Break from training...How long is OK/

archive_Mr.Meat · 03-20-2003, 03:44 PM

I'm currently in my last semester of school and things are really "heating-up" (Engineering), and so my diet has gone to sh*t and I haven't been able to train for a week now. I was attempting to loose weight but I might as well forget about that for the next 5 wks

. So I'm thinking I should lett my body recouperate fully and hit it hard when I final garaduate.

If I take a break from training what is the ideal amount to take off?

"Cause there is nothing worst then a man on an ether binge"

drk_diggler · 03-20-2003, 04:53 PM

I think the smartest thing to do is take as much time as you need... If you push things too much and you force yourself back into things it makes it really hard to give 100 percent. School makes things hard but it only lasts for so long and how you do in it determines what happens to you the rest of your life... It dosent take long to get back where you left off anyway. Good luck bro...

drk_diggler · 03-20-2003, 04:55 PM

Oh yeah and I forgot to ask you if your signature was from the movie fear and lothing in las vegas?

archive_Bjaarki · 03-20-2003, 04:56 PM

I hardly ever take time off - I'm struggling with that issue right now, my training partner wants to take a week off and swore me to compliance - but guys I know take a week off every so often, two weeks once or twice a year. You want enough time for your enzymes to get replenished, debris from stressed and damaged muscle to get cleared away, tendons and ligaments a chance to repair, muscles to get flushed with glycogen and new stores of nutrients. Generally, a week will take care of that. Two, depending on a number of individual factors.

5 or 6 weeks is a long time to be away from the gym. You'll lose something with that, size/strength as well as general conditioning. I read somewhere that, in an extended layoff, you can expect to lose about 1/2 to 1 percent of strength per day, reaching asymptote after awhile. That adds up over 5 or 6 weeks.

Look, it doesn't have to be an all-or-none thing, training-as-usual or not-at-all. Bodybuilders think in those black/white terms, it's an occupational hazard, but it doesn't have to be that way. Take a week off, but then, even during high-demand times, find a way to at least keep up your general level of conditioning, even if that means darting into the gym for a 15-minute circuit or two, then heading back to the books. If you do it right and keep up your level of nutrition, especially protein, you should be able to maintain your size and strength, and you'll still be pretty fresh when you have the opportunity to come back full bore.

Bjaarki

... Then, do what you have to do.

archive_Iron God · 03-20-2003, 05:29 PM

Unless your hurt 1 or 2 weeks is enough.

Thats the Discipline. To me training is a way of life, It makes me happy.

SO EVERYTHING else takes a back seat to training

Once you graduate, then you have to look for a job, then you get married, then you have kids.
Next thing you know your like every other clown man on this planet who has no time for himself.

archive_Ulter · 03-20-2003, 05:43 PM

Don't kill yourself over it. I think time off is under-rated. Take the time off and come back. There was a time where I wouldn't take off 5 days let alone 5 weeks but now I realize that it's ok and you really do come back stronger. In recent years if I hit a plateau I want to get past, I take off a few weeks. Then come back and in 4 weeks I blow right past it.

Cornellius · 03-20-2003, 05:50 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="**-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Iron God:
Unless your hurt 1 or 2 weeks is enough.

Thats the Discipline. To me training is a way of life, It makes me happy.

SO EVERYTHING else takes a back seat to training

Once you graduate, then you have to look for a job, then you get married, then you have kids.
Next thing you know your like every other clown man on this planet who has no time for himself.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ditto that.
And I am a student of ingineering (last year) and just started a Magister in ingineering ciences.

______________________________
Yes, I know that my spelling sucks...

archive_Mr.Meat · 03-20-2003, 06:23 PM

School is totally killing my progress in the gym, it might be the stress levels or what ever else it is I just can't make the same progress i can when I'm off during the summers. Its like all the stress is gone and work is just a way to kill time between workouts!!! Plus they pay you instead of you paying them and doing work at the same time!!!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="**-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Unless your hurt 1 or 2 weeks is enough.

Thats the Discipline. To me training is a way of life, It makes me happy.

SO EVERYTHING else takes a back seat to training

Once you graduate, then you have to look for a job, then you get married, then you have kids.
Next thing you know your like every other clown man on this planet who has no time for himself. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Its not that I don't want to go train, I love the Iron too! I don't think I could go two weeks without a workout, I'd go insane. Also I look foreward to looking for a job and all that other shit! I look at it as my permanent vacation from the bondage of school.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="**-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR> 5 or 6 weeks is a long time to be away from the gym. You'll lose something with that, size/strength as well as general conditioning. I read somewhere that, in an extended layoff, you can expect to lose about 1/2 to 1 percent of strength per day, reaching asymptote after awhile. That adds up over 5 or 6 weeks.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I guess i'll make some time in the next couple days and than take sometime off during finals.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="**-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR> Oh yeah and I forgot to ask you if your signature was from the movie fear and lothing in las vegas? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hell Yeah, Thats my all time fave movie...

"Cause there is nothing worst then a man on an ether binge"

archive_Iron God · 03-20-2003, 07:43 PM

Just make sure you don't end up looking Pojebany

Monster · 03-20-2003, 07:55 PM

My brother has wanted to train for years... probobly close to five years now, he always acts as if Im so "lucky".
Because he cant find time in his life to be able to train. Its an ongoing argument.
I tell him that if you wait till you "have time" to train you never will.
I have NEVER "had time" to train, I MAKE TIME to train.

That isnt to say that some time off is bad, you need a week off every so often. In fact the hardest thing Ive ever done was to start training in a less than 6-7 days a week pattern

Days off are the hardest thing in the world, but since Ive switched to 2 on - 1 off - 2 on - 2 off Ive broken previously unbreakable plataeus in strength, body weight, and intensity.

Id say find a happy medium.
Even if you end up only being able to do a weekend workout, like half your body saturday, half sunday. But dont just quit training because of scheduling problems...
Like Bjaarki said, it doesnt have to be black-and-white.

But even more importantly like IG said "Once you graduate, then you have to look for a job, then you get married, then you have kids."

You wont EVER have time. Make time - what ever amount of time you can make - youll be better off for it in the end.

-------------------------

"Trying is the first step towards failure."

"Well, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is... never try."

rippedchef · 03-20-2003, 08:10 PM

Do what you gotta do but you'll always hear the iron calling and in the back of your mind you need the pain-don't look for excuses just go train-if you've had a long run and you need to replenish take a week off but as soon as you start missing workouts or taking time off because the gym doesn't fit into your schedule watch out-that my friend is a slippery slope!!

South of the border · 03-20-2003, 09:56 PM

The above posts are all solid advice.

A week off after a training cycle of 4 months or so is a good thing. Even two.

Taking one or two weeks off from working out for the duration of your finals is OK and should not affect much of your condition, strenght or muscle mass.

Taking one month off or more is where one will see his body shrink and body fat percentage rise.

My suggestion is this: don't stop training. Just train differently. Instead of going to the gym four times a week go two or three times for 45 min workouts. I have found that physical activity is a good thing while in school. It keep you sharp mentally and helps you sleep better.

Do not fool yourself into thinking that you will have more time for yourself once you will leave school and start working in a real job. Quite the opposite actually.

Good luck.

archive_Spectre · 03-20-2003, 11:26 PM

Training is good for the mind as well, it's helping you in your studies. Just don't do nothing, at least get in some good stretching and get your flexibility back, isometrics...Knock out 2 days a week in the gym. Good luck

CarManAnthony · 03-21-2003, 06:09 AM

You know yourself. You know you're more motivated and less stressed when you're working and making money than working and spending it (on college expenses). Working out is more like another chore than a temporary break or vacation from stress when you're like this. Maybe short-period meditation now and then is an option worth considering until the end of the semester? Finishing college with an exceptional GPA and soaking in all the knowledge for your future that you can while you have the oppurtunity is much more important than losing 5-10 lbs. of fat in the next 5 weeks. You will not have anymore oppurtunities for the former, but in all probability, the future holds many oppurtunities to do the latter.

Muscles have been shown to go through some pretty fascinating changes during detraining of previously exceptionally trained fibers that open up the door for new levels of growth. Not to mention that previously trained muscles get back to their former peak size many times faster than they got there in the first place.

On the issue of diet, in a time of multivitamins, protein shakes, microwaves, and George Foreman grills, basically everyone should have the time to eat right. Not every meal has to be freshly prepared whole foods. But eating too much shit food will only exacerbate your stress levels and reduce mental clarity. Continue eating with the goals of getting enough overall calories to prevent feelings of hunger, essential vitamins and minerals, essential fatty acids, keeping blood sugar stable, and maintenance/improvement of your choleserol profile.

archive_Killer · 03-21-2003, 07:46 AM

Agreed with CarMan, still eat well. Watch the daily caloric intake since you will not be using as much cals. One problem I have is that when I don't train I eat like crap. It is the black and white all or nothing issue Bjaarki referred too.

Fukkenshredded · 03-21-2003, 08:34 AM

I took almost a month off recently. Lost a little strength is all. Its coming right back...of course, I am on.

charlie brown · 03-21-2003, 12:06 PM

You know, I love training. It's been a part of all of my (short) adult life and I wouldn't have it any other way. But the gym will still be there in 5 weeks. If training is a part of your lifestyle, then take as much time off as you need to do well in school. Set your number one priority and everything else works around that. You won't suddenly "forget" about training if you stop for 5 weeks. If training helps keep you focused on school, then by all means, work it into your schedule. If you're gonna be a pro bodybuilder, hell, work school into your schedule.

ERTW!

archive_Mr.Meat · 03-21-2003, 12:22 PM

Thanks for the all the replys and advice, I'll try to go today or what I ment to say is I'll go today. Gonna Hit some squats and deadlifts do the whole body sortathing.

I still eat good "bodybuilding type" food But the quantities and frequencies are all over the place, I don't eat crap cause it makes me feel like crap.

My only concern was that during these high stress stituations my body is not exactly in a Anabolic state.

But I guess some training is better than no training....

again thanks to all

"Cause there is nothing worst then a man on an ether binge"

Vageta · 03-23-2003, 10:05 PM

I'd recommend just doing what is necessary to keep what you have, but not necessarily make any significant progress. I think a simple full body workout twice per week is plenty to maintain your current condition while not taking much time out of your life. You can even continue to lose fat if you wish if you keep diet under control.

I'd take a week off then just hit the gym twice per week when you can. A simple 30-45 minute full body workout is plenty. You won't be losing muscle with this type of setup, some people even gain muscle with something this simple. If you can't manage an hour a week in the gym then I'm not sure what else to tell you.

archive_Mr.Meat · 03-24-2003, 02:41 PM

Well I went to the gym last friday and today and all in all I think the week of helped...had a great workout today, so I'm just gonna keep it around 45 min 3x a week...as for cutting up I think I'll wait a month on that and try again as soon as finnish school, also got some NYC type product recently I'm itching to try with r-ala...haven't taken any stimulants (except caffine(sp)) in about three months. But I think it useless to use it without having the diet/trainning/cardio in place first.

"Cause there is nothing worst then a man on an ether binge"

[This message was edited by Mr.Meat on 03-24-2003 at 04:56 PM.]

BrahmaBull · 03-25-2003, 07:17 AM

Mr. Meat:

You have all the advice you need here, but I'm glad I read this.

When I was studying for qual exams, I finally decided that I should quit working out and devote all my time to the books. It turned out that I wasted most of the extra hours just staring at the wall. You can study better if you take a break now and then. Keep up your workouts, but put them in maintenance mode. Don't kick yourself for not making gains--that's not what you're after right now.

If you let the crises that life brings along divert you from the gym, you could nakryt'sya pizdoj.

BB

archive_Mr.Meat · 03-25-2003, 08:24 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="**-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by BrahmaBull:
Mr. Meat:

You have all the advice you need here, but I'm glad I read this.

When I was studying for qual exams, I finally decided that I should quit working out and devote all my time to the books. It turned out that I wasted most of the extra hours just staring at the wall. You can study better if you take a break now and then. Keep up your workouts, but put them in maintenance mode. Don't kick yourself for not making gains--that's not what you're after right now.

03-20-2003, 03:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
archive_Mr.Meat Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 414 Rep Power: 5535	Break from training...How long is OK/ I'm currently in my last semester of school and things are really "heating-up" (Engineering), and so my diet has gone to sh*t and I haven't been able to train for a week now. I was attempting to loose weight but I might as well forget about that for the next 5 wks . So I'm thinking I should lett my body recouperate fully and hit it hard when I final garaduate. If I take a break from training what is the ideal amount to take off? "Cause there is nothing worst then a man on an ether binge" __________________ ------------------------------------------------------------ &quot;A person needs only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it dosen&apos;t move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and it shouldn&apos;t, use the tape.&quot; -Hungarian philosopher Jose Silva

03-20-2003, 04:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
drk_diggler Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 250 Rep Power: 4583	I think the smartest thing to do is take as much time as you need... If you push things too much and you force yourself back into things it makes it really hard to give 100 percent. School makes things hard but it only lasts for so long and how you do in it determines what happens to you the rest of your life... It dosent take long to get back where you left off anyway. Good luck bro... __________________ The Golden Rule Is Fuck The Gold!!! He Who Has The Nickleplated Makes The Fucking Rules!!!

03-20-2003, 04:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
drk_diggler Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 250 Rep Power: 4583	Oh yeah and I forgot to ask you if your signature was from the movie fear and lothing in las vegas? __________________ The Golden Rule Is Fuck The Gold!!! He Who Has The Nickleplated Makes The Fucking Rules!!!

03-20-2003, 04:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
archive_Bjaarki Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,673 Rep Power: 13546	I hardly ever take time off - I'm struggling with that issue right now, my training partner wants to take a week off and swore me to compliance - but guys I know take a week off every so often, two weeks once or twice a year. You want enough time for your enzymes to get replenished, debris from stressed and damaged muscle to get cleared away, tendons and ligaments a chance to repair, muscles to get flushed with glycogen and new stores of nutrients. Generally, a week will take care of that. Two, depending on a number of individual factors. 5 or 6 weeks is a long time to be away from the gym. You'll lose something with that, size/strength as well as general conditioning. I read somewhere that, in an extended layoff, you can expect to lose about 1/2 to 1 percent of strength per day, reaching asymptote after awhile. That adds up over 5 or 6 weeks. Look, it doesn't have to be an all-or-none thing, training-as-usual or not-at-all. Bodybuilders think in those black/white terms, it's an occupational hazard, but it doesn't have to be that way. Take a week off, but then, even during high-demand times, find a way to at least keep up your general level of conditioning, even if that means darting into the gym for a 15-minute circuit or two, then heading back to the books. If you do it right and keep up your level of nutrition, especially protein, you should be able to maintain your size and strength, and you'll still be pretty fresh when you have the opportunity to come back full bore. Bjaarki ... Then, do what you have to do. __________________ First, say to yourself what you would become. Then, do what you have to do.

03-20-2003, 05:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
archive_Ulter Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 15,388 Rep Power: 21906	Don't kill yourself over it. I think time off is under-rated. Take the time off and come back. There was a time where I wouldn't take off 5 days let alone 5 weeks but now I realize that it's ok and you really do come back stronger. In recent years if I hit a plateau I want to get past, I take off a few weeks. Then come back and in 4 weeks I blow right past it. __________________

03-20-2003, 05:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
archive_Iron God Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 1,291 Rep Power: 7256	Unless your hurt 1 or 2 weeks is enough. Thats the Discipline. To me training is a way of life, It makes me happy. SO EVERYTHING else takes a back seat to training Once you graduate, then you have to look for a job, then you get married, then you have kids. Next thing you know your like every other clown man on this planet who has no time for himself.

03-20-2003, 05:50 PM	#7 (permalink)
Cornellius Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Posts: 650 Rep Power: 6525	<BLOCKQUOTE class="**-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Iron God: Unless your hurt 1 or 2 weeks is enough. Thats the Discipline. To me training is a way of life, It makes me happy. SO EVERYTHING else takes a back seat to training Once you graduate, then you have to look for a job, then you get married, then you have kids. Next thing you know your like every other clown man on this planet who has no time for himself.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Ditto that. And I am a student of ingineering (last year) and just started a Magister in ingineering ciences. ______________________________ Yes, I know that my spelling sucks...

03-20-2003, 06:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
archive_Mr.Meat Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 414 Rep Power: 5535	School is totally killing my progress in the gym, it might be the stress levels or what ever else it is I just can't make the same progress i can when I'm off during the summers. Its like all the stress is gone and work is just a way to kill time between workouts!!! Plus they pay you instead of you paying them and doing work at the same time!!! <BLOCKQUOTE class="-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Unless your hurt 1 or 2 weeks is enough. Thats the Discipline. To me training is a way of life, It makes me happy. SO EVERYTHING else takes a back seat to training Once you graduate, then you have to look for a job, then you get married, then you have kids. Next thing you know your like every other clown man on this planet who has no time for himself. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Its not that I don't want to go train, I love the Iron too! I don't think I could go two weeks without a workout, I'd go insane. Also I look foreward to looking for a job and all that other shit! I look at it as my permanent vacation from the bondage of school. <BLOCKQUOTE class="-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> 5 or 6 weeks is a long time to be away from the gym. You'll lose something with that, size/strength as well as general conditioning. I read somewhere that, in an extended layoff, you can expect to lose about 1/2 to 1 percent of strength per day, reaching asymptote after awhile. That adds up over 5 or 6 weeks. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I guess i'll make some time in the next couple days and than take sometime off during finals. <BLOCKQUOTE class="**-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Oh yeah and I forgot to ask you if your signature was from the movie fear and lothing in las vegas? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Hell Yeah, Thats my all time fave movie... "Cause there is nothing worst then a man on an ether binge" __________________ ------------------------------------------------------------ &quot;A person needs only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it dosen&apos;t move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and it shouldn&apos;t, use the tape.&quot; -Hungarian philosopher Jose Silva

03-20-2003, 07:43 PM	#9 (permalink)
archive_Iron God Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 1,291 Rep Power: 7256	Just make sure you don't end up looking Pojebany

03-20-2003, 07:55 PM	#10 (permalink)
Monster Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 5,637 Rep Power: 11921	My brother has wanted to train for years... probobly close to five years now, he always acts as if Im so "lucky". Because he cant find time in his life to be able to train. Its an ongoing argument. I tell him that if you wait till you "have time" to train you never will. I have NEVER "had time" to train, I MAKE TIME to train. That isnt to say that some time off is bad, you need a week off every so often. In fact the hardest thing Ive ever done was to start training in a less than 6-7 days a week pattern Days off are the hardest thing in the world, but since Ive switched to 2 on - 1 off - 2 on - 2 off Ive broken previously unbreakable plataeus in strength, body weight, and intensity. Id say find a happy medium. Even if you end up only being able to do a weekend workout, like half your body saturday, half sunday. But dont just quit training because of scheduling problems... Like Bjaarki said, it doesnt have to be black-and-white. But even more importantly like IG said "Once you graduate, then you have to look for a job, then you get married, then you have kids." You wont EVER have time. Make time - what ever amount of time you can make - youll be better off for it in the end. ------------------------- "Trying is the first step towards failure." "Well, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is... never try." __________________ ------------------------- &quot;I would NEVER call a retarded person a retard. Retard is what you call your friends when theyre acting retarded.&quot; - Michael Scott &quot;I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.&quot; -- Robert Dawkins

03-20-2003, 08:10 PM	#11 (permalink)
rippedchef Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 100 Rep Power: 4801	Do what you gotta do but you'll always hear the iron calling and in the back of your mind you need the pain-don't look for excuses just go train-if you've had a long run and you need to replenish take a week off but as soon as you start missing workouts or taking time off because the gym doesn't fit into your schedule watch out-that my friend is a slippery slope!!

03-20-2003, 09:56 PM	#12 (permalink)
South of the border Gold Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 948 Rep Power: 6611	The above posts are all solid advice. A week off after a training cycle of 4 months or so is a good thing. Even two. Taking one or two weeks off from working out for the duration of your finals is OK and should not affect much of your condition, strenght or muscle mass. Taking one month off or more is where one will see his body shrink and body fat percentage rise. My suggestion is this: don't stop training. Just train differently. Instead of going to the gym four times a week go two or three times for 45 min workouts. I have found that physical activity is a good thing while in school. It keep you sharp mentally and helps you sleep better. Do not fool yourself into thinking that you will have more time for yourself once you will leave school and start working in a real job. Quite the opposite actually. Good luck.

03-20-2003, 11:26 PM	#13 (permalink)
archive_Spectre Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 145 Rep Power: 5048	Training is good for the mind as well, it's helping you in your studies. Just don't do nothing, at least get in some good stretching and get your flexibility back, isometrics...Knock out 2 days a week in the gym. Good luck

03-21-2003, 06:09 AM	#14 (permalink)
CarManAnthony Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 29 Rep Power: 5130	You know yourself. You know you're more motivated and less stressed when you're working and making money than working and spending it (on college expenses). Working out is more like another chore than a temporary break or vacation from stress when you're like this. Maybe short-period meditation now and then is an option worth considering until the end of the semester? Finishing college with an exceptional GPA and soaking in all the knowledge for your future that you can while you have the oppurtunity is much more important than losing 5-10 lbs. of fat in the next 5 weeks. You will not have anymore oppurtunities for the former, but in all probability, the future holds many oppurtunities to do the latter. Muscles have been shown to go through some pretty fascinating changes during detraining of previously exceptionally trained fibers that open up the door for new levels of growth. Not to mention that previously trained muscles get back to their former peak size many times faster than they got there in the first place. On the issue of diet, in a time of multivitamins, protein shakes, microwaves, and George Foreman grills, basically everyone should have the time to eat right. Not every meal has to be freshly prepared whole foods. But eating too much shit food will only exacerbate your stress levels and reduce mental clarity. Continue eating with the goals of getting enough overall calories to prevent feelings of hunger, essential vitamins and minerals, essential fatty acids, keeping blood sugar stable, and maintenance/improvement of your choleserol profile.

03-21-2003, 07:46 AM	#15 (permalink)
archive_Killer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 2,195 Rep Power: 7940	Agreed with CarMan, still eat well. Watch the daily caloric intake since you will not be using as much cals. One problem I have is that when I don't train I eat like crap. It is the black and white all or nothing issue Bjaarki referred too.

03-21-2003, 08:34 AM	#16 (permalink)
Fukkenshredded Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2000 Posts: 1,036 Rep Power: 13713	I took almost a month off recently. Lost a little strength is all. Its coming right back...of course, I am on.

03-21-2003, 12:06 PM	#17 (permalink)
charlie brown Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 278 Rep Power: 6085	You know, I love training. It's been a part of all of my (short) adult life and I wouldn't have it any other way. But the gym will still be there in 5 weeks. If training is a part of your lifestyle, then take as much time off as you need to do well in school. Set your number one priority and everything else works around that. You won't suddenly "forget" about training if you stop for 5 weeks. If training helps keep you focused on school, then by all means, work it into your schedule. If you're gonna be a pro bodybuilder, hell, work school into your schedule. ERTW! __________________ ERTW!

03-21-2003, 12:22 PM	#18 (permalink)
archive_Mr.Meat Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 414 Rep Power: 5535	Thanks for the all the replys and advice, I'll try to go today or what I ment to say is I'll go today. Gonna Hit some squats and deadlifts do the whole body sortathing. I still eat good "bodybuilding type" food But the quantities and frequencies are all over the place, I don't eat crap cause it makes me feel like crap. My only concern was that during these high stress stituations my body is not exactly in a Anabolic state. But I guess some training is better than no training.... again thanks to all "Cause there is nothing worst then a man on an ether binge" __________________ ------------------------------------------------------------ &quot;A person needs only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it dosen&apos;t move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and it shouldn&apos;t, use the tape.&quot; -Hungarian philosopher Jose Silva

03-23-2003, 10:05 PM	#19 (permalink)
Vageta Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 21 Rep Power: 5526	I'd recommend just doing what is necessary to keep what you have, but not necessarily make any significant progress. I think a simple full body workout twice per week is plenty to maintain your current condition while not taking much time out of your life. You can even continue to lose fat if you wish if you keep diet under control. I'd take a week off then just hit the gym twice per week when you can. A simple 30-45 minute full body workout is plenty. You won't be losing muscle with this type of setup, some people even gain muscle with something this simple. If you can't manage an hour a week in the gym then I'm not sure what else to tell you.

03-25-2003, 07:17 AM	#21 (permalink)
BrahmaBull Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 357 Rep Power: 6070	Mr. Meat: You have all the advice you need here, but I'm glad I read this. When I was studying for qual exams, I finally decided that I should quit working out and devote all my time to the books. It turned out that I wasted most of the extra hours just staring at the wall. You can study better if you take a break now and then. Keep up your workouts, but put them in maintenance mode. Don't kick yourself for not making gains--that's not what you're after right now. If you let the crises that life brings along divert you from the gym, you could nakryt'sya pizdoj. BB