Bodybuilding.net - Bodybuilding Forum - View Single Post - Workout at less than 100% or shift workout day?

EricT · 01-22-2009, 04:51 AM

Do you mean that shifting your schedule is just missing a day which means when the schedule starts you might just miss another day? I can see that but I guess it's up to the individual.

From EC's perspective it's better to keep moving even if it's nothing by some dynamic ability or anything and on that I have discovered for myself he is right. It's one thing being sick or whatnot but, especially this time of year, the less you move the less you want to move.

Even on those "off" days, you need to remind your body that there IS work to be done.

But shifting schedules is no big deal whatsoever as long as you can except the fact, like you said, that when that day comes it may be an off day as well, lol. But this whole business that if you change your schedule, or miss one day, or do something different than planned one day, that the sky is going to fall, you will drop 20 pounds off your squat overnight and turn into a twig is COMPLETE hogwash.

It just so happens, though, that I'm working on a joint article that kinda goes into making the best out of off days.

There are so many factors that go into motivation, readiness, etc...that you can never truly say what is going on except for the obvious. You know when you're sleep deprived. You know when your food deprived. All sorts of other physical, psychological, and emotional stressors that you KNOW about. But it is important to not make TOO many excuses.

Because all those things I mentioned, are the SAME things that people who NEVER actually do this talk about. I'm tired. I'm stressed. I'm hungry. Whatever.

But I've learned my lessons on a lot of things. I used to preach that working out was WORK. Wasn't supposed to be fun. Suck it up. That is sorta somewhat true as for as stick-to-it-ness, hardwork, yada-yada.

But I realized, that one day, hopefully a long time from now, when I'm lying on my deathbed, I'm not going to be thinking about how I didn't do that one squat workout as planned on a bad day, lol.

One simple way you can salvage an off day and a way to use the muscle between your ears is to simply do something different. Try something new. Maybe an exercise you haven't done before. Have fun. That can make all the difference in the world.

I actually don't agree with EC that it is always necessary to do just as planned but just less than one hundred percent or whatever. Because that's drudgery. If you are less than well-recovered, etc...all you're dong is making yourself miserable and getting more recovery debt out of a workout that wen't nowhere. It's okay to do something a bit different.

However you must also consider how it factors in to what you are doing. The max strength program is balls-to-the-wall. At least if you are doing it as prescribed. This is not that sissy intensity cycling, lol.

So put it in perspective. An off day on max strength is like a full on day with many other "methods". After all, there are other programs where you spend weeks lifting FAR BELOW capacity only to finally lift within your means.

For those types of routines there is no "wiggle-room". That is one thing that makes them less effective, imo, and that is one of the reasons that EC designs the program the way he does. An off day on max strength will NOT make you or break you. That's the good thing about manipulating the volume his way.

I don't mean this as a hard and fast rule, of course. And always keep your filter on. As much as I like EC I keep in mind that EC does this for a living. HE is always in this very motivating environment with people and stimulus there. I'm sure he has off days too. But he works in a facility, lol.

If you're on his program, then try to do what he says. He's thought about it and anticipated a lot.

But, in general, what works for him and for his trainees that have access to factors you don't, may not work for you. You are asking in this thread if you can try what it is you want to try to deal with and achieve your goals. I say of course you can.