4 week lay off! How long to get back to scratch?

Diamondmaker

HI

Not posted here in a while just been stuck into things and made great progress. Since I kicked off disciplined training and diet in Feb due to advice and readsing here I made amazing changes. I was amazed how much one could change and @sculpt@ their phsique.

Its gonna be hobby of mine for as long as I can keep up for it physucally know Id say.

Any way I have had my 1st lay off from training for more than 3 days over the last 4 weeks.

I was sick for week 1, ate hardly anything and lost a lot of fluids.:o y'know what I mean.......
Week 2 I had to move house, ate no regular meals and missed all bar 1 session.
Week 3 and 4 was on holidays at Rugby WC so drank smoked and ate cheese:D

I kept up the cardio work by running on the beach most days for 2 weeks so fittness is good but have lost all muscle I feel and am deffo no where near as strong as I was 4 weeks ago and muscle tone not half as good. BF up too visually for sure.

Any ideas how loing itll take me to get back on top of things, as this is the 1st time I have had to take a break from training I know not what to expect.

cheers
DM

Colm_OReilly

You lose strength quite slowly, so you shouldn't have much trouble lifting what you were lifting, or at least very close to it. Its possible the break actually helped some minor niggling injuries heal up so you could be in better shape in a few sesssions.

As regards the excess fat, well that depends on your diet and energy expenditure over the next while. We don't know how much you've put on but if you're strict with yourself you can get back to what you are quick enough.

Colm

Reyman

I agree with Colm. A week's hard work and you'll most likely be lifting more than before! A break can help quite a lot

Diamondmaker

cool Im optimistic now rather than depressed, am able to get back in tomorrow for a good session.:)

topday

I would not worry about it.. I was in the same boat more or less and it's taking me 4 weeks to get back on form.. actually I am feeling the results alot more than before. I think I needed the rest. Today I will start the 5th week of getting back into things!! New work out here we go!! 4 days a week and 3 days cardio!! I want to see major improvements in the next month..

You seem to have the right mind set so keep pushing and you will see the results as before!

BossArky

Back in June I missed a good few weeks training due to moving house, work, exams and other bits and pieces. A good week of approx 5 days in the gym, most weights, some running, had me feeling fine again. Good to have a break anyway.

Diamondmaker

1st day back was yesterday, did not do as bad as I thought but was deffo 5/10% less ability on most weights on most excercises.

I noticed that any leg excercises did not seem to be affected. I must put this down to running on the silky soft sand. I did that most days for about 5/6 k.

I actually think my legs strengthened due to it. Shame its way to feckin cold to get out onto the beaches here now:mad:

Reyman

That's good ! Let us know how you do after 7-10 days and see if you're lifting more than before.

Degsy

I find that when doing deadlifts(for example) a bit of a lay off does no harm whatsoever and even two weeks or so seems to be beneficial.

Diamondmaker

tomorrow is 2 weeks back. Ive been very much hard at it and feeling better than ever.

Im stronger in all excercises now but as I failed last week ( embarrasingly ) on the bench, with the bar on my neck ! pushing to be back where I was too soon, I have been hindered here psycholgically the last few days.

I got back to where I was on the bench today, so have not noticed any gains here - due to the mental aspect i think.

Have to say the lay off was very good, so long as you look after your self generally, keep the fitness in some way and keep in touch - with any excercise you can do, its seems pretty good and does no harm. Thrilled I got overy the hump so quick.

Lil' Smiler

the FITT principle says that for every 1 week off you have it takes 2 weeks to get back up to the level you were at.. as far as i can remember from college

Hanley

Fitt?

Diamondmaker

Lil' Smiler wrote:

the FITT principle says that for every 1 week off you have it takes 2 weeks to get back up to the level you were at.. as far as i can remember from college

Fitt??
Flawed inaccurate trainingn theory ??

Certainly did NOT take me 8 weeks to get back to where I was, Im definitely better than I was and that was for half a week back for every week off.

Im totally inclined to agree with the earlier posts above, that strength is not lost half as quickly ( or is regained quicer ) than one may assume.

I also remeber reading Hanley a while back where less traing ( due to work I think ) yielded better resulkts for the initial period any way.

Everybody take 2 weeks off !!:)

Hanley

Diamondmaker, it yielded good results size wise since I was coming off a high volume period and the extra recovery time allowed me to grow.

I don't think it was AS good for strength. For example I'm coming off the back of a super-high volume 4 week block now and my strength's at an all time high right now because of the frequency.

My closing comment is something I actually said in the gym yesterday; "It's taken you 2+ years to build up your strength? Do you honestly think you'll lose it all in 4 weeks?"

Linoge

Well this thread has made me feel alot better. I'm coming into my 5th week out of the gym - a never ending cold has kept me out. Dying to get back now