Rest - Hit me with the opinions you degenerate Jedi

[seymour]

I want to know if any of you have every done this or heard of anyone doing it. Working out the other day I got to talking after workout and dude said that when he's on longer cycles like 12 or more weeks he will usually take a single five day block consecutive a little over halfway through blast and rest. No lifts. No cardio. Eats clean as hell still. Nothing changes but the total body rest for that five days.

When I blast I always keep my standard workout schedule which is 5-6 days a week with my HIIT cardio 4-5 times a week and 6 times when cutting. I've never taken extended rest during blast. Only time I take any bit of extended rest is on my cruise generally. It's never a huge amount of time. Just something like this.

He said that it helps him because he just totally recovers and when he comes back it's insane. Being on the blast and by that point like 6 or 7 weeks in everything is kicked in and you been busting ass for 6 or 7 weeks and then let body rest and come back....nutty.

I had never really even contemplated the idea. But, now I'm curious. Any of you dudes ever do this?

 

[HGH.to]

never done it myself but to be honest... he has a point there 5 days allows your body to fully recover (ESPECIALLY) when you're blasting. Just that 5 days sounds like a bit too much. i guess 4 days would be enough? my guess? because roids help you recover much faster

 

[seymour]

You make a good point. I think 4 days would sound more ideal. I definitely think I'm going to give this a go the next time I do a longer bulk cycle. One of the key things he noted was make sure it's at least 6 or 7 weeks in that way it's roughly halfway or a little more and also by then ALL the gear has kicked in.

Thanks for the input my man!

 

[HGH.to]

One of the key things he noted was make sure it's at least 6 or 7 weeks in that way it's roughly halfway or a little more and also by then ALL the gear has kicked in.

that's true. plus, what's the point of letting your body "recover" when it hasn't even gotten tired yet? surely should be after weeks of "torturing" it

 

[bobby ricky]

Don’t know if this fits in but I kill it for three consecutive days then take 4 days off. I take every set till total failure and it’s a failure that most people in the gym don’t know about or could never emulate in their wildest dreams
I can get more out of one set than most people can get out of a whole workout I’ve learned to push myself to another level that most people don’t know exists By doing this new training I can’t hold a normal conversation or even pay attention to the world around me as I’m always catching my breath between sets. Headphones on hat down in front and stuck in my mind muscle connection. Absolutely nothing else in the world exists except pain for one hour. I grow for four days in A row. In life I just do what successful people do and it works

 

[seymour]

Yo Bobby - do you do this every week? Regardless of blast or cruise?

I seriously appreciate the info. I've been looking into this and am very curious.

When you're talking about total failure I feel you on that. Have you ever done your heavy/sometimes mid weight sets with standard reps for 4 or 5 sets or whatever you do then AFTER completing those drop the weight by like half roughly and bang a set of 20 or more? The pump and the pain is intense. For the 4 to 5 sets before that you go to total failure as well (good form more than anything though)

 

[bobby ricky]

I’m on my 4 th week of this because life has become so busy for me lately. My first day back is lower weight but not light weight pumping and second day is heavy for me and by third day it’s lighter again. Have trouble putting on shirt and shoes on my first day off everything gets hit twice or three times a week. Workout can run longer if it’s a great juicy vein popping workout I do it all as in drop sets and partial reps at end and sometimes I don’t count until the pain starts. The longer I stay in the pain zone the better I look. Last day I really listen to my body when It comes to weight so to avoid injury. I have goals and my workouts although are not super heavy they are full of intent .

 

[seymour]

Hell yeah my man. I like the sounds of it. Did you start doing this when you got a lot more busy cause life and shit happens? LoL

It definitely frees up those extra days and it relates EXACTLY to what I was asking about with the rest.

I like how you're doing it and making it work. I may have to try this or something very similar

 

[bobby ricky]

So busy lately and that’s what made me try it. Don’t know if it would work for a natty guy. But we don’t have to worry about that I will keep doing it until it doesn’t work anymore.

 

[Gainz.]

I've definitely taken time off to recover, but never on a cycle. When I felt my body, weight, or numbers hit a plateau I would schedule a week off. 4-6 days of nothing.
Then when I came back my numbers would jump by the 3rd workout. 1st workout would be kinda rough, second would feel much better than the 3rd I'd feel better and stronger than ever. Also got my numbers moving up on the scale again. Not that long ago I was stuck at 167lbs. For like 3 weeks I was just planted. I took 6 days off (was only supposed to be 4 but life happens) and in 2 weeks I went up to 170, and I put 25lbs on my bench.
I heard about this from strongmen and old school powerlifters. It definitely has worked for me, but again I'm natural. Not that I think that would make much of difference. if anything help you bulk because you won't be burning the calories.

 

[Deleted member 45086]

There's many weeks that I hit it extreme from Thu-Sunday. Then just cardio and ab work m-w. And might completely rest for couple of days consecutive per month.

 

[EMachine]

Don’t know if this fits in but I kill it for three consecutive days then take 4 days off. I take every set till total failure and it’s a failure that most people in the gym don’t know about or could never emulate in their wildest dreams
I can get more out of one set than most people can get out of a whole workout I’ve learned to push myself to another level that most people don’t know exists By doing this new training I can’t hold a normal conversation or even pay attention to the world around me as I’m always catching my breath between sets. Headphones on hat down in front and stuck in my mind muscle connection. Absolutely nothing else in the world exists except pain for one hour. I grow for four days in A row. In life I just do what successful people do and it works

Have a friend who does that! He's a nurse who lives in the mountains and his work schedule is 3 on 4 off and when he comes to the city, he works out and then after the third day goes back home (where there isn't a gym) and rests. He eats clean and he's a pretty big guy! He's been doing this for years and swears by this.

 

[EMachine]

I don't like to take 1 full week off. I think it's too long, unless you're a competitive bodybuilder and it's the off-season. Perhaps, the other reason would be if you were overtraining and felt exhausted, appetite was low and was actually not making progress. I like what others have said and 3-5 days would in my opinion be enough. I have taken 1 week off before when I was competing and actually didn't lose muscle. I actually grew. When I got back in the gym my muscle bellies and pump were insane, but I was overtraining and needed a break. I didn't do that consistently and only did it in the off-season.

 

[Gainz.]

I don't like to take 1 full week off. I think it's too long, unless you're a competitive bodybuilder and it's the off-season. Perhaps, the other reason would be if you were overtraining and felt exhausted, appetite was low and was actually not making progress. I like what others have said and 3-5 days would in my opinion be enough. I have taken 1 week off before when I was competing and actually didn't lose muscle. I actually grew. When I got back in the gym my muscle bellies and pump were insane, but I was overtraining and needed a break. I didn't do that consistently and only did it in the off-season.

I think the only difference between 3-5 days a week is if you're natty or not.