Week off and gains??

J-Dot said:

How do I take a week off entirely from the gym, eat like [censored] and come
back the following week stronger? I had being going 4 times a week with
around 10 sets per workout for a couple months straight. There is no
way I was overtraining?? I was making good gains for the couple months
there and then got lazy last week and when I dont workout I eat like
[censored] (probably around half the protein intake that I had been
ingesting). So...this week I was just dreading going back cuz i thought
i would be weak...but surprise, surprise, i was actually a bit stronger
for chest...today for shoulders...today for triceps...wtf?

Maybe if you took a month off, you'd be REALLY strong...

Seriously, maybe the rest helped. On a hardgainer schedule, you're only
supposed to workout once or twice a week anyway.

Can't explain your diet situation, although I think the protein is for
hypertrophy, not necessarily strength gain. Could be wrong, though.
Maybe someone who knows more will chime in.

"J-Dot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:bGPVd.569265$6l.6413@pd7tw2no...

Quoted message said:

How do I take a week off entirely from the gym, eat like [censored] and come
back the following week stronger? I had being going 4 times a week with
around 10 sets per workout for a couple months straight. There is no way
I was overtraining?? I was making good gains for the couple months there
and then got lazy last week and when I dont workout I eat like [censored]
(probably around half the protein intake that I had been ingesting).
So...this week I was just dreading going back cuz i thought i would be
weak...but surprise, surprise, i was actually a bit stronger for
chest...today for shoulders...today for triceps...wtf?

The same way my happy ass has been drunk forever and am still making gains
my friend... Physiology still apparently isn't completely figured out.

Your pal,
Pedro

"J-Dot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:bGPVd.569265$6l.6413@pd7tw2no...

Quoted message said:

How do I take a week off entirely from the gym, eat like [censored] and come
back the following week stronger? I had being going 4 times a week with
around 10 sets per workout for a couple months straight. There is no
way I was overtraining?? I was making good gains for the couple months
there and then got lazy last week and when I dont workout I eat like
[censored] (probably around half the protein intake that I had been
ingesting). So...this week I was just dreading going back cuz i thought
i would be weak...but surprise, surprise, i was actually a bit stronger
for chest...today for shoulders...today for triceps...wtf?

See:
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com

Specifically, see "Strategic Deconditioning"

J-Dot said:

How do I take a week off entirely from the gym, eat like [censored] and come
back the following week stronger? I had being going 4 times a week with
around 10 sets per workout for a couple months straight. There is no
way I was overtraining?? I was making good gains for the couple months
there and then got lazy last week and when I dont workout I eat like
[censored] (probably around half the protein intake that I had been
ingesting). So...this week I was just dreading going back cuz i thought
i would be weak...but surprise, surprise, i was actually a bit stronger
for chest...today for shoulders...today for triceps...wtf?

I've done the same and had similar results. Sometimes your body just
needs a little extra time off to recover. It's good to take a week off
from time to time. I try to take a week off after 8-10 weeks.

--
Ed
http://www.spweights.com

"J-Dot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:bGPVd.569265$6l.6413@pd7tw2no...

Quoted message said:

How do I take a week off entirely from the gym, eat like [censored] and come
back the following week stronger? I had being going 4 times a week with
around 10 sets per workout for a couple months straight. There is no way
I was overtraining?? I was making good gains for the couple months there
and then got lazy last week and when I dont workout I eat like [censored]
(probably around half the protein intake that I had been ingesting).
So...this week I was just dreading going back cuz i thought i would be
weak...but surprise, surprise, i was actually a bit stronger for
chest...today for shoulders...today for triceps...wtf?

For most people, four days a week is overtraining. Depends on a multitude of
factors, however, such as intensity, volume, etc, etc, but I usually take a
week off every 3 or 4 months both for mental and physical refreshment. A
planed breach of discipline is an act of discipline.

"J-Dot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:bGPVd.569265$6l.6413@pd7tw2no...

Quoted message said:

How do I take a week off entirely from the gym, eat like [censored] and come
back the following week stronger? I had being going 4 times a week with
around 10 sets per workout for a couple months straight. There is no way
I was overtraining?? I was making good gains for the couple months there
and then got lazy last week and when I dont workout I eat like [censored]
(probably around half the protein intake that I had been ingesting).
So...this week I was just dreading going back cuz i thought i would be
weak...but surprise, surprise, i was actually a bit stronger for
chest...today for shoulders...today for triceps...wtf?

If you're keeping up a decent training load, then you are permanently
slightly tired and weaker than you would be fresh. So when you take a week
off you come back stronger; same reason why athletes taper for a
competition.

Long term, though, you have done less training so will not be quite as
strong in a month's time as you would be if you'd kept training.
(oversimplifying, but anyway...)

Peter

J-Dot said:

How do I take a week off entirely from the gym, eat like [censored] and come
back the following week stronger? I had being going 4 times a week with
around 10 sets per workout for a couple months straight. There is no
way I was overtraining?? I was making good gains for the couple months
there and then got lazy last week and when I dont workout I eat like
[censored] (probably around half the protein intake that I had been
ingesting). So...this week I was just dreading going back cuz i thought
i would be weak...but surprise, surprise, i was actually a bit stronger
for chest...today for shoulders...today for triceps...wtf?

supercompensation after a period of weeks to months of consistent training.

Cheers,

Ari

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

J-Dot said:

How do I take a week off entirely from the gym, eat like [censored] and

come

Quoted message said:

back the following week stronger? I had being going 4 times a week

with

Quoted message said:

around 10 sets per workout for a couple months straight. There is no

Quoted message said:

way I was overtraining?? I was making good gains for the couple

months

Quoted message said:

there and then got lazy last week and when I dont workout I eat like
[censored] (probably around half the protein intake that I had been
ingesting). So...this week I was just dreading going back cuz i

thought

Quoted message said:

i would be weak...but surprise, surprise, i was actually a bit

stronger

Quoted message said:

for chest...today for shoulders...today for triceps...wtf?

All your muscles were nicely repaired and you may have been relaxed.
Most of the gains are made after the workout...not during. A long rest
period is good for most, helps repair little strains and other nuisance
pains..

"J-Dot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:bGPVd.569265$6l.6413@pd7tw2no...

Quoted message said:

How do I take a week off entirely from the gym, eat like [censored] and come
back the following week stronger? I had being going 4 times a week
with around 10 sets per workout for a couple months straight. There
is no way I was overtraining?? I was making good gains for the couple
months there and then got lazy last week and when I dont workout I eat
like [censored] (probably around half the protein intake that I had been
ingesting). So...this week I was just dreading going back cuz i
thought i would be weak...but surprise, surprise, i was actually a bit
stronger for chest...today for shoulders...today for triceps...wtf?

Google "consistent winning" and see if you can find a copy - it'll
explain much about this.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

I actually just noticed this phenomenon.

I took a week off studying for exams, and I fully expected to not be
able to lift as much when I got back. To my surprise I seemed
stronger...