When should I take a rest week (esp from strength training)?
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Because the 'break' of any type is only intended for a week or two at most, you don't have to change ANY numbers. TDEE stays the same as it would if you weren't taking a break. It's only when we change up our exercise level for an extended period of time ((like a month or longer) that we need to recalculate.
So that would imply if I started including an extra 2-3 hrs of exercise a week, perhaps training for something, I shouldn't need to increase the TDEE estimate and new deficit unless I plan on doing it for longer than a month?
You're kidding, right?
No, I'm thinking if the logic somehow applies one direction, it should apply the other direction too. I don't believe that logic though, either direction.
I think if you take a break from exercise, eat at your now non-exercise TDEE for that week, you have the same range between BMR and eating level, your body sees the same difference and same benefit, just getting a rest from exercise is mighty beneficial. But surplus calories is still surplus, and will be stored as such.
If you are not using up glucose stores for anything beyond daily activity, it won't take much to refill them, and now the excess carbs is going to be stored as - fat.
If there is no muscle repair going on because you are not tearing them up, the extra protein isn't going to be used for any rebuilding and is surplus, it'll be converted to glucose and stored as - fat.
If your daily activity is less and less calorie burn, than extra fatty acids floating around looking to be used somewhere will be seen as surplus and stored as - fat.
Sure, maybe your exercise only created a daily deficit of 250 on avg, but 2 week break is a lb of fat. Why, if body is getting energy and nutrients it needs.
If you are having trouble believing in the BMR rule, then I'd say that all of this is a moot point to you and irrelevant to your food and exercise practices.
However, for those that do practice BMR and TDEE, the usual break time is 1 week although some may need a little longer for various reasons. Second, an exercise break only has you eating at TDEE Cut, not tdee, but even if you are taking a diet AND exercise break (so eating at tdee), repair and building of muscle happens during REST. Considering that one week of eating at tdee and no exercise can actually assist the body in repairing and BUILDING muscle and repairing any other damage done from exercising by providing extra nutrients and allowing the body to be in a short time surplus if it isn't actually using up the cals to REPAIR (thus relieving it of the stress of a deficit), I'd say it's a good idea to maintain normal tdee values during an exercise break and the same for a diet & exercise break.
Often people have noticed a drop in weight after an exercise break (and even some during an exercise and diet break although I believe the norm is to maintain). Of course, if a person chose to take a diet and exercise break and eat at the tdee intended for said exercise for an extended time, then they would certainly gain weight.
Of course, you can choose to do as you wish...we all have to decide for ourselves what we believe.
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Thanks, Nicole!0
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However, for those that do practice BMR and TDEE, the usual break time is 1 week although some may need a little longer for various reasons. Second, an exercise break only has you eating at TDEE Cut, not tdee, but even if you are taking a diet AND exercise break (so eating at tdee), repair and building of muscle happens during REST. Considering that one week of eating at tdee and no exercise can actually assist the body in repairing and BUILDING muscle and repairing any other damage done from exercising by providing extra nutrients and allowing the body to be in a short time surplus if it isn't actually using up the cals to REPAIR (thus relieving it of the stress of a deficit), I'd say it's a good idea to maintain normal tdee values during an exercise break and the same for a diet & exercise break.
Often people have noticed a drop in weight after an exercise break (and even some during an exercise and diet break although I believe the norm is to maintain). Of course, if a person chose to take a diet and exercise break and eat at the tdee intended for said exercise for an extended time, then they would certainly gain weight.
You think that a week after you have done some weight lifting, your body is still making repairs to muscle?
Such that eating extra a week later will have some benefit?
The rest better be immediately, not a week later. Only during the time you are sore because of micro-tears is actual repair going on, that's the reason for the water retention, which drops after 2 or 3 days, whether it repaired or not, body is done.
Are you aware you can short circuit that whole repair process in ONE day, by doing something too intense to the same muscle the next day, because the body is making the repairs immediately - not a week later.
That would be one interesting study, workout a week, eat more the next week and don't workout that week. A quick search turned up nothing along those lines.
I'll agree you can see a drop in weight with an exercise break. I saw my biggest weight losses during the every 6th week break while eating correctly for new activity level. Metabolism was still somewhat pegged up a bit.
But if muscle was actually making repair and getting bigger, you would have exactly the opposite of weight loss, weight gain. Considering the pro's may get a lb a month of gain eating at surplus and lifting heavy the whole time - there is no muscle gain during that time.
But I'm not fooling myself on that weight loss either, just as there is a proper method to carbo load for endurance cardio events, you stop doing a few days of cardio and the body doesn't see any need to store away extra glucose with attached water. That is most of that weight loss.
As soon as routine is picked up again - usually stronger after the rest, the endurance part is weaker even if the power part is stronger. Takes a bit to pack away the extra glucose.0 -
Because the 'break' of any type is only intended for a week or two at most, you don't have to change ANY numbers. TDEE stays the same as it would if you weren't taking a break. It's only when we change up our exercise level for an extended period of time ((like a month or longer) that we need to recalculate.
So that would imply if I started including an extra 2-3 hrs of exercise a week, perhaps training for something, I shouldn't need to increase the TDEE estimate and new deficit unless I plan on doing it for longer than a month?
You're kidding, right?
No, I'm thinking if the logic somehow applies one direction, it should apply the other direction too. I don't believe that logic though, either direction.
I think if you take a break from exercise, eat at your now non-exercise TDEE for that week, you have the same range between BMR and eating level, your body sees the same difference and same benefit, just getting a rest from exercise is mighty beneficial. But surplus calories is still surplus, and will be stored as such.
If you are not using up glucose stores for anything beyond daily activity, it won't take much to refill them, and now the excess carbs is going to be stored as - fat.
If there is no muscle repair going on because you are not tearing them up, the extra protein isn't going to be used for any rebuilding and is surplus, it'll be converted to glucose and stored as - fat.
If your daily activity is less and less calorie burn, than extra fatty acids floating around looking to be used somewhere will be seen as surplus and stored as - fat.
Sure, maybe your exercise only created a daily deficit of 250 on avg, but 2 week break is a lb of fat. Why, if body is getting energy and nutrients it needs.
Ok, so you were kinda kidding - and I agree with all your points.0
