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You guys all have my THT Training, right? You know, the workout routine that lays out the exact way to train for the best gains possible – and all backed by real science? You haven’t? Ok grab it below first, then read on…

And you know I recommend 1 week off training every 10 weeks. Why? It helps with full SYSTEMIC recovery (as opposed to just ‘local’ recovery of each muscle). And additionally, it primes the body into a new adaptation mode for new gains when you get back to training again.

 

BUT NOW SOME NEW RESEARCH…

 

Now we can know for sure what goes on when we take a week off. New research [1] has given us the answer…

Scientists from Baylor University took 20 students with training experience and had them workout for 4 weeks, then gave them 2 FULL WEEKS OFF to see what would happen. After the break, they did a further 4 weeks training.

Interested to know what happened? Here’s what happened…

 

• No strength loss after 2 weeks off

 

• No loss of muscle mass after 2 weeks off

 

• No body fat gains after 2 weeks off

 

So if you have a vacation this summer, stop sweating it. You’ll be cool…just like I told you in my THT book.

When they went back to training, they gained at the same rate as the initial 4 weeks.

 

NOTE: When you are on a shredding diet to get abs, I would NOT recommend this. Why not?

When calories are below maintenance most of the time, you could have the very real possibility of muscle and strength loss (muscle atrophy). Your body could decide to tap into its protein stores (muscle tissue) for some extra energy since you don’t seem to be needing it. The phrase “use it or lose it” comes to mind. Of course, this isn’t the case when eating at maintenance or above as this study demonstrates.

 

NOTE: I made a free list of the top 20 foods to eat to get ripped. You’ll find it extremely helpful in your quest to get shredded. If you would like access to the full list for free, just type in your email below. The info you need will appear immediately after you enter your email. Enjoy…

 

So when training on my THT plan, take a week off every 10 weeks as I instruct in the book.

If you’re on my Total Six Pack Abs plan – and if it takes you longer than 10 weeks to get ripped abs – keep training and dieting as instructed until you reach your goal.

 

BOTTOM LINE – Don’t sweat taking some time off. You won’t waste away. Download the full THT plan for fast muscle gains below…

Mark McManus

Reference [1] Resistance Training–Induced Elevations in Muscular Strength in Trained Men Are Maintained After 2 Weeks of Detraining and Not Differentially Affected by Whey Protein Supplementation”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 31(4):869–881, Apr 2017