep moving and eating protein I doubt that our muscles will reach atrophy.

Muscle atrophy is when muscles waste away. The main reason for muscle wasting is a lack of physical activity. This can happen when a disease or injury makes it difficult or impossible for you to move an arm or leg

"After three to four weeks off, your muscles will start to atrophy." (Source: http://www.outsideonline.com/2065496/your-body-sports#article-2065496) Aren't references a beautiful thing, especially when, 'ya know, cited? ;-)

PiperGirl08

SingingSingleTracker wrote: »

PiperGirl08 wrote: »

I take off the end of the of year due to weather and the holidays and just for a physical recovery period, but otherwise, no. I read an article -- I think it was in Outside -- just recently that spoke this topic and it provided some really good data as to why taking time off is a bad idea, and if I recall, it said something to the effect that you start to see setbacks after something like three days, including muscle atrophy. So, I will take recovery days, but no real avoidable time off.

Probably best to define what exactly is a "rest week". Sounds like the article in Outside was about actually taking "time off". A traditional "rest week" in the exercise world is not taking "time off" at all. It's using active recovery, shorter durations/volume, and if HIIT is involved - doing much less of it. That's a "rest week". Some coaches with structured training use the 5 day "rest week", some use "6 or 7" - but none of them advocate taking "time off".

It's a week for the body to be able to enter supercompensation and build itself back up to a peak that was higher than you were in before. Once that is accomplished, you launch into the next block of training in a much "stronger, bigger, faster" condition to tear it all down again.

Wash, rinse, repeat with the training effect.

Ah, the exercise world. In the sports competition world from which I hail, a rest week is one in which you don't do your sport for that period of time, allowing overused (or injured) muscles time to recover. They typically follow endurance events or periods of very intense training. But work in other disciplines that utlized other than the primary muscle groups is advised.

So "yes," a definition would be most helpful.

ROBOTFOOD

No. Maybe 1x/wk off of running.