When do you know to take a week off?

**motionman04** · 10-16-2006, 05:57 PM

I'm curious, mainly because today I was in the gym, and I was about to do 5 reps of squats with a weight that I was trying to set a PR for. I usually anticipate sets but I felt very weird and my heart was pounding for whatever reason. I ended up failing by the 2nd rep even though I did 3 the previous week, and kinda tweaked my back a little. I also regressed a little on the benchpress, but overall, I haven't taken a break from working out since Dec of 05 and I was planning on doing so back in september, but since I was seeing great results under Bill Starrs program, I kept going.

But something is telling me that this time I better rest my body, do most of you all just listen to your bodies when deciding to take a week off?

**mike456** · 10-16-2006, 06:11 PM

wow that is bad, you havent taken a week off since december 05

**motionman04** · 10-16-2006, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by mike456

wow that is bad, you havent taken a week off since december 05

haha yeah its one of those things that becomes so routine it was hard to shake I guess.

**PWGriffin** · 10-16-2006, 07:48 PM

at the very least you need to seriously unload, and I don't mean sub max weights, I mean uber light weights and in and out in less than 20-30 minutes.

But a week off, or even more, might do you a world of good.

**fufu** · 10-16-2006, 07:53 PM

Since December? Jeez! Take a week off atleast!!! I'm taking a week off after 4 weeks of training. I don't train till I "know I have to take week off", I know way in advance when I am taking time off.

**CowPimp** · 10-16-2006, 09:26 PM

I know that 9 months later is too long, heh. I usually plan for some form of deload for every 4-6 weeks of hard lifting I do. Even before I did that, I used to take off once every 2-3 months. I would just have a general feeling of lethargy to tell me that it was time. You could also do things like montior sleep habits/quality, heart rate, blood pressure, appetite, desire to train, etc.

**JonnyStead** · 10-17-2006, 06:12 AM

I factor in a light session about every 6 weeks and I have a full week off every 12 weeks or so. Just to give the body some time to recover and fix the odd niggle etc - thats just my opinion -

**JimSnow** · 10-17-2006, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by motionman04

I'm curious, mainly because today I was in the gym, and I was about to do 5 reps of squats with a weight that I was trying to set a PR for. I usually anticipate sets but I felt very weird and my heart was pounding for whatever reason. I ended up failing by the 2nd rep even though I did 3 the previous week, and kinda tweaked my back a little. I also regressed a little on the benchpress, but overall, I haven't taken a break from working out since Dec of 05 and I was planning on doing so back in september, but since I was seeing great results under Bill Starrs program, I kept going.

But something is telling me that this time I better rest my body, do most of you all just listen to your bodies when deciding to take a week off?

I'm taking 2 weeks off now. My job's been a killer to my recovery time. I'm still feeling sore from a workout 4 days ago. That hasn't happened before.

**Brolly** · 10-17-2006, 10:28 PM

onset muscle soreness ftw

**Tobacco_Spit** · 10-20-2006, 01:37 PM

a week ot two off is good and sometimes I find I come back stronger.

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