Taking breaks, long and short

[erb5]

I have been working out on and off for several years. For the past 14 months, I've been exercising 5 days a week (lifting & cardio).

Usually, I take a week-long break when a lifting routine ends, for the duration of vacation, or during illness. If the break is a result of the latter two reasons, I don't substitute light activity, otherwise, I do.

Lately, for reasons I can't fully articulate (FWIW, I have do not have any injuries, though!), I've been contemplating taking a longer break. Most likely about three weeks, but I'd even considered breaking until the NROL4W comes out (which I'm eagerly anticipating). That seems a bit long, though (5-6 weeks).

My primary questions are:

• What are the theories or thinking (if there is any!) behind the week-long break? Either physical or mental? It seems to be de riguer in most programs.
• Barring obvious reasons (injury), are longer or shorter breaks advisable in a regular workout plan?
• Is the reason light activity is often recommended/cited during breaks merely to keep in the gym habit? Or is there something more?
• Finally, if you're willing to share the when and why of how you handle breaks, I'd be interested and appreciative.

TIA!

[karky]

I think the theory behind the "take x days off after x time training" is a way of making sure you don't fall into overtraining. If you train for 6 weeks, and it's a bit too much, then take a week off, you're body will supercompensate (meaning it will build itself up and become stronger) however, if you don't take the break and keep going, you will eventually stall and become overtrained. - that only applies if you indeed are doing too much. You can do this on purpouse, doing too much (called overramping) for a period of time, then take a week or so with lighter activity (lowering the volume and/or intensity, etc) this is referred to as "deloading"

And I wouldn't take a long break like 3 or 5 weeks. You will get out of it and your body will get used to not moving. It will be very hard starting again and you will probably be weaker (though you will regain strenght pretty quickly since your body remembers where you have been)

The way I handle breaks is kind of random. Say I've got a vacation coming up and I'm going on a road trip for 5 days, then I might simply take those 5 days off. That way I'm sure I get some breaks in every now and then. However, if I feel down, depressed, tired, all that stuff, I usually take a break or deload to give my CNS some rest before I hit it hard again.

[JoshDunn]

Because life gets in the way I won't be working out until about feb. Strength is usually maintained and easily reversed. Weight doesn't change unless you eat wrong for the duration of a break.

I think if you wanted to take the 5-6weeks off. Your body could be telling you something and its best to listen. Nothing will change over that time except your drive to come back and train your butt off with a new great book at that time.

Up to you as always though.

[BjsAust]

I wouldnt take more than 3 weeks off, unless you're really mentally wrecked and really need the break. A longer break soon becomes a lost habit (as I've found way too many times).