posted Sat, 08/21/2021 - 09:37
1531
+ 1 Recovery week
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Hi guys,
I remember years ago when I was new into bodybuilding, I heard a lot of time that professionals were doing a week of recovery. I knew it's somehow related to cycles but never found out what that recovery week is for, when they do it and how it's done!
Has anyone else heard about this recovery week thing? I mean what do they try to recover from? Is it before running a cycle, during or after? Do they change their diet and eat whatever unhealthy food they want like cheat week or what?
Please share your knowledge.
Cheers.
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As the name indicates, you just relax for a week or so AND should eat very well. Fresh food with high nutrition values and good amount of protein and carbs for your body to heal and get ready for lifting stress. Good luck!
From what I understand This is the same principle a lot boxers and UFC fighters use the last week going into their fight. They take it easy the final week, just doing the final weight cut, maybe some light workout, while letting their body recover. All the hard work was done the months before, and not going to gain anything doing hard training the final week.
You don’t lift for a week and let your body recuperate.
I’ve never done it. I’m certain I haven’t missed more than one workout since 86.
For me mentally, I couldn’t do it.
I like my routine. It brings me peace.
There’s nothing more satisfying than finishing a workout I don’t feel like doing.
Screw preworkout supplements to. I like to gut em out..
TricepatopsBro I guarantee if you took a week off you will come back stronger and more refreshed and energized. You will hit the weights with a new passion. I know what it is like to miss workouts it is so MENTAL more than anything but your body needs it. Football players do it and plus your tendons and ligaments will be forever thankful. I had a buddy do it and the next week he was lifting more then before not alot more but broke Personal records. And if you can't stay out of the gym try doing stretches and super light weights like you are in Physical Therapy and hit all these little muscles that get neglected when lifting. Do tendon and ligament strengthing exercises.
Romano735I am same you, train is passion and stop just one week is difficult.
But I think you can change your workout with more and more repetition , functional training with some sheathing’s exercices
You need to recover and preserve your nervous system.
It is same with your articulations and joins.
But in respect to cycle, when should we do it? Before, during or after? And what about diet?
It has nothing to do with Steroids, its letting muscles and tendons heal up after lots of heavy lifting. Eventually after weeks and weeks of it you end up with small micro tears all over and if you keep pushing yourself you will eventually tear something like I did 8 months ago. As tendons take 2 to 3 times longer than muscle to recover it also allows them to catch up with the muscle. You also heal to such a level that when you come back you are much much stronger than before, this is why powerlifters will take 7 to 10 days off before a meet as previously they are always lifting sub par maximal weights as they are constantly still recovering from previous workouts. Like Sam though - I find doing them extremely hard, I generally get to about 3 days and I give in and train again. I live to train and the satisfaction & happiness it brings to everyday life
Like Press said, nothing to do with steroids. It is allowing the body to recover after a period of intense training. For me, I set up my workout routine for a 6 week period. During this 6 week period it is high intensity training. At the end of it my body just needs to restore itself after all the intense training. I can tell a recovery period is needed because I just start to feel rundown from all of stress put on my body during training. A lot of it has to do with letting the central nervous system recover. Your muscles recover fairly quickly but a hard training session can take up to 3 days for your CNS to recover. When it is continually put under stress from all the training you start to feel rundown and can even lose strength. I usually don't need a full week to recover but after 4-5 days I feel completely refreshed and energized and even stronger once I get back into the gym.
There is the other aspect of recovery after doing a show. I will usually take a week after a show to just rest and recover. Body is so stressed from all the training, dieting, drugs etc. that I just need to unwind and try to get back to some sort of homostasis.
TricepatopsGuys all very well said you don't want your cortisol to be so high you actually hurting yourself more than helping yourself. I don't think enough people just give their body a week and sometimes more to heal and when you do that you will come back better than before. Me I unfortunately have been injured from over training and have to take time off to much now so I don't want any one to end up like me where you have to because if you don't you won't be lifting for months instead of just a week.
Got it, I'm kind of the same. psychologically I want to workout everyday but have noticed that my tendons and joints are giving up. I guess I have to take a recovery week but unfortunately I just started a cycle and not sure if it's the best idea. Maybe after my cycle...
TricepatopsYea don't rip those tendons or ligaments or you will be out for a long long time instead of just this little break. Tore my labrum 20 plus years ago and have had 3 surgeries since and from that have Thoracic outlet from favoring my injured side and putting it in an akward position because I tried to work through the injury.
Got it, appreciate your advice.