Taking a rest
I'm curious about how much (if any) you guys take off in a year? I'm not talking about the day or two between chest day and back day. What I mean is do you take a 1 week break every year? Maybe 2 weeks? A month? I had this conversation with a member of the 1,000 point club about a year ago and he said he used to take the entire month of December off to give himself a break from the physical and mental strain of bodybuilding. I'm going to take a short break the rest of this week. When I go back to the iron den on the 2nd, it will be about a 2 week layoff. I figure that's ampule time to regenerate, heal and reload! I already feel guilty anytime I miss the gym. It doesn't happen often but when it does I feel like shit about it. This time it's calculated. I'm pretty sure my body is telling me to stop for a minute. I have pain in all my joints and feel like I'm taking longer to recover from each workout. Ive been going hard non stop. So what about you? Any time off?
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Workout 3-4 days per week...not counting conditioning sessions like cardio and stretching/ab/calf workouts.....but 3-4 intense workouts, very rarely going more than 2 consecutive heavy sessions.
Take one week off every six weeks.....one month off every year-----maybe closer to 3 weeks depending on now healed up I am.
TAKE THE TIME OFF------Just because you start to look a little smaller and lose a little weight does NOT mean you are losing quality muscle----its mostly water retention anyway, and you'll get your big guns back in a week after you start back. Taking time off is what allows you to grow.
No1a week every 6 months or so
I slow down from around thanksgiving to about Christmas. Basically just hit the weights one day a week with a full body work out. Just easier for me mentally to know that I'm not gonna do much for those few weeks while I pig out on holiday and birthday foods. I tell people that I'm cultivating mass right now. Other than that, I basically exercise 5 days on 2 days off all year. That includes weights, cardio, sporting activities and vigorous wild wild west jungle loving with myself I mean my wife.
Well I took off almost 2 months from working out altogether. I didn't even post on here for 3 months straight, I stayed on way to long last year and then last July I had a lot of shit going on in my life at home so I had to PCT and then stopped everything but continued eating right, it's a long story I had a shit load of stress and was in the office working like a mad man. I'm never doing that ever again, but ill tell u what muscle memory is real within a month I had my strength and pump back, and now on this EQ and test cycle things are going great couldn't be happier
tread-mThe Gym asks me for a break to recover! Chuck Norris calls me every damn night and says "Tread I'm. about to go to bed, please tell me you're not under it???" I just say better hit that light switch and jump in from the door bitch!" Laugh my deep evil laugh as I slowly hang up the phone! Damn I love Fuckin with him, he's such a baby sometimes!
No brother , I think you listen to your body, it knows what it needs. I don't necessarily use the calendar and may never miss a day but such as straining my lower back on squats about a week ago, I know my body is telling me don't do them and I'll likely stay off them for a couple more weeks. If your joints hurt and you feel its a step forward and 2 back when you walk in the gym then you may need the recovery. I'd make sure as well in that little time off you are taking your supps such as glucosamine chondroitin and of course make sure your AI use is proper and you've not depleted estro too much. In other words make sure when you finish your break you don't go back in the same shape you left in or it was a net loss in my view. Oh and a couple of my favorite words...HGH BABY! I left mortal thinking long ago brother and when I walk outta that gym big bells have their estrogen checked and take their glucosamine chondroitin!!! Now step up in sump'n playa!!! Lol
Well as you know I've been considering and waiting, reading for a long time on hgh. I see all the good outweighing the "possible" negs for me. I believe you were right the first time when you told me it was the next logical step. I have a thin bone structure with long limbs. I think the muscle is growing too fast for the tendons and joints to keep up. It has become very painful to workout. I keep on top of my estrogen but I know what a healthy amount is. I don't believe that is the problem. Glucosamine I haven't tried yet. Noted! I think to truly repair and have the joints catch up with the muscle ,it's time for gh. I've used every compound under the sun (for different reasons in the past but that's besides the point). I was always afraid of gh and even more so after the year I've had. I'm piling it up now. I've decided it's time. But for now, yes I listen to my body. I need this for sure. I know the layoff will benefit me. I'm currently off cycle and have no issues with excess estro. It's just my make up. The life of an ecto morph. Tread-m has already been to mars. That's why there's no signs of life there. I heard tread-m can cut through a hit knife with butter!
tread-mLmao...yeah brother..it time! Your world changes with gh, just poor lil bell, not gonna be able to handle the Nitti man but she'll adapt brother, she's a champ and thats what fing champs do! That gurl brang it my man so worry not, she will dig deep and find a way to handle it! Game on brutha holla lets do this thang!
I should mention that my cycle starts in January. I've been off a few months and have maintained my weight and strength. Going with a long ester clean bulk this time with kickers. 90% of my cycles have been test base with short ester blasts. I would change compounds every 4 weeks. This time I'm sticking with long esters. I'll talk about that later.
56tooShit bro yesterday the gym was closed and I actually went through withdrawls LOL. I feeel like u, I know my body needs the rest, and I wont say 'especially at my age' but I just cant lead myself to stay away. I've also heard younger guys tell me they took off a cpl weeks and felt worse coming back
I feel guilty. Usually when 6pm rolls around. I start thinking "damn I should be at the gym". But I need it. Definitely need a break
I think a little break is good. I like to take a week of every now and then, sometimes 2 weeks if I'm walled up hard. Usually around the holidays. It seems like I can get a nice recovery and hit shit hard again. I just try to make sure that during the break time that I'm eating clean and not letting everything go to shit. I stay on cycle if I'm on cycle, just try to get a nice regeneration.
But then again, I'm an old man. If I were as young as you, there is no way in hell that I'd be taking any breaks. Breaks are for pussies at your age.
7 days a week three times a day bro. get shit right.
Lol! Breaks are for pussies at my age? I'm no spring chicken. I'm a very young 32 but 32 none the less. Lol
Lmao. I know I'm only 3 years older than you, but yeah...Three years is a long time in dog years.
Omg stop lying! Where's the 1 in front of the 3? You're 13 years older. Tell the truth Ed.
Whatever bro. I may be 13 years wiser, but definately not older.
Shit bro, truth be told... My ass is still in high school.
Lol
Lil play on words there? "Ampoule time" LOL ;-P
;-)
I already know you don't take breaks. Lol go hard or go home! Looking good btw brother!!
Thanks Nitti! I took a break yesterday, and gave everyone in the EBC a break! Mrs.Fit made a beautiful Christmas dinner with all the trimmings! I ate til I was over full, then had some desert, cookies, chips, candy! Yesterday was my cheat day, and I cheated! It felt good! Is it wrong? LOL ;-P
Not at all! So no time off throughout the year? I know you ant stop during the ebc but do you ever?
I feel like I'm supposed to be there now. If its a scheduled off day I might go and hit a lagging part and do some cardio. I'm looking at maybe doing a competition this year, don't know how I'll be on stage though? We'll see! But yes, I am looking forward to a day or two off after this EBC!
Anonfor me, i find that if i'm going hard consistently, a week off every 4 months or so does good. sometimes, longer depending on the person and their training regimen.
i recently had to take some time off because my two a days were starting to take their toll on me. energy was down chronically. getting sore same day of workout. this was more than likely just bad nutritional planning, so i took about a week to recover and tweak the diet.
i think 2 weeks is plenty for you, bro. good amount of time to heal and get the glycogen levels back up. i'd say to focus on carbs, but 1) i know you got that down and 2) i don't think any of us are having a problem with carbs right now...
That's what I figured. 2 weeks should do me some good. I have been going hard for about 9 months straight. Before that I was getting over some medical shit that knocked me out if commission. So I have been at it hard! Thank you for the input brother! I'll be sure to let everyone know if this helped it hurts
AnonNo doubt homie. Enjoy the time off.