Anyone take full months off from training?

[initialize]

Surprisingly I've heard this "tip" from a few jacked people, including Dr. Mike at RP.

They say once a year you should take a full month off from training.

Anyone do this and actually notice improved gains/performance after doing so? Or should we just stock with the traditional one week deloads with nothing else?

 

[buck]

Many pros don't train after their contest season. I went a month once when i was touring in Africa. I don't train on vacation or after about a week after a surgery. Looking back taking some time off would not have been a bad idea. I just don't have any experience doing it. Been hitting the gym since the 80's

 

[Grey Spartan]

I recently took two weeks off and notice improved gains/performance. I had also pushed my volume up to 24 sets per body part a week and noticed reduced performance before I did.

 

[Eddie.]

I hate stopping completely, first things first it mess up my mental state and second the comeback is just an unpleasant experience. I can't train hard, muscle mind connection goes away and the DOMS are disgustingly painful.

Since 2004 i started training the only time i stopped completely was in the first quarantine in 2020 for 3 months. Worst period ever..

Now i don't train only on holidays while my gym is closed, Christmas, summer national holidays (usually a week), Easter etc..every time i get back after a week of no training i hate my life. Even on my deloads i go do my routine with volume and intensity at 50%. Way better than doing nothing.

 

[gettingbig]

I usually take 2 weeks off a year around my yearly vacation.

This year I just had 2 hernias operated on and have taken 5 weeks off so far. I will likely take another week off before getting back to it. My shoulder health is looking a lot better due to this.

 

[iris]

I hate stopping completely, first things first it mess up my mental state and second the comeback is just an unpleasant experience. I can't train hard, muscle mind connection goes away and the DOMS are disgustingly painful.

Since 2004 i started training the only time i stopped completely was in the first quarantine in 2020 for 3 months. Worst period ever..

Now i don't train only on holidays while my gym is closed, Christmas, summer national holidays (usually a week), Easter etc..every time i get back after a week of no training i hate my life. Even on my deloads i go do my routine with volume and intensity at 50%. Way better than doing nothing.

Agree.
I suppose it can also depend on the type of training you do.
A month, though, seems like a long time, in general.
I would thing that it would lead to a decline in various markers.
For what I do, it is not something I would consider.
Cardio, especially. If you don't keep it up, even at a light effort, when you get back to it you just want to die.
And for weight training too, maybe reducing volume, load or frequency would work better than going from hero to zero for such a long time.
Idk.
Maybe for some people it works or they can manage to pick up any losses in terms of strength, for example, quickly and without too much hassle.
For most people, though, I am not sure.
Eddie is correct about the mental aspect of ìt all.
It plays such a big part.
It's a habit, after all.
A good one, but still a habit...

 

[laclark89]

First off u don’t

Surprisingly I've heard this "tip" from a few jacked people, including Dr. Mike at RP.

They say once a year you should take a full month off from training.

Anyone do this and actually notice improved gains/performance after doing so? Or should we just stock with the traditional one week deloads with nothing else?

I don’t listen to “dr. Mike” for anything I don’t give a shit what any newbie or d rider says. What monsters has he produced?
First he’s 5’2 with a fat gut and a drug addict with mental problems. Ok I agree kind of with what he says about 2 reps from failure but who doesn’t know that? John Jewett and his jre or Jewett university or what ever has 100x more useful information. “ guaranteed.”
And is way less popular it’s sad.

And I agree with Eddie and iris. I think the most I’ve fully taken off is around 2 months max that’s with fully herniated discs pinched nerves and a spinal cord injury and bruise. I just lightened the load upon returning. I don’t care what training does for my body really, I love the feeling it does for my mood and my sol. No one what’s to be around me when I’m unable to train.

 

[iris]

I don’t care what training does for my body really, I love the feeling it does for my mood and my sol. No one what’s to be around me when I’m unable to train.

This.
100%.
Especially if you are a little ocd or a creature of habit, you feel lost without it being part of your day. It becomes part of you and who you are.
And then, when it's missing, it does bad stuff to your head.
A lot of people do not recognise this, but it’s great that you and Eddie are conscious of it.

 

[Grey Spartan]

And then, when it's missing, it does bad stuff to your head.
A lot of people do not recognise this, but it’s great that you and Eddie are conscious of it.

For sure. My wife just had a major surgery and can not work out for another month (it has been one month already) and she is going crazy.

 

[BuildABro]

Vacation is about the only time I do not train for an extended period of time. Most recently was 11 days back in August. Lots of walking and such, but no barbell was in my hands the entire trip.

It's basically at my wife's insistance that I don't workout on vacations. Maybe if I was one of those people that worked out like a normal human it would not be an issue, but the woman knows me too well. The "me" part of exercise will takeover, ill start being gone from her and the family for hours and hours at a time and vacation will take place largely without my involvement and input. Thus, no cell phone and no barbell are my crosses to bear on vacations now.

 

[laclark89]

Vacation is about the only time I do not train for an extended period of time. Most recently was 11 days back in August. Lots of walking and such, but no barbell was in my hands the entire trip.

It's basically at my wife's insistance that I don't workout on vacations. Maybe if I was one of those people that worked out like a normal human it would not be an issue, but the woman knows me too well. The "me" part of exercise will takeover, ill start being gone from her and the family for hours and hours at a time and vacation will take place largely without my involvement and input. Thus, no cell phone and no barbell are my crosses to bear on vacations now.

On vacations i still find myself in the hotel gym before they start breakfast at least getting an arm pump or walk on the treadmill.
Then walk up to the room with everyone’s food. The old lady doesn’t even realize I’m gone.

 

[iris]

On vacations i still find myself in the hotel gym before they start breakfast at least getting an arm pump or walk on the treadmill.
Then walk up to the room with everyone’s food.

Nice one.

The old lady doesn’t even realize I’m gone.

You think...
And she is not old. If you don't stop this old lady thing i am going to snitch on you.
And also tell her you think she is 5ft instead of 5.2.
Jeeeeez.... chiquito, you are naughty. Lol

 

[HUGE McBIGLARGE]

I only have days off when I’m ill or an emergency comes up.

I pulled my neck doing push ups (idk how) the other day, so I’ve taken 2 days off. Back tomorrow hopefully.

My day revolves around my two workouts. Without them I just roam about my house

 

[Grey Spartan]

My day revolves around my two workouts. Without them I just roam about my house

I know the feeling

 

[Alert_Custard]

I took 4 weeks off after my gyno surgery. Fucking hated it.

About 3 months during the first Covid lockdown and hated that even more.

I only take time off when on holidays.
However I take deloads as planned or when I feel I need one.

 

[iris]

For sure. My wife just had a major surgery and can not work out for another month (it has been one month already) and she is going crazy.

Bless her.
I hope she is healing OK and is not in pain, anymore.
I imagine you are doing a good job looking after her and keeping her spirits up.
Best wishes to your wife.

 

[Ateam2023]

i had tried taking a couple months off for extreme tendinitis in both elbows, i still did cardio etc but when i came back i was more focused and stronger , except for the terrible pain "that did not go away" wasn't until i started bpc/tb frag and it helped tremendously, it ended up taking surgery for elbows ulner nerve , still waiting for surgery on other arm,,,,

 

[BuildABro]

As difficult as it is to wrap my head around in the moment, the reality is that the ultimate fate of the universe does not rest upon my ability to execute my next set of dead lifts. I might very well hold that view subconsciously, but it’s about as irrational as most of the rest of my routine.

I am my own worst enemy and my own worst critic. Nobody can place as much pressure on me as I place upon myself. It will never be good enough. I’ll be chasing my tail forever for however long I remain in this gig I recon.

 

[iris]

As difficult as it is to wrap my head around in the moment, the reality is that the ultimate fate of the universe does not rest upon my ability to execute my next set of dead lifts. I might very well hold that view subconsciously, but it’s about as irrational as most of the rest of my routine.

I am my own worst enemy and my own worst critic. Nobody can place as much pressure on me as I place upon myself. It will never be good enough. I’ll be chasing my tail forever for however long I remain in this gig I recon.

Sorry, I don't get it. It ain't about the universe.
Month off or not?

 

[BuildABro]

Sorry, I don't get it. It ain't about the universe.
Month off or not?

Does not really make sense to me either truth be told, and yet here we are. It’s always a pitched battle line with me, and maybe it always will be. I have given up trying to make sense of why I am how I am. I just go with it.