# Off Weeks, Good or Bad for you?



## Franklin Yeti (Dec 2, 2015)

So, I've been lifting over 2 years now with no weeks off or deloads.  Went into the gym today and my shoulders were killing me.  I think it's time for a week off.  Does anyone on here not take a week off?   

Are they beneficial when taken?
It's all mental for me I guess.  I don't know how I'm going to stay out of the gym for a week.  For F@&k sake!


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## rburdge84 (Dec 2, 2015)

Taking time off is good for the body and mind.


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## Franklin Yeti (Dec 2, 2015)

I'm afraid of losing anything.  Common sense told me that won't happen, but my mind screws with me.  Oh BTW, check it out. This is my 100th post.  Get some rookies!


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## Itburnstopee (Dec 2, 2015)

It's good but try to let it only be a week, because getting out of groove can be hard to get back into


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## Tren4Life (Dec 2, 2015)

Take the week off and let your body recover.  You grow when you rest.


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## stonetag (Dec 2, 2015)

Fuk yes man, got to take some time off man, off time is as important as on.


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## ECKSRATED (Dec 2, 2015)

It's VERY good for u. You'll come back stronger than ever.


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## curtisvill (Dec 2, 2015)

Your body will love it. Just keep your diet in check and all will be fine.


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## snake (Dec 3, 2015)

Franklin Yeti said:


> I'm afraid of losing anything.  Common sense told me that won't happen, but my mind screws with me.  Oh BTW, check it out. This is my 100th post.  Get some rookies!



If your over trained, you already have lost something. I normally can go full throttle for 4 months before I need a week off. If I don't listen to my body, by the 5th month my body decides to take it. Trust me, you won't like that outcome. Kind of shocked you make it that long without something falling off.

There's something to be said for deloading if you're going hard and heavy. But you didn't hear that from me.

This is just me but if I'm at the top of my game and I take a week off, it will take me at least 3 weeks to get it back. But when you get to that 3rd week, you just feel better; mind and body.


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## SFGiants (Dec 3, 2015)

I deload every 4 weeks.


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## John Ziegler (Dec 3, 2015)

Depending on whether or not your on or off steroids. Off and looking for size and strength I'd say 3 weeks on one week off. In the past I used to get addicted to being swollen all the time. Time off may look and feel a little smaller but that smaller unswollen is your actual size. The idea behind time off is to get that unswollen size bigger if that makes any sense. That way when you swell up the next time that swell will be bigger and stronger. Sometimes less is more and patients is a virtue.


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## SFGiants (Dec 3, 2015)

Zeigler Robertson said:


> Depending on whether or not your on or off steroids. Off and looking for size and strength I'd say 3 weeks on one week off. In the past I used to get addicted to being swollen all the time. Time off may look and feel a little smaller but that smaller unswollen is your actual size. The idea behind time off is to get that unswollen size bigger if that makes any sense. That way when you swell up the next time that swell will be bigger and stronger. Sometimes less is more and patients is a virtue.



It depends on your intensity level of training the percentage of 1rm.

Powerlifters doing Westside is every for weeks while a bodybuilder can go 6 to 9 weeks maybe even 12.

It's about CNS recovery, when this is getting hit to the point you need a rest your body has already started to get weaker so the trick is to find when to rest before hand or it's too late.


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## Tren4Life (Dec 3, 2015)

SFGiants said:


> It depends on your intensity level of training the percentage of 1rm.
> 
> Powerlifters doing Westside is every for weeks while a bodybuilder can go 6 to 9 weeks maybe even 12.
> 
> It's about CNS recovery, when this is getting hit to the point you need a rest your body has already started to get weaker so the trick is to find when to rest before hand or it's too late.






I deload every third week.


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## Iron1 (Dec 3, 2015)

Mentally, they're tough. You want to be in the gym busting ass!
But, if you can get over the mental thing, they're awesome for recovery.


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## HydroEJP88 (Dec 3, 2015)

I went 9 weeks hard and took the 10th off. 

Lifted the following week and PR'd every lift


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## ToolSteel (Dec 3, 2015)

HydroEJP88 said:


> I went 9 weeks hard and took the 10th off.
> 
> Lifted the following week and PR'd every lift


Funny how that works...


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## SFGiants (Dec 3, 2015)

Iron1 said:


> Mentally, they're tough. You want to be in the gym busting ass!
> But, if you can get over the mental thing, they're awesome for recovery.



Deload dose not mean don't train or bust ass it means don't do extreme heavy compound movements.


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## Franklin Yeti (Dec 3, 2015)

Thanks for the input.  Makes me feel better sitting on my ass.  Had to get a cortisone shot in my shoulder today, so obviously the 2 years straight idea is a bad one.


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## Beefcake (Dec 4, 2015)

When we're talking about going weeks on, how many days a week is that?  When I'm doing a cycle I'm at the gym 5 days a week religiously.  Weekends off.  Now off cycle I try to do 4-5 days a week but having more than two days off kills me.  I feel guilty and have to get back in the gym.  Even if it's a shitty Monday and I'm tired, I may not give 110% but if I at least make it for an hour and do some cardio and lifting then I figure it's worth it.  I've never taken a full week off, except on vacation or a 4 day weekend.


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## HydroEJP88 (Dec 4, 2015)

I do 3 days consistently and sometimes throw in a 4th, but this program beats me up bad enough to where I'm sore for 2 days


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## MrRippedZilla (Dec 4, 2015)

IME everyone should be incorporating deloads in some form or another - expecting to go balls to the wall every week and keep progressing for months, years, etc is simply not realistic.

As for time off completely...depends.
Some people come back stronger than before after a week off.
Others find that they return to the gym weaker and need a few sessions to get back up to speed - for these people, a week off is counter productive if we're talking about performance.


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