Thread: Off Weeks :(

How many calories are you taking in?

Are you sure it's not all in your head?

I'm positive, I'm taking in at tops 2200 calories.

What's your usual caloric intake?

2650

Did you actually measure your chest? I can see how your ab visibility can been seen, but your loss of chest may be subjective.

Do you do cardio in the off week?

I just did for 40 minutes. That was the first time though. I didn't actually measure my chest but I can just tell from how my shirts fit more loose in the chest than they did and I've had about 5 friends ask me if my chest shrunk today. I did about 100 pushups within my cardio when my shin splints got unbarable I just stopped and did some pushups then kept going, hopefully that will protect my chest from any more loss of shape till the offweek is done.

I take it your a full blow ectomorph?

I'm actually more of a mesomorph than an ectomorph though I have characteristics of both. What makes you think I'm a full blown ectomorph?

I'm searching for a reason to explain your fast loss of muscle. Which is pretty normal for full ectomorphs.

I assume that you get plenty of protein in your off week diet?

I'm not the most knowledgeable person regarding weight training, so I'm at a loss. Maybe someone more knowledgeable, like P-funk or Cowpimp, will chime in.

I'd say I am taking in an adequate amount-about 120g a day.

its in your head

relax

Even if you did shrink, so what? You need to take time off regardless to recover and eventually become larger and stronger. It is out of hands, relax. I highly doubt you are losing significant mass anyway. It probably is in your head.

Originally Posted by ptwannabe

I'm about 4 days into my offweek and I feel so shitty, my abs have magically dissapeared and my chest looks like it has shrunk in those 4 days... Anyone have any advice on what to do during off weeks to prevent this?

--I did even cut calories for this offweek.

if you got your diet and trainin on check then you shoulnt worry about it........I use to have the same feelin but I had it when I took my week off, eventually a week shrunk into 2 days because I was so worried that I will lose some mass........take the week off, let your body recover and keep your diet on check.

Reduced calories = lower glycogen supplies = less water retained = smaller appearance.

As an example, I did a small cut in Sept, dropped to 168lb, then ballooned back to to 175lb as soon as I upped my calories again. My whole body swelled up once I started feeding it again!

Just relax.

Cut until you're done, gradually increase your calories (which still seem very low to me at 2,650) and you'll pump back up.

Have you tried upping you calories past 3,000 before? I've played around with my calorie intake throughout theis year and was amazed to find how fast I started growing when I started eating around 4,500cal!! And it wasn't getting stored as fat!

Experiment. And don't be afraid of a little fat. You can lose it later. If you want to grow you've got to eat!