You guys ever take a week off and just eat what you want and not lift any weights?

TheMaster

TheMaster

Banned
Have any of you just had a week where you maybe did some light cardio but other than that, no weights and no macro counting? Just to give your mind and body a rest?
 
I'm going on vacation in a couple weeks and I'm thinking that may be the best time to take advantage of some much needed rest , both physically and mentally. I have never taken an entire week off from the gym. I obsess over counting macros and yeah that is why I have had the success I have had. Though I was thinking that I should give my mind a break when I am away on vacation from it. I will go for a run on the trails they have surrounding our resort as they are very beautiful and scenic.
 
I'm about to leave on vacation as well. Plan on doing lots of walking, hiking, swimming and sight seeing. There are other ways to keep active. And if there's a hotel gym I may use it for a light workout. Other than that, it's called vacation for a reason. Your home gym will still be there when you return. Enjoy!
 
Yes ALL the time, but part of my is so anal-retentive about the lifting that I freak out when I don't want to take time off

BUT I believe the body grows better when you take time off to get physically and mentally refreshed, those bros that say "no you can't do that, you need to go 110% all day everyday" are usually the ones with the crappy physiques who don't make changes year to year

So yes, take time off, still try to get in good foods but live a little. You only have one life to live, ENJOY IT
 
TheMaster said:
Have any of you just had a week where you maybe did some light cardio but other than that, no weights and no macro counting? Just to give your mind and body a rest?
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Once a years i do this. Plan well , hop into pct starting the 1st day of that week . I do a hard week leading up to that. Then I go on vacation and eat wat i want with in logical reason . Its great for the mind ...
 
I do this only on vacations and i will only really let loose for part of it. When i went to the bahamas for my 30th this past year i managed to put on 20lbs(exact, not an approximation) in four days. My coach had weighed me in the day before i left and day i got back... He was pissed. The best part was when i weighed in the next week i had dropped 21lbs. You should have saw his face then lol. So f@$k it. Sometimes you gotta live!
 
EMPIREMIND said:
I do this only on vacations and i will only really let loose for part of it. When i went to the bahamas for my 30th this past year i managed to put on 20lbs(exact, not an approximation) in four days. My coach had weighed me in the day before i left and day i got back... He was pissed. The best part was when i weighed in the next week i had dropped 21lbs. You should have saw his face then lol. So f@$k it. Sometimes you gotta live!
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Looks like you gained water weight. Did you consume alcohol on your vacation? As you know some people after drinking weigh less and some experience water retention. Depending on your genetics it can be minimal or severe. Does not matter how great of physical shape you are in when it comes to that.
 
Oh yeah and I'm an endomorph so it usually doesn't end well lol
 
EMPIREMIND said:
I do this only on vacations and i will only really let loose for part of it. When i went to the bahamas for my 30th this past year i managed to put on 20lbs(exact, not an approximation) in four days. My coach had weighed me in the day before i left and day i got back... He was pissed. The best part was when i weighed in the next week i had dropped 21lbs. You should have saw his face then lol. So f@$k it. Sometimes you gotta live!
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Had something similar happen to me before a cruise vacation. Gained about 15 lbs on the trip, but about a week later most of the water weight had dropped off. Probably because of the carb depletion and tons of cardio in the months leading up to the vacation.
 
TheMaster said:
Looks like you gained water weight. Did you consume alcohol on your vacation? As you know some people after drinking weigh less and some experience water retention. Depending on your genetics it can be minimal or severe. Does not matter how great of physical shape you are in when it comes to that.
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Oo yea i definitly gained water weight, plus glycogen retention plus some fat gain. At the time i was 230, down from 270 a few months before on a keto diet. I have been cutting since january and been dropping weight like crazy. Anyways it was the combination of the sugary drinks (i had ALOT of those... Pina colada king lol) and the salty foods. I also had a bunch of starchy carbs. But it definitely didnt set me back, if anything helped me keep dropping weight.

I do hold alot of water but i also can drop and gain weight easy. My coach was shocked at the whole situation.
 
I'm the same way when it comes to retaining water after eating lots of salty foods. I went to a BBQ one time and that evening when I got home and weighed myself to see if my thoughts would turn out true, I was 12 pounds heavier than I Was the day before. It finally went away in a couple days.
 
yea... i do it to deload before meets/comps. usually break personal records after.
 
bighulksmash said:
Once a years i do this. Plan well , hop into pct starting the 1st day of that week . I do a hard week leading up to that. Then I go on vacation and eat wat i want with in logical reason . Its great for the mind ...
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Probably the exact worst time to stop lifting. Jus sayn'
 
NoAddedHmones said:
Probably the exact worst time to stop lifting. Jus sayn'
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Very true my friend. I tend to only hit up light toning movements. Dips push ups situps burpees and similar stuff . Nothing strenuous. My vacations tend to be in the mountains. Still haven't been to hampton beach yet ...
 
I just took a month off and been enjoying myself not giving a F. I had an injury though, but yeah I don't get obsessive 365 days of the year.
 
Does anyone suggest a carb blocker (white kidney bean) while on vacation? I will be on a calorie deficit for about 15 weeks and then 1 week on vacation and will be eating WAY more than usual (obviously)...
 
kjkitzman said:
Does anyone suggest a carb blocker (white kidney bean) while on vacation? I will be on a calorie deficit for about 15 weeks and then 1 week on vacation and will be eating WAY more than usual (obviously)...
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Well you "can". But a vacation is supposed to be just that. Relaxation time. Normal eating, etc etc.

You can still make good choices on vacation and not go all food crazy you know!!!
 
You guys ever hear of a book "keys to progress" by john mccallum? Based on articles he wrote in the 60s and 70s. Most of his ideas still hold up today. Anyhoo, there's a chapter on "softening up for gains" where he explains how to relax and eat well once in a while to actually gain muscle! Check it out if you can
 
I let loose on vacation, becasue it is vacation. I have almost always looked at the wieght rooms available and swore I was going to use them and never end up doing it. I pay for it the first week back, but as long as you don't let your week off turn into more than that it's all good. Once your food intake is more a lifestyle than a "diet", you can come back easier too on the kitchen side.
 
I let loose all summer, then I recomp all fall/winter. Best way to enjoy it

I dunno how people enjoy their summers while cutting / dieting
 
Depends on where you are at I guess. I am still rocking a 1 pack and the difference between vacation and not is less than a belt notch, so whatever.
 
Gutterpump said:
I let loose all summer, then I recomp all fall/winter. Best way to enjoy it

I dunno how people enjoy their summers while cutting / dieting
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Same. We have way too much going on to worry about diet and other crap. Life's too short and I am not about to turn down a bbq or summer nights out because I am worried about calories.
 
Outside of enjoying training heavy, most of the reason I lift is so I can eat whatever I want. Life is too short to worry about being on point unless you compete.
 
i heard one of these youtube fitness gurus say the other day that he doesnt take time off from the gym because if he does he gets anxiety and feels like his body just totally flattens out-- whatever that means....i though to myself, my god, i think some of these people work out because if they didnt they would be sitting on the front porch of an insane asylum somewhere rocking back and forth in a chair with a lap full of saliva.....it is a marathon not a sprint---what will your week off in 2016 mean in 2023--zero....being obsessive about your workouts may be great for your body but it is bad for basically everything else in yer life-- if you can call it a life.
 
Well that "fitness guru" is not doing what is best for him, he is simply addressing a mental issue possibly related to body dysmorphia. But I'm not a doctor. lol
 
I have done it. Not a fan.
 
I haven't read all the responses and I'm sorry if I'm calling anyone out - but anyone who claims they "never" take a week off is just talking tough and blowing smoke or they have something more at stake, like they do this for a living. Life gets in the way plenty, things happen, that's what part of this game is. Anyone who trains hard is going to need some down time, we are not machines. Of course, if you have no life and you're not really training hard, you can just go through the motions every week and say you're training.
 
Gutterpump said:
I let loose all summer, then I recomp all fall/winter. Best way to enjoy it

I dunno how people enjoy their summers while cutting / dieting
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I agree. I've slacked pretty hard this summer. But had a hell of a summer. Starting to reign everything back in now.
 
The old school hardcore lifters used to recommend a month off lifting a year and it did them good
 
It's generally new or young lifters that don't understand or act like they never take time off. For those that actually stay in the game, that ends up changing once they realize the benefits and the thing called life.
 
HIT4ME said:
I haven't read all the responses and I'm sorry if I'm calling anyone out - but anyone who claims they "never" take a week off is just talking tough and blowing smoke or they have something more at stake, like they do this for a living. Life gets in the way plenty, things happen, that's what part of this game is. Anyone who trains hard is going to need some down time, we are not machines. Of course, if you have no life and you're not really training hard, you can just go through the motions every week and say you're training.
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I can't think of the last time I took an entire week off from training. I'll miss a day here and there, but never a week off. I get too stiff without training.
 
HIT4ME said:
I haven't read all the responses and I'm sorry if I'm calling anyone out - but anyone who claims they "never" take a week off is just talking tough and blowing smoke or they have something more at stake, like they do this for a living. Life gets in the way plenty, things happen, that's what part of this game is. Anyone who trains hard is going to need some down time, we are not machines. Of course, if you have no life and you're not really training hard, you can just go through the motions every week and say you're training.
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It's called balance and managing your time effectively, its what separates the wheel spinners from the achievers. Its irrelevant to others whether someone takes a week off or not, listen to your own body and act accordingly. But, I couldn't imagine not having a few weeks off (in a row) to go on a trip, party and let loose. But long term my first point is the defining factor.
 
Rodja said:
I can't think of the last time I took an entire week off from training. I'll miss a day here and there, but never a week off. I get too stiff without training.
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That is pretty unusual. I know you are one of the more dedicated guys on the board - so I believe you. I also know that you know a bit about programming and you can manage your recovery and loads intelligently so you may not need breaks often. But you are unusual.
 
NoAddedHmones said:
It's called balance and managing your time effectively, its what separates the wheel spinners from the achievers. Its irrelevant to others whether someone takes a week off or not, listen to your own body and act accordingly. But, I couldn't imagine not having a few weeks off (in a row) to go on a trip, party and let loose. But long term my first point is the defining factor.
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Exactly. You need to fight and do tough things and make sacrifice - but consistent doesn't have to mean never taking a break. Constantly moving toward your goal and being hard working and consistent 80-90% of the time won't win competitions, but the majority of this board isn't competing.
 
HIT4ME said:
That is pretty unusual. I know you are one of the more dedicated guys on the board - so I believe you. I also know that you know a bit about programming and you can manage your recovery and loads intelligently so you may not need breaks often. But you are unusual.
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That's kinda my point and what separates training from just lifting. There's no problem with taking a week off, but fatigue management should be accounted for in designing training.
 
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