What to do on off days?

[DepartureAM]

I'm following a new program that only has me work out on M-W-F, but I still am full of energy the rest of the week and want to workout. I don't want to go in and move a bunch of junk volume or do anything to increase risk for injury, but I definitely feel like I could and should be doing *something*.

I would focus heavy on just cardio those days but my main goal is to gain weight and excessive cardio would inhibit that. Anyone have any suggestions for something I could do that would aid or augment my regular training program?

 

[CJ]

Any skill that you've been meaning to learn, like play guitar or learn a new language?

How about spending time with friends and family to strengthen those bonds?

Could also just watch porn and masturbate excessively, but that might be junk volume for one arm.

 

[snake]

This time of the year, lawn, garden, cut and split wood. You don't need to be on an elliptical to be burning calories.

Archery starts soon and I'll be in the woods then.

 

[TiredandHot]

I'm following a new program that only has me work out on M-W-F, but I still am full of energy the rest of the week and want to workout. I don't want to go in and move a bunch of junk volume or do anything to increase risk for injury, but I definitely feel like I could and should be doing *something*.

I would focus heavy on just cardio those days but my main goal is to gain weight and excessive cardio would inhibit that. Anyone have any suggestions for something I could do that would aid or augment my regular training program?

You don't have to do an excessive amount of cardio on off days, but walking is good so done in moderation it wouldn't inhibit gainz. If you're dead set on being active just eat a little more to make up for the calorie burn of the cardio.

 

[1bigun11]

If your main goal is to gain weight, spend your off days eating. No joke. Combination of three days a week heavy duty workout with lots of good food can transform a person really fast.

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

I enjoy arguing with people on the internet during my off days.


No. Off days are off days. It’s to allow your muscles to recover. You’re not beat up after workouts? That means you didn’t train hard enough bud. Raise the weight or add more reps. You’ll stress the muscles more, forcing the adaptation and requiring you to get that recovery.

Other than that, anything light is beneficial. Do walks. Swim. A jog here or there. Pickup basketball. Anything to get the blood moving around.

 

[DepartureAM]

I enjoy arguing with people on the internet during my off days.


No. Off days are off days. It’s to allow your muscles to recover. You’re not beat up after workouts? That means you didn’t train hard enough bud. Raise the weight or add more reps. You’ll stress the muscles more, forcing the adaptation and requiring you to get that recovery.

Other than that, anything light is beneficial. Do walks. Swim. A jog here or there. Pickup basketball. Anything to get the blood moving around.

I honestly think I must have like an insane recovery capacity. I'll have days in the gym where I'll go as hard as I possibly can before my form just totally breaks down. I'll leave covered in sweat and exhausted and hardly able to lift my arms, but I'm never sore for more than an hour or two the next morning and by noon most days feel restless and ready to hit the gym again. I walk frequently, may have to look into joining a local adult league or something.

 

[DepartureAM]

Any skill that you've been meaning to learn, like play guitar or learn a new language?

How about spending time with friends and family to strengthen those bonds?

Could also just watch porn and masturbate excessively, but that might be junk volume for one arm.

Yeah working on skills but those don't get me out the house usually lol

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

I honestly think I must have like an insane recovery capacity. I'll have days in the gym where I'll go as hard as I possibly can before my form just totally breaks down. I'll leave covered in sweat and exhausted and hardly able to lift my arms, but I'm never sore for more than an hour or two the next morning and by noon most days feel restless and ready to hit the gym again. I walk frequently, may have to look into joining a local adult league or something.

If you have this “insane recovery” then you’d be jacked and huge. Yet you aren’t so you obviously aren’t doing the right things.

Post up your weekly workouts.

 

[DepartureAM]

If you have this “insane recovery” then you’d be jacked and huge. Yet you aren’t so you obviously aren’t doing the right things.

Post up your weekly workouts.

Well prior to just the beginning of this week I was doing like almost every muscle group, every day. But got some advice here, learned a lot of it was junk volume, and based on a few recommendation just recently started doing the base GreySkull LP https://physiqz.com/workout-routine...lp-best-powerbuilding-routine-beginners-gslp/ , it's (M-W-F)(Squat, OHP - Bench, Deadlift - Squat, OHP). I've added in lat raises, rows, and leg curls. I've also been augmenting my shitty squats with leg presses since I'm still figuring out how to properly do that lift with enough weight

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

Well prior to just the beginning of this week I was doing like almost every muscle group, every day. But got some advice here, learned a lot of it was junk volume, and based on a few recommendation just recently started doing the base GreySkull LP https://physiqz.com/workout-routine...lp-best-powerbuilding-routine-beginners-gslp/ , it's (M-W-F)(Squat, OHP - Bench, Deadlift - Squat, OHP). I've added in lat raises, rows, and leg curls. I've also been augmenting my shitty squats with leg presses since I'm still figuring out how to properly do that lift with enough weight

And progressive overload right?

So you started this program what 2 days ago? Did you have ONE workout?

C’mon man.

 

[DepartureAM]

And progressive overload right?

So you started this program what 2 days ago? Did you have ONE workout?

C’mon man.

Lol, well, 2 workouts. But each one I pushed to my limits and the days in between I just feel like I'm wasting opportunity for more growth. Seriously just a couple of hours after waking up I feel like I didn't even go to the gym the day prior.

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

Lol, well, 2 workouts. But each one I pushed to my limits and the days in between I just feel like I'm wasting opportunity for more growth. Seriously just a couple of hours after waking up I feel like I didn't even go to the gym the day prior.

What did you do in the most recent workout Put reps/sets/weight.

 

[TeddyBear]

.

 

[DepartureAM]

What did you do in the most recent workout Put reps/sets/weight.

So today I just went to practice squat form and try to work out the pain issue, it's technically a rest day for me so I didn't really do any actual meaningful exercise.

Yesterday I followed the plan and then added my own stuff to get missed muscled groups. I did 2x5 175lb bench, then a 1x4 175lb bench (was supposed to be 1x5-AMRAP, couldn't squeeze out more than 4.) Then 1x3 150lb to make up for the missed rep at the higher weight.

Then it's supposed to be squat according to the program, but I'm still working on the form/pain issue discussed in the other thread. In it's place, I did 1x5 320lb leg press for warm up, then 3x5 410lb leg press. Then 2x5 + 1x3 160lb lat pull down. Finally 2x5 35lb dumbbell curl and 2x5 25lb lat raises

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

So today I just went to practice squat form and try to work out the pain issue, it's technically a rest day for me so I didn't really do any actual meaningful exercise.

Yesterday I followed the plan and then added my own stuff to get missed muscled groups. I did 2x5 175lb bench, then a 1x4 175lb bench (was supposed to be 1x5-AMRAP, couldn't squeeze out more than 4.) Then 1x3 150lb to make up for the missed rep at the higher weight.

Then it's supposed to be squat according to the program, but I'm still working on the form/pain issue discussed in the other thread. In it's place, I did 1x5 320lb leg press for warm up, then 3x5 410lb leg press. Then 2x5 + 1x3 160lb lat pull down. Finally 2x5 35lb dumbbell curl and 2x5 25lb lat raises

Ok. So you picked a bench weight that’s too heavy. The AMRAP is supposed to be more than the 5 reps. Did you have a spotter?

Same for your lat pulldowns too heavy of a weight if you only got 3 on the AMRAP.

What’s the thought on 2 sets of 5 for curls. That’s not doing anything.

 

[TiredandHot]

Lol, well, 2 workouts. But each one I pushed to my limits and the days in between I just feel like I'm wasting opportunity for more growth. Seriously just a couple of hours after waking up I feel like I didn't even go to the gym the day prior.

Lyle McDonald wrote an awesome article years ago called The importance of rest, or something like that. Really helped reinforce the importance of rest after hard training, as that's when the adaptations take place. You should maybe try and find it, good read.

 

[RiR0]

So today I just went to practice squat form and try to work out the pain issue, it's technically a rest day for me so I didn't really do any actual meaningful exercise.

Yesterday I followed the plan and then added my own stuff to get missed muscled groups. I did 2x5 175lb bench, then a 1x4 175lb bench (was supposed to be 1x5-AMRAP, couldn't squeeze out more than 4.) Then 1x3 150lb to make up for the missed rep at the higher weight.

Then it's supposed to be squat according to the program, but I'm still working on the form/pain issue discussed in the other thread. In it's place, I did 1x5 320lb leg press for warm up, then 3x5 410lb leg press. Then 2x5 + 1x3 160lb lat pull down. Finally 2x5 35lb dumbbell curl and 2x5 25lb lat raises

Don’t add stuff. If you’re following a plan stick to it

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

Lyle McDonald wrote an awesome article years ago called The importance of rest, or something like that. Really helped reinforce the importance of rest after hard training, as that's when the adaptations take place. You should maybe try and find it, good read.

He should maybe master the “hard” training first though.

 

[DepartureAM]

Ok. So you picked a bench weight that’s too heavy. The AMRAP is supposed to be more than the 5 reps. Did you have a spotter?

Same for your lat pulldowns too heavy of a weight if you only got 3 on the AMRAP.

What’s the thought on 2 sets of 5 for curls. That’s not doing anything.

Yeah I planned to move down in weight for those next session. I just wanted a bit more targeted arm volume.