How To Take A Break From Training

Hi mate,

Nice to see you here!

Following the other articles How to Keep in Shape while Traveling and How to Get Back in Shape After a Layoff of the “time off” series, let’s now deepen into unexpected events and what life can bring us.

Sometimes, doesn’t matter how we plan our schedules, last-minute events and news pop up and we are compelled to improvise. That also means sometimes to skip a meal, a training workout or more. The problem is that people often get upset or really mad about it, like it’s a life or death scenario. Mate, your life, future, goals, plans… don’t depend on it. Although it’s good and admirable to be really disciplined, focused and motivated to make changes and growth processes happen in your life, being too uptight and narrow-minded can eventually turn out to be very detrimental, both physically and psychologically.

If you are a pro artist/athlete, CEO of whatever business, a hard-working guy, in the middle of contest prepping, a competition training person late about some work or project stuff that demands to be delivered in a timely manner, most of this article is certainly not for you (well, except for one part), and is certainly not an excuse to get lazy. However, if you are someone who is just doing whatever it takes to keep a good life balance, then I got some bad and good news.

Learn To Go With The Flow

The first step is to just acknowledge that you probably can’t do anything about that surprise, and that “it is what it is”. Being angry and mad and sad about it won’t change the fact that, well, it’s still going to be this way. So instead of just stressing about it, learn to be more stoic; and regroup yourself: you aren’t going to be a walking trash because of one missed workout or one sub-optimal/missed meal. Don’t stress, do your best and keep it up.
Consistency will always beat short bursts of high intensity and focus toward muscle building, fat loss, strength training, etc. And even other things of life.

Listen To Your Body

The second step is to realize that, if you have been serious and dedicated to strenuous workouts, day in and days outs, weeks in and weeks out, for months or even years, the added recovery is often welcomed by your organism that will be able to use the food that you ate and the added to hours to better over-compensate from your programming.
Again, except if you are in a very rigid, linear progression type of training, where you need to enter and validate each week a certain set/rep scheme or a top set with precise percentages, you will be just fine and will kill it on your next session.
But how about it isn’t about a missed training session, but just you, who realize and accept the fact that you are just wasted: ultra tired, no appetite, no matter how well and much you sleep it isn’t enough, the whole body is tender, a lot of joints and muscles are sore and stay that way longer than usual… It might be time for a little break, or deload, or contrast training. Or a few days away to really regenerate and empty both the mind and the body.
If we are speaking about a bad/missed meal, the same thing applies: why would it matter when the other 90% of the food you put in your mouth is dialed in, healthy, doesn’t make you sick and help with your fitness goals? Just enjoy your fries, or embrace a bit of fasting in your day.
The same thing than with training, if your diet is boring or just doesn’t satisfy you, take a break from it. Change up, cook something else, try and discover new things.

If the Break is Longer

We covered a missed meal/workout type scenario, now, let say you are just trashed, after a huge competition for example, or an overreaching phase, or well established overtraining/under recovering state. How do you turn the tides to all of this? Here are a few tips:

• As I stated above, having a deload period can benefit your nerves and joints.
• Also, contrast training can help boost recovery and give you new goals and things to try (calisthenics, gymnastics, weightlifting, strongman training,…).
• Try to relax and be more chill about life: lay back, breath, take one thing at a time.
• Consider doing another physical activity, to change up things, discover a new passion, earn new skills, having fun.
• Implement more active recovery, especially if you can do it outside: walking, hiking, yoga are good starting points.

After The Break From Training

Of course, we are still humans, and we will keep being frustrated, even just a little if things don’t go our way. To avoid missing another workout or meal, or just feeling like we got run over by a truck every other month or so, here are some final tips:

• Consider switching to training templates like full body, half body or push/pull that allow you to get great results with only 2-4 sessions per week. More time to recover, easier time management, and it’s more flexible throughout a time span of 5, 7 or 10 days.
• Consider implementing intermittent fasting, or fewer meals in your day, to have a better chance to compensate a not so good/missed meals and stress less about meal timing, etc. Your digestive system will enjoy the rest, and your well being will only improve from it.
• Learn to meditate and be more laid back. It will also serve in other situations.

One more thing:

“Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity.” – Bruce Lee.

If you ever need a hand about safely resuming your training after a break, I will be happy to assist you as your online personal trainer.

Your lightkeeper,

-Hersovyac.