Protocol for a week off--advice please

[Lumberg]

Hey all I believe I have reached a point where I need a week off. But I mentally just can't take the idea of not working out for a week. So do you think it would be OK to still go in every day and just do abbreviated workouts with lighter weights, almost like an A/R thing every day?

I know I will start to feel like a lazy slob as soon as I miss a couple of days. It's like an obsessive compulsive thing with me.

JC

 

[The Shadow]

I believe in OFF time - totally.

Abs and maybe calf work twice per week - stay away from the major muscle groups though.....

 

[bishonen]

I know I will start to feel like a lazy slob as soon as I miss a couple of days. It's like an obsessive compulsive thing with me.

I'm three days away from finishing a week off, and it's hell staying off my home weights.

That, and I feel like a pig that I'm eating the same massive amounts as before.

Feel for you, bro!

 

[Haz]

I seriously need a couple of weeks off. I'm totally burned out, all my old injuries are starting to flare up again, and my workouts have been getting progressively poorer.

But like you, I just can't bring myself to take an entire week or two off.

 

[Blood&Iron]

Best would be to take time completely off. Here, take a look at the following, which while tailored to HST(which is great) should still be of interest even if you don't train in this fashion:
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_artcls_stratdecon.html

 

[gmanlax7]

some time off worked great for me, just eat well and get good long sleep

 

[trial0r]

today was my first day off after deciding to take an entire week completly off of training. im at a vicious sticking point, but even worse is the fact that my self-esteem and self-perception are dwindling. i feel smaller and smaller each day, it seems like ill just vanish soon enough.

this week is going to be hell...not to mention fall semester starts this week so the extra stress is gonna make it even better.

 

[Lumberg]

thanks for the article B&I. I actually did do a light w/o yesterday but I will really try to take 9 days off.

Also I remember back in football days we would always max out after taking a week off. What do you think training protocol should be for a little "max out" to test my strength?

JC

 

[Blood&Iron]

thanks for the article B&I. I actually did do a light w/o yesterday but I will really try to take 9 days off.

Also I remember back in football days we would always max out after taking a week off. What do you think training protocol should be for a little "max out" to test my strength?

JC

Not sure if you were addressing this to me or not. Anyways, if you're asking about the best way to do a straight strength test, I'm pretty clueless. If idea is due to the HST article, the idea is actually that due to the layoff your muscles will have become more susceptible to microtrauma so you can use very submaximal weights and still grow(or at least with minimal atrophy.) The testing in HST comes *before* the week off and the recommended manner(assuming your using full-body workouts) is to test your 15, 10, and 5 rep maxes on M-W-F respectively.