*** The Week Off ***

[Raptorex]

Help me, I am obsessive and haven't done this in like 6 years. Is it ok, if I ride my bike, play tennis, etc...or should I just completely shut down. Also, how about supplements, do you stay on schedule (e.g., drink shake before/after gym) only now at the same time without working out.

Responses will be rewarded! Thanks.

 

[fortunatesun]

It's better to stay active someway, though if you're tired use common sense of course. The week off will seem like 3 weeks off if you have to crank your engine up from cold.
I don't understand why you'd bother with PW nutrition if you're not. You won't need the quick influx of protein and high GI carbs unless you're active. It makes sense to continue cycling your macro amounts if that's what you do. Whole foods normally would be better suited, though.
Enjoy your week off, bro.

 

[BiggT]

I agree, anything active is fine....even actual lifting with less total weekly work is fine, a week off works too, lol, just use common sense and keep it fun and refreshing. Let the fatigue fade, but don't freak out if you climb a flight of stairs either. I took an 'off-week' last week and came in and did a 1 RM squat, but still, all in all, the entire week's work was nowhere near what it was the previous 3 or 4, so I felt better this week.

With eating and supplements, it isn't going to make the world of difference either way in my honest opinion, if you'd rather not waste them when you feel they aren't totally necessary then don't....if you'd feel better staying on track, then do it. Basically you really can't go wrong.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Agreed...just use common sense and gauge how taxing something will be on your muscles/CNS. So, assuming you don't have any nagging injuries or joint pain that might benefit from a more complete break, tennis or light biking would be fine whereas, say, something involving a lot of maximal sprinting probably wouldn't be.

As for food/supplements, FS already said it - keep calories/macros the same unless you want to use this time to transition into a bulk/cut. With supps, IMO keep taking "general health"-type supplements like vitamins and fish oil, but probably take a break from "workout-specific" things (energy/pump products, stimulants, whatever).

 

[Raptorex]

thanks guys, all very good advice, I guess I am over-thinking here, you know the fear of shrinking and all that stuff. I'll keep moving and make sure I keep my nutrition clean.

 

[Protobuilder]

One week off in SIX YEARS??? You've gotta' be kidding! LoL Well, better now than never. I think the answer depends on WHY you're taking a week off. As a preliminary matter, many (most?) training programs (olympic lifters are who I'm thinking of here) work w/ planned "easy" weeks, so something like 3 hard weeks followed by one easy week, and repeat the cycle. Some amount of variation week-to-week or month-to-month is normal. They may increase volume each week for 4-6 weeks and then drop volume, bump intensity, and work for 2-3 more weeks, followed by an easy week or two. It's not "normal," IMO, to keep volume/intensity the same week after week after week w/out any sort of variation or break. So, IMO, taking "easy" weeks is not something to be avoided, particularly when you're pushing heavy weights.

That said, if you're taking a week off b/c you're feeling beat up/fatigued/overtrained/etc., then I'd suggest doing whatever the fuck you feel like doing. LoL If you want to play tennis, play tennis. If you want to jack off while watching Beverly Hillbilly reruns all day, do it. And if you're sick and tired of stuffing yourself like a bloated pig, take a break from teh heavy eating. One week will NOT screw you up for a year or anything. It'll be a nice mental break. With regards to nutrition, if you're just sitting around, I'd back off the cals a bit and obviously drop the post WO "shake." If your days are full of activity though, I'd be sure to keep the cals up there unless you want to lose a bit of weight.

On the flip side, if you're taking a break "just cuz," then maybe try slicing your volume in half (Zatsiorsky says something like make the easy week 60% of a normal week's volume) and go to the gym fewer times than normal. Keep the weights heavy, but do considerably less than normal. Maybe drop some assistance movements, and reduce your top working sets by 50-75%. I'd keep my nutrition the same, because muscle building does not stop immediately when you take a week off. I'd maybe guage my food intake to my activity level, but I wouldn't slice my cals in half or anything. Basically, heavy weight, low volume, maybe go to the gym 2 times rather than 4, and keep eating decently.

One week in 6 years. . . LoL I say do w/e the fuck you feel like doing, and get that fire back.

 

[Raptorex]

Proto,

Lol, nope - I am such a creature of habit. The answer is, I am on vacation this week and find would like to go away here and there without rushing home to get to the gym at the end of the day. I think your suggestions of just going this week when I can (ie., lower volume ala Zatsiorsky) is what I'm gonna do.

Also, jacking off to Ellie Mae is a great idea too. Thanks.

 

[Cynical Simian]

One week off in SIX YEARS??? You've gotta' be kidding! LoL

One week in 6 years. . . LoL I say do w/e the fuck you feel like doing, and get that fire back.

lol, I was going to mention deloading as an alternative to a week off but figured that one complete break once or twice a decade probably isn't a bad idea.

PB already covered the main points, but here's an article that gives a good overview of deloading. It assumes that WSB is being used, but you could apply the same principles to whatever sort of routine you're doing. It's a useful tool that allows you to give your body a break after you've been pushing a program for a while while still maintaining your conditioning.

 

[perp69]

Ahh, man. Enjoy the time off. I always keep my protein high, even on vacation, cause I like to think I am growing muscle 24/7 I will do some cardio, because most the gyms at the resorts suck, but don't get all broke up if I can't.

Perp