[eazy]

Quite often, taking well earned time off training can result in serious guilt trips because you often think you are robbing yourself of muscle and that you might "shrink". This is not the case.

It takes approximately 2-3 weeks before your muscles begin losing size only because muscle growth respond to demanding stress inflicted upon it.

To maximise your time off, your nutrition and the way you eat is absolutely critical and is the maker or breaker of retaining muscles or flat out gaining fat in that time.

My suggestion is to maintain a high protein diet still with a combination of healthy fats and be moderate on carbs or lower them still. This all depends on where you are at, what your goals may be and macro set up works best for you.

But keep this in mind next time you take some time off training.

You will come back stronger for it as your muscles have had ample time to recuperate from damage, get bigger and strengthen.

[andyebs]

six weeks hol for kids ruining all my training and diet missing meals on days out and training only when i can i do feel im robbing myself not had weeks off just sometimes only 2 days a week in gym and just been doing full body have managed couple of full weeks

[Cena2013]

I take 4 times a year. I always go back better then before. I hate the soreness i get when i start back up

[admin1]

Good point eazy, sometimes I take 1 week off in 2-3 months, I get better pumps as a result.

However I observed that it works better for me when I do walk a lot during time off.

[Cena2013]

I do cardio aswell admin. Just jogging, on my time off

[Barman]

yeah I like to take a break a couple times a year 3 or 4 times take 1-2 weeks off eat ok in that time just relax then easy my way back into things as I do a couple months of very extreme training then back off a bit then go super nuts again its good to relax goof for both body and mind

[13uie67]

im a big believer in taking time off... i like to take 2 breaks a year mainly for ligament & tendon repair.. ill still be in the gym but my weight,maneuvers,and basically my whole workout gets toned done considerably to where im just doing the moves... ill do tht for about a month and then ill take 2 weeks off for just complete rest..

[stillgoingstron]

I intend taking a complete break from weights for the whole of June.

I have a fairly chronic pain from elbow to shoulder in my right arm and I'm hoping it will repair itself.

Whenever I've had a lengthy break before I always come back physically and mentally refreshed and dying to lift again. Having said that, if I lose a bit of size I won't lose too much sleep.