Handling Time Off

Hi Guys! 

 

I'm just curious how others in the GB community handle time off from a mental and practical standpoint.  I have found since I've gotten older that beating myself over missing a workout doesn't seem to work for me.  It may have something to do with personality but generally I get more mileage if I acknowledge that I'd rather have done the workout and just pick up where I left off last.  I can't imagine that going too easy on one's self gets them very far though.  I could be wrong.

 

I have taken time off in the past due to injury (which if i'm feeling pretty good i'll work other parts of my body), lack of sleep or stress (which now happens much less but if it does i try to get more sleep and try again), burn out (usually when i have a lot of work and working out going on), and probably other things I'm not thinking of.  It's hard to think that by taking a day off when trying to build this kind of strength isn't setting one way back in progress, but I'd like to hear your take.  

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

I think time off is generally undervalued for most strength enthusiasts. How many times has a lifter taken time off due to injury, work etc. and come back shocked to find they can lift so much more. It's a clear sign there is an element of overtraining in their schedule.

I think it's part of a larger mentality in the fitness world: people just love activity. They're not thinking about their goals, and don't know if what they're doing is the best way to get there, they are just addicted to the idea that if they are working hard, as often as physically possible, they must be doing something right. Mix that with all the advertisements and posters celebrating physical training to the point of absolute exhaustion, pain, vomiting - all sorts of suffering so that people are taught to enjoy attaching pain to training. It's a ridiculous situation where people think the body is desperate to be weak and weedy, and you need to "beat it" with lots of working out to keep it in shape.

What ever happened to listening to your body?

Anyone who is truly committed to strength/muscle goals loves time off. It's when the growth actually happens. To a point, the more time off you have, the more your training sessions will make any difference.

It might be helpful to start thinking about your training schedule like this: how can I maximise the percentage of gain in my next training session? Rest is a large part of that answer.

wheezer is right, listening to your body is key! Most fitness advertising seems to be about making your body the enemy that you have to go against and force to make better. When in reality, your body wants to get better, but it only needs you to give it what it needs, to do it. Give your body proper nutrition and rest when it needs it and it will be good to you.

 

So don't get down about "missing workouts", you gotta do what you gotta do. If it means missing a workout, so be it. No one will die if you miss a workout. You're supposed to do it because you enjoy it, not because you're forcing yourself to do it ( even though sometimes it might feel like you are ).

 

As far as motivation goes, that's always a hard one to think about and tell others how to stay motivated. Since what motivates me is to simply be better than I was yesterday. I'm not looking to look like anybody, or even perform like anybody. All I want, is to be better than yesterday. It's all anyone should want really...

 

You also talk about "setting yourself back in progress". I think that's just a plain bad mentality. Sounds like you're thinking about an end goal. Give up the end goal, and start enjoying the journey. The joy really is in the journey. If you enjoy the journey, taking time off when it's needed won't seem so bad.

Good post Wheezer

 

I'd just like to add that if the desire to skip training becomes frequent, it might be a sign of over-reaching - in other words, it might be a good time to look at the overall training plan and not just this session, and assess if it should be lightened a little bit

Looking at the overall environment is also important: sleep, food, other sources of stress and fatigue, etc...

I train super hard in cycles, and rest in cycles. I notice when i take time off as opposed to everyday training loads, my muscles start to expand as if im pumped 24/7. Also if im shooting for burning fat, a day or two off will get me closer to my weight goals. That said, i remain ever a fool and train as hard as i can, all the time! F1 is helping me with moderation though. 

I had big fair last week and coud not train. I just worked 18 hours a day.

History of last 3 weeks and plan is like this

Hardest week in the cycle

Deload week

Fair (no training)

Repeat the hard week and start where i left.

What do you think?

Good idea for a post. I've just started backpacking in Europe and with the shake up of routine my training motivation and energy have slumped. I think I'll be better off resting and getting into a new routine. It's bloody difficult to not feel guilty for missed workouts though. Everyone has to experiment with themselves to answer your question. Good luck