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Thread: Importance of Weekly 2 Day Break?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    Default Importance of Weekly 2 Day Break?

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    Greetings,

    I am on the basic A/B program. (I had a minor flub when I created by training chart and was doing all 5 exercises each season. Aargh.) During my re-reading of the program, I noticed a recommendation to do a Monday - Wednesday - Friday sequence with a two day off break over the weekend.

    Is the weekly 2 day break necessary? I have been doing an on day/off day cycle with the occasional 2 day break when dictated by life. Still adding the 5 lbs to everything except 10 lbs to deadlift.

    Thanks,

    stl Rick

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    Atascocita, TX
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by stl rick View Post
    Greetings,

    Is the weekly 2 day break necessary? I have been doing an on day/off day cycle with the occasional 2 day break when dictated by life. Still adding the 5 lbs to everything except 10 lbs to deadlift.
    Given sufficient time on the program and/or at sufficiently high weights and continued linear progression, your body will answer this question for you in due time. Recovery periods/off days are where the strength gains are realized.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Iowa
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    Default

    1 on 1 off works, it's what I did for a while. It's just that most people work on a weekly schedule, so it's easier to consistently do 3/week.

  4. #4
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    Nov 2009
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    Exeter, NH
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    Default

    Do the program for a month and your question will be answered.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
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    Oregon
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    5

    Default Same question, but different.

    I ask the same question, But from a 47 yr old man perspective:
    I have done well on the SS program. But I am starting to feel it in my knees and shoulders. As much as we all want to think we are now "advanced", I am still making gains on SS, so I am not quite ready to throw it aside. I know one of the options is the "heavy- medium- light" schedule. But what about keeping the program the same and just taking and extra rest day? In other words 1 day on, 2 days off all the time. Mondays I always come in strong after the weekend. Why not make every day a "Monday"? Any "cons" to this plan?
    In summary, is there a physiological reason to stay within boundaries of an ancient calendar designed to worship the Gods of Olympus?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
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    74

    Default

    I believe PPST makes it fairly clear that it's purely a convenience thing to think in terms of week-long blocks. At the very beginning, you can recover in less than two days. The stronger you get, the more you can work, and the longer it takes to recover. Recovery time increases as your lifts increase, probably in the same linear fashion. IIRC PPST says that by the end of linear progression, there's nothing magic about a week; it's just that once you're right around the intermediate stage, two days of recovery has probably not been sufficient for some time, and four or five might be fine, but the typical scheduling of life makes it convenient to start working in one-week blocks.

    EDIT: So, practically speaking, if you can easily schedule yourself to take advantage of 3, 4, or 5-day recovery periods and still make progress, go for it.

  7. #7
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    I work a 1 day on/2 day off schedule as a Firefighter and structured my workouts the same way. I was able to progress fine for months. It all depends on what you are able to do given your time constraints. Whatever allows you to progress, is what you should be doing.

    There is an 'optimal' for everyone's situation, you just have to find out what that is for you. Optimal meaning, whatever allows one to incur the quickest strength gains over a given period of time.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    178

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by stl rick View Post
    Greetings,

    I am on the basic A/B program. (I had a minor flub when I created by training chart and was doing all 5 exercises each season. Aargh.) During my re-reading of the program, I noticed a recommendation to do a Monday - Wednesday - Friday sequence with a two day off break over the weekend.

    Is the weekly 2 day break necessary? I have been doing an on day/off day cycle with the occasional 2 day break when dictated by life. Still adding the 5 lbs to everything except 10 lbs to deadlift.

    Thanks,

    stl Rick
    What's the hurry? You grow and get stronger during recovery with sleep and food. You must allow for CNS recuperation.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    NC
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    51

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    When you advance so that you are only deadlifting once a week, you will (or at least you should) schedule the deadlifting on Friday or the day before the 2 day break. This is how I am currently doing the program and having 2 days off after a heavy DL and squat makes Mondays workout easier from a recovery standpoint.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Iowa
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    7-day calendars aren't merely a greco-roman invention.

    But, as for making every day a Monday (ie, 1 on 2 off), that's not a great idea. 10 workouts per month rather than 12-14. I mean, if you have issues with recovery (like, you're 70 years old or maintaining strength while losing weight), maybe, or if you just can't do it any other way (you're a fireman). It's not ideal, but you can get a lot of work done that way, or even with only 2 workouts per week. But more will get you farther.

    The thing is, as you get more advanced and need to move to more complex programming, like intermediate programming, you're trying to hit the balance between detraining, providing an adaptive stimulus, and recovering. The light workout in H-M-L or Texas Method schemes is important. Maybe it isn't. I don't leave it out.

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