YAWT - yet another workout thread - ok to take a month off?

[TheNinja]

Well I have been working out for about 3 1/2 years (actually 5-6 years on and off but 3 1/2 more serious). Then the boredome started and instead of 3-4 times a week it was 2-3. So rather than deal with that I took a month off. I'm ready to go back but the problem is getting back to the gym that first time b/c I always say to myself at about 5:00pm on Monday, "Well I took 3 weeks off, let's make it one more I'm a little tired". Anyway has anyone else taken time off like this? Do you think this is better than putting in half hearted workouts 2-3 times a week? Anyway, I can tell that my muscles aren't quite as big and I don't feel quite as tight (however I look much thinner and have lost about 10 pounds....ya I'm one of those guys who has to work to keep good weight on).

 

[boyRacer]

muscle memory. 🙂

 

[fatkorean]

Working out 2-3 times a week is better than taking a month off... because you will keep size...its called maintenence.. You do want to take about 2 weeks off every 6 months or so. But what people tell me is for ever week off it will take a week to get back to where you were prior to taking a break.

-fk

 

[whaleskinrug]

laying off for that long may be a problem -- try to at least do *something* to stress the muscles

 

[TheNinja]

Originally posted by: boyRacer
muscle memory. 🙂

what do you mean? Will it be easier for me to get my muscles back to where they were (ie. make gains), than it would be for someone who has never lifted to make gains?

 

[TheNinja]

Originally posted by: whaleskinrug
laying off for that long may be a problem -- try to at least do *something* to stress the muscles

well I have been doing my 8 minute abs 4 times a week and doing 150 (set of: 50, 40, 30, 20, 10) pushups a couple times a week so i haven't been laying around like a total tub of goo.

 

[fatkorean]

Originally posted by: Staley8

Originally posted by: boyRacer
muscle memory. 🙂

what do you mean? Will it be easier for me to get my muscles back to where they were (ie. make gains), than it would be for someone who has never lifted to make gains?

What he means by muscle memory is that muscles will remember how to grow, build new muscles etc..than a person whos never lifted before. So if you take a guy whos lifted a long time and then stops and looks/weights the same as some guy whos never lifted before, the one whos lifted before will see gains faster because of muscle memory

-fk

 

[whaleskinrug]

Originally posted by: Staley8

Originally posted by: whaleskinrug
laying off for that long may be a problem -- try to at least do *something* to stress the muscles

well I have been doing my 8 minute abs 4 times a week and doing 150 (set of: 50, 40, 30, 20, 10) pushups a couple times a week so i haven't been laying around like a total tub of goo.

pushups are good... maybe you can also do a few pullups
what about your legs?

 

[TheNinja]

Originally posted by: whaleskinrug

Originally posted by: Staley8

Originally posted by: whaleskinrug
laying off for that long may be a problem -- try to at least do *something* to stress the muscles

well I have been doing my 8 minute abs 4 times a week and doing 150 (set of: 50, 40, 30, 20, 10) pushups a couple times a week so i haven't been laying around like a total tub of goo.

pushups are good... maybe you can also do a few pullups
what about your legs?

ya i should do some pullups too, between pushups and pullups you are getting most of your upper body (except for shoulders)......legs? how do you work out legs? I'll tell what I told the chicken who wanted his legs back...."no way, these bird legs are mine and you can't have them back" 😉

 

[bjc112]

To get some shoulders in throw your legs up on the arm of a chair or couch...

The higher the better. STRESS THEM SHOULDERS!!

🙂

Get back to the gym.

 

[Blieb]

when lifters take off ... they'll take about 2 weeks off.

BUT. BUT. BUT.

They switch over to 100% cardio 3 times a week in lieu of lifting.

 

[TubStain]

A month seems excessive, most I've heard is a couple of weeks every 10 weeks. If you go all out 10 weeks, then it's a good idea to take a week off, for your body to recuperate and "rebuild".

It did me wonders. I came back in the gym and I was suddenly more powerful. It's like one week of doing nothing was a turbo boost for my muscles. The body does need to recover every now and then from the intensity of weight lifting. If you go too long without the break you risk injury to yourself at the joints and ligaments.