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Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Candidate of Masters in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.

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Date of: 2016-05-06 Views: 55 147 Grade: 5.0 This question begins to torment a person when he has been working out for quite a long time without rest. He plows for a year, two, three, and then he begins to think. And these are the questions that arise in his tired brain: 1. Do you need to take a break sometimes? 2. If “yes,” then how do you know when and how often? 3. And how long should the break be? 4. And should I stop training completely or switch to light training? 5. Who am I and what am I doing here?))) And if the answer to the last question is better to look for in religion and philosophy, then I will now try to answer the remaining 4 questions. Let's go.

Do you need to take a break sometimes?

Need to. Sooner or later you get tired of any activity. Moreover, both physically and mentally. It becomes uninteresting to train, apathy and a persistent reluctance to go to the gym sets in. In addition, training in the gym is a load not only on the muscles, but also on the joints and tendons. And they take longer to recover than muscles. Therefore, injuries and “fatigue” of the musculoskeletal system are steadily increasing from month to month, from year to year. You can, of course, drink, but practice shows that this is usually not enough. Even professionals take a break. Even the best of the best. What can we say about ordinary amateurs, for whom health is more important than titles and awards. After all, it is said in the “Book of Changes”: If the bow string is kept constantly taut, then the string weakens and loses its strength.

How to understand: when and how often?

Everything here is very subjective. If you're already very tired in general and have no desire to do any kind of workout, then it looks like it's time to rest. It’s also time to rest if you have accumulated a lot of injuries and your whole body constantly hurts. Moreover, this is not. How often? Personally, I rest 1 month a year. That is, once a year. You can also rest once every six months or even once every 3-4 months. But not more often. That is, approximately 1 – 2 times a year. Well, fanatics can do it once every 2 years. In general, something like this.

How long should the break be?

Depends on how tired you are and how often you rest. I believe that the break should be at least 1 week and no more than 1.5 - 2 months. If there is only fatigue, but no special injuries, then resting for 2 to 3 weeks will be enough. If injuries are added to fatigue, then a month or even more. However, you need to understand that the longer you rest, the more time it will take you to get back on track. If the rest is a week, then this will not affect your results in any way. If 2 - 3 weeks, then 1 - 2 weeks you will then enter the usual training regime.

Should I stop training completely?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Again, it depends on your subjective feelings. If you do not want to do any specific program, and injuries and fatigue are not so great, then you can simply switch to light training for 30 - 50 minutes 2 times a week. Then you can do only what you want in “light” mode, without particularly bothering yourself with the number of repetitions and weights. The advantage of this approach is that after such a rest you do not need to get into a rut and after rest you will immediately be in full combat readiness. This is exactly how professionals almost always rest, since they constantly lack time to prepare. Well, if you can no longer see this gym at all, then it makes sense to stop working out altogether for a while. Just don’t need to torture yourself with remorse in this case. Just enjoy your vacation.

conclusions

As you can see, there are a lot of options. From frequent (once every 3-4 months) short (1-2 weeks) rest in the form of reducing the load, to global (1 - 2 months) hammering the bolt in completely training process. Remember that the most important thing in training, as in any activity, is consistency. If you continue to train year after year, you will make progress, even with rest. I would even say more. Rest, if it is in place and at the right time, helps speed up progress. During rest, you gain strength and heal your injuries. Therefore, rest, and may the force be with you. Tell us in the comments: how, when and for how long you rest. And why. Good luck!

By the way, you can order yourself

Rest and recovery in the training process are of exceptional importance. We will figure out which one exactly in this article, and we will also find out what overtraining is and how to deal with it. Let’s look in detail at how you need to build the entire recovery process between workouts to fully restore your performance during regular exercise. physical exercise. According to established tradition, we will start with a short theoretical course.

Recovery between workouts can be roughly divided into two stages. The first is getting rid of physical fatigue, that is, the feeling of complete exhaustion that occurs after every hard workout. Feeling tired in separate groups muscles, is the summative effect of general fatigue of the whole organism. After completing a workout, the body needs to get rid of this physical fatigue. Having gotten rid of it, he can move on to the next stage of recovery - building muscle and strength. Provided that you have not rested enough, or rather “have not recovered” after last workout, keep in mind that on the next one, one fatigue will already be superimposed on another.

Why do you need rest between workouts? As you already understood from the above, the body must overcome physical fatigue before moving on to building muscle. If the body does not have time to overcome it before the start of the next workout, then there can be no talk of any muscle growth. Thus, by stacking one fatigue on top of another, you are driving your body into a state of excessive exhaustion. The body in such a situation will not work to build muscle, but to maintain vital functions. Experiencing chronic fatigue, your body will not be able to carry out processes muscle growth. So don’t come to the fitness club if you have a good rest and have not been able to fully recover. It is to optimize the process of building muscle and increasing strength that rest between workouts is formed.

Dream

Just as training and nutrition are important to your performance, so is sleep. It is during sleep that those biochemical processes and reactions occur in the body during which healing and increase muscle fibers at the rate of. That is, your muscles do not grow in the gym, but during sleep. Recovery rest between workouts occurs in the following way. During training, you injure your muscles, while eating, you load your body with building material, which performs its functions during sleep and due to this, your muscles grow and increase in size. It is quite natural that if you do not get enough sleep, your muscles will not grow. Even if you only miss an hour or two of sleep, it will ultimately affect your training and results. In the case when you sleep little at all, there can be no talk of any result from your training. Best conditions For muscle growth, there will be conditions in which you can afford to sleep a little more than usual, thus increasing the rest time between workouts. It’s even better if you get up not because you were woken up, but on your own. To do this you will have to adhere to a certain regime. Go to bed at the same time every day in order to adjust your biorhythms as needed.

A little more than usual, how much? Before answering this question, we Once again Let us remember that each person is individual by nature and everyone will have their own time for sleep. Sleep, which is directly included in the rest between workouts, can take someone even four hours in order to feel well-rested. Some people need six, some eight, some ten. At the same time, we all know from childhood that the average is eight hours of sleep. This is true in most cases, but does not take into account the individual need for sleep, depending on a person’s lifestyle, type of activity, level of physical activity, and a great many other factors. So, what figure will we start from? Everyone will choose this figure individually, and the recommendation will be as follows.

Try to increase the rest time between workouts that you usually spend sleeping by one hour, or at least half an hour. But you don’t need to strive for such a figure right away. Try gradually increasing your sleep duration by 15 minutes once a week. Let's say if you started studying in gym, your need for sleep will increase, therefore, you will have to spend more time sleeping. If you previously spent 6 hours sleeping, try to gradually increase this time period. First, in the first week up to 6 hours 15 minutes, in the second up to 6:30, in the third up to 6:45 and ultimately, in the fourth week, that is, a month from the start of the experiment, you will have to increase your sleep time until 7 o'clock. But remember that you should not do anything suddenly, as this will be stressful for the body. Increase your sleep time gradually to best adjust your body clock to your new routine.

What will such an increase in sleep give us? In terms of muscle, such an increase will significantly increase your biological needs for recovery in general and, accordingly, more time will be spent on muscle growth. This means that you will best provide your muscles with favorable conditions for growth. Recovery between workouts will be more favorable, and its effectiveness will increase significantly.

How to achieve such an increase in sleep time? Simple enough. In the evening after work or school, do not sit too long in front of the computer or TV. Remember. Only long and sound sleep will allow you to fully realize your potential.

Rest

So, wondering why you need rest between workouts, you already understand that you don’t need to come to the fitness club if you feel that you haven’t had enough rest and recovery.

But what can be considered a sufficient measure? How many hours or days should you spend on rest? These things depend on large quantity factors. Your age, lifestyle, quality of sleep, where and who you work or study, how much stress there is in your life, how things are with mental stress, etc.

Recuperative rest between workouts is highly dependent on a person's individual qualities, traits, and lifestyle. If you lead a relaxed lifestyle, you are not particularly concerned about making money and supporting your family, you eat well and sleep a lot, then by working out three times a week, you will have time to recover without any problems. In a situation where you need to support your family, small children, work two jobs, perform various jobs housework, and after all this you still go to the fitness club and give it your all, keep in mind that you will need much more time for recovery and, accordingly, growth. Two or even three times more.

Of course, you would like to hear specific numbers about exactly how long rest should take between workouts. But I will remind you once again that bodybuilding is a very individual sport, and therefore each person will need a different amount of time for rest. Take for example two equally physically developed guys. If they eat the same and sleep the same amount of time, but training program It’s different for them, so the recovery time will be different. If they train according to the same program, eat the same, but one sleeps longer, the second will need more time to recover. If they train the same and sleep the same amount of time, but their nutrition is different, this will also affect their recovery time. And these are only three factors, provided that we did not take into account their psychological, mental workload, busyness with study or work, the presence or absence of a family or children, and so on, so on, so on.

Recovery

What to do in a situation where you don’t know how much time you need to spend on recovery and what should be the rest time between workouts? In such a situation, you will have to resort to a universal answer that will suit everyone. It sounds like this - be guided by how you feel. Listen to your body. Let him rest for 24 hours (training every other day). Go to training. Feeling tired and unable to give your best? Try 48 hours of rest (two days of rest between workouts). Still tired during training? Rest for 72 hours (three days of rest). And so on until you find the optimal rest time for yourself.

Learning to listen to your body is critical. If you feel that training every other day is accompanied by a feeling of fatigue that does not leave you, increase your rest time. There is no point in showing persistence and accumulating fatigue, since the very essence of training - building muscle - is lost in this case. This has already been mentioned above.

So, we draw the following conclusion. Learn to maintain the required rest interval by listening to your body, and it will tell you how your recovery went between workouts. You should not come to the fitness club if you still feel tired.

Conclusion

Rest, like training and nutrition, is a rather individual topic; experiments also play a big role here. Try, search, study and listen to your body. He himself will tell you what suits you best. You will be surprised, but if you ask how much time you should spend on sleep or recovery, I will tell you that only you can answer this question yourself. There are only general recommendations for everyone. We discussed them above. And the time of sleep, the time of rest between workouts and recovery is selected individually, and everyone will have their own. Remember also that only an integrated approach will give you the best result.

Oral contraceptives are a popular and convenient means of contraception. But when using them, the question arises: is it necessary to pause while taking the pills so that the body can “rest”? This article will help you understand the mechanism of action of COCs and take care of your health more consciously.

Yes, perhaps this question is not as textbook as Hamlet’s “To be or not to be?”, but much more pressing. More than one generation of gynecologists has broken spears defending their innocence. The expanses of the RuNet are replete with various opinions on this topic. And doubts continue to hover in the air as an invisible question mark. Let's try to figure out where the legs of this wonderful idea “grow” from and what the female body still needs to rest from.

First, some facts: hormonal contraception has a relatively short history. It was invented just over 50 years ago, and the first generations of birth control pills contained giant (150 mcg) doses of estrogen. This is approximately 10 times more than what is contained in current microdosing products.

And it was precisely so that the body could take a break from the estrogen load that the 21+7 scheme was developed. During a 28-day cycle, a woman was supposed to take pills containing hormones for 21 days, and then take a 7-day break, during which a “withdrawal bleed” occurs. But even with those doses of hormones, a week's break was enough.

Over the past decades, the doses of hormones in combined oral contraceptives have decreased significantly. Numerous studies have proven that, if instructions and contraindications are followed, COCs are a safe and reliable means of protection against unwanted pregnancy. It is no coincidence that this is the most popular type of contraception in developed countries. Unlike Russia, where abortion is still the most popular method of contraception. To understand the consequences of interruptions in taking COCs, you need to know what processes start when you start taking the drug. The hormonal balance of the body is the most complex mechanisms of interaction between glands, organs and tissues. When hormones begin to regularly flow from the outside, the body gets used to the fact that its efforts in this process are not needed. And over time, it stops producing hormones on its own. The ovaries enter a state of functional rest, ovulation stops (until the woman stops taking COCs, for example, for the purpose of pregnancy).

A break in taking or changing a drug becomes stressful for the body - it is forced to adapt to the changed conditions and re-establish the disturbed hormonal balance. There is no “rest” in this, and it is better not to make such decisions without a serious reason and consultation with a doctor.

The cessation of ovulation and the associated cyclic hormonal changes gives rest to the reproductive organs and protects the body from exhaustion due to monthly preparation for pregnancy. Moreover, long-term use of COCs significantly reduces the risk of developing estrogen-dependent types of cancer - ovarian, breast, endometrial and other cancers. The protective effect persists even after stopping use: it is generally accepted that, on average, a year of taking COCs provides a protective effect for 10 years in advance. It is the long-term and stable use of suitable COCs that provides the body with the most comfortable and gentle state.

From the point of view of potential pregnancy, taking COCs is also a favorable factor. After discontinuation of the drug, the “rested” ovaries begin to work with greater intensity, increasing the chances of pregnancy (the so-called “rebound effect”). This scheme is even used to stimulate reproductive function in cases where a couple has difficulty conceiving. The rebound effect, by the way, serves as another argument against “preventative” breaks - the chances of an accidental pregnancy during this period are especially high.

Many women take a break or even quit taking COCs at the stage of adaptation to the drug. It usually lasts from one to three cycles, and side effects may occur during this period. This is a temporary and completely natural condition, due to the fact that the body needs time to get used to the effects of COCs, and not at all because the drug is “not suitable”.

TO side effects The adaptation period includes the following manifestations: bleeding, headache, irritability, soreness of the mammary glands. Simple actions aimed at improving the health of the body will help smooth out unpleasant sensations. Giving up bad habits, sleep and wakefulness, regular physical exercise- well-known, but not always acceptable recommendations. If side effects persist for longer than 3-4 months, then this is a reason to discontinue or replace the drug (preferably with the participation of a doctor).

The latest generation of contraceptives (the so-called “natural” oral contraceptives with a “female formula”) use a special - dynamic - dosing regimen. In combination with natural estrogen, the dynamic dosage regimen provides a mild and gentle effect on the body. Thanks to this delicacy of action, the adaptation period passes almost unnoticed.

Pleasant side effects of most modern drugs include a decrease in bleeding and relief of PMS symptoms. This is not a cause for alarm, but a small additional convenience associated with taking COCs. Another step towards comfort and freedom.

To achieve the desired results in the gym, regular training is necessary. However, after several months of constant training, physical and nervous fatigue accumulates, requiring us to take a short break from training. As a rule, each athlete determines for himself individually when and for how long to take a break from training - some rest after completing a certain training cycle, some after completing the program, and some set aside time for rest once a year or in six months. How will be correct? I will share my experience.

On the advisability of taking a break from training

I will say right away that I am not a fan of taking a break from training. Why? It's simple. The fact is that a break is required, first of all, by those who are engaged in the same programs and use the same type of load over a long period of time. Simply put, for those who train one physical parameter constantly. In this case, fatigue and symptoms of overtraining will make themselves felt within a few months.

However, if you divide your entire training year into cycles during which you train different physical parameters, the need for a break may not occur. For example, I use the following loops:

• Strength development (4-6 reps): 6-8 weeks;
• Mass work (6-12 reps): 8 weeks;
• Work for the general and special endurance(15-20 reps, cardio): 4-6 weeks.

Thus, in each cycle I train different physical parameters. Naturally, the main emphasis is on intensive training, developing strength and muscle mass, however, they are not performed non-stop all year, but are combined with light, high-repetition training. I also try to use different exercises on the same muscle groups (subsequent programs are based on other exercises), as well as change split schemes (for example, instead of split chest + back, choose chest + biceps, etc.) and the order of exercises. This technique allows me to train for years, constantly progress and not get tired of training. Despite the fact that in my practice I do not use pharmaceutical drugs, anabolic steroid or other hormonal agents.

Disadvantages of taking a break from training

The main disadvantage of a break in training, of course, is a fairly significant setback in strength indicators. At the same time, the longer the rest, the more you will roll back and the longer it will take you to join your usual rhythm and reach your usual intensity. Of course, some athletes will say that often after a break athletes demonstrated more good results, but, again, this applies to those who constantly work with the same programs and train a single physical parameter. Such athletes, as a rule, sooner or later begin to experience a training plateau (stagnation), from which a break in training helps to get out. With a variety of training and working on different physical parameters, coupled with the correct rest regime ( optimal frequency training, sleep, etc.) and nutrition (balance, sufficient amount of protein, intake sports nutrition), stagnation will never occur, and, therefore, there will be no need for a break.

Of course, after completing the endurance development cycle, a rollback in strength indicators will also occur, but, firstly, it will not be as strong as with a complete cessation of training; secondly, we develop additional physical parameters that will be useful not only for the subsequent development of strength and mass, but also for health - muscle capillarization, improvement of the cardio-respiratory system, muscle pumping, development of slow muscle fibers, etc.; thirdly, we introduce significant variety into the training process, which increases the effectiveness of the subsequent cycle and prevents overtraining.

How to train effectively without interruption in training?

So, for this you need to meet some simple conditions:

• Dividing the year into training cycles with different training goals;
• Each new cycle program should be based on new exercises (it is also advisable to change the split scheme);
• Training no more than 3 times a week;
• The total training duration is no more than 1.5-2 hours;
• The correct rest regime is sleep, physical rest on days without classes.
• The correct diet is a balance according to the BZHU, sufficient protein intake (1.5-2 grams per 1 kg of body weight), taking sports nutrition (protein, creatine on days of strength training).

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Contraception: is it necessary to take breaks from taking COCs?

More than one generation of gynecologists has defended their case, but opinions on this matter continue to be extremely diverse, and doubts are still in the air. Let's try to figure out what the female body needs to rest from.

First, some facts: hormonal contraception has a relatively short history. It was invented just over 50 years ago, and the first generations of birth control pills contained giant (150 mcg) doses of estrogen. This is approximately 10 times more than what is contained in current microdosing products.

And it was precisely so that the body could take a break from the estrogen load that the 21+7 scheme was developed. During a 28-day cycle, a woman was supposed to take pills containing hormones for 21 days, and then take a seven-day break, during which a “withdrawal bleed” occurs. But even with those doses of hormones, a week's break was enough.

Over the past decades, the doses of hormones in combined oral contraceptives have decreased significantly. Numerous studies have proven that, if instructions and contraindications are followed, COCs are a safe and reliable means of protection against unwanted pregnancy. It is no coincidence that this is the most popular type of contraception in developed countries. Unlike Russia, where abortion is still the most popular method of contraception.

To understand the consequences of interruptions in taking COCs, you need to know what processes start when you start taking the drug. The hormonal balance of the body is the most complex mechanisms of interaction between glands, organs and tissues. When hormones begin to be regularly supplied from the outside, the body gets used to the fact that its efforts in this process are not needed. And over time, it stops producing hormones on its own. The ovaries enter a state of functional rest, ovulation stops (until the woman stops taking COCs, for example, for the purpose of pregnancy).

A break in taking or changing a drug becomes stressful for the body, it is forced to adapt to the changed conditions and re-establish the disturbed hormonal balance. There is no “rest” in this, and it is better not to make such decisions without a serious reason and consultation with a doctor.

The cessation of ovulation and the associated cyclic hormonal changes gives rest to the reproductive organs and protects the body from exhaustion due to monthly preparation for pregnancy. Moreover, long-term use of COCs significantly reduces the risk of developing estrogen-dependent types of cancer - ovarian, breast, endometrial and other cancers. The protective effect persists even after stopping use: it is generally accepted that an average year of taking COCs provides a protective effect for 10 years in advance. It is the long-term and stable use of suitable COCs that provides the body with the most comfortable and gentle state.

From the point of view of potential pregnancy, taking COCs is also a favorable factor. After discontinuation of the drug, the “rested” ovaries begin to work with greater intensity, increasing the chances of pregnancy (the so-called rebound effect). This scheme is even used to stimulate reproductive function in cases where a couple has difficulty conceiving. The rebound effect, by the way, serves as another argument against “preventive” breaks: the chances of an accidental pregnancy during this period are especially high.

Many women take a break or even quit taking COCs at the stage of adaptation to the drug. It usually lasts from one to three cycles, and side effects may occur during this period. This is a temporary and completely natural condition, due to the fact that the body needs time to get used to the effects of COCs, and not at all because the drug is “not suitable”.

Side effects of the adaptation period include the following manifestations: bleeding, headache, irritability, soreness of the mammary glands. Simple actions aimed at improving the health of the body will help smooth out unpleasant sensations. Giving up bad habits, sleeping and waking patterns, regular physical activity are well-known, but not always acceptable recommendations. If side effects persist for longer than 3–4 months, then this is a reason to discontinue or replace the drug (preferably with the participation of a doctor).

The latest generation of contraceptives (the so-called “natural” oral contraceptives with a “female formula”) use a special - dynamic - dosing regimen. In combination with natural estrogen, the dynamic dosage regimen provides a mild and gentle effect on the body. Thanks to this delicacy of action, the adaptation period passes almost unnoticed.

Pleasant side effects of most modern drugs include a decrease in bleeding and relief of PMS symptoms. This is not a cause for alarm, but a small additional convenience associated with taking COCs. Another step towards comfort and freedom.