The first week back after the week off..

From the time I was 16, all the way up to 23 years old, I worked out like crazy. Then an injury made me fall out of it. Once I healed, I never really got back into it the same. Eight months ago, I got a job working front desk at a gym. This motivated me to get back into working out. So I have been lifting hard for the last 8 months. I recently found out that you are supposed to take a week off for recovery purposes every 2-3 months. So I finally decided to take a week off. I will say that I do think it was beneficial in terms of getting my enthusiasm back for exercise. After skipping it for a week, I was rearing to go when Monday came.

After making it through the first week back, I have to say that I am really feeling it!! I mean intense DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) in every part of my body. My nutrition is still in order (getting enough protein and clean foods) and I have been getting enough sleep. So I am a bit confused as to why I am this freaking sore. In terms of the lifts, I didn't lose any strength. I have just had intense DOMS all week. I have to be honest, this doesn't really give me any motivation to take another week off down the road..LOL

For people that have taken a week off, what was the first week back like for you?

I was reading NROL from the library a little bit ago because they didn't have NROLFW and there was a scheduled break week after the break-in program. I had been weight lifting for roughly 8-9 months previous to picking up the book with routines I'd make up for myself but never took a significant break from weight lifting in that time period. Before that I was all about hard cardio 7 days a week and some lifting a few days a week. Man I'm glad i'm out of that mode. Anyway, this was for about 2.5 years straight with no real break in the routine. 

After that break week I was freaking itching to get down to the basement and start again. It was great to get back into it. The week off just confirmed that I really enjoy the act of weight lifting and how it makes me feel. I'll do another week off for sure. I myself didn't get that sore, though. 

I get soreness any time I don't work a particular body part for a while.  Or even if I don't do a particular exercise for a while I'll get DOMS.  Probably the worst soreness I've had in recent memeory was after not training legs (except cardio) for 10 days.  The first time I lifted heavy for legs after that break was agony the next day (or two or three).

I get dreadful DOMS whenever I've skimped on eating salmon or taking my fish oil capsules too - it's bloody amazing how much of a difference that makes.

 Without fish oil, DOMS lasted longer than a week; with fish oil, 1-2 days. And the best part is, generic store-brand capsules work as well as some ultra-expensive high-tech formulation; you just need to remember that a lifter needs about twice the RDA for the non-lifting populations.

 The time off is to let your joints, tendons and connective tissue catch a break, and to dissipate any remaining CNS fatigue so you can start a new training cycle fresh. You don't have to take the week completely off and slob out on the couch, you just need to not do anything that's approximately the same kind of workout as what you normally do when training ;)

I'll probably have some DOMS in two weeks since next week is my next 3 month break. YAY FOR BREAKS - which also is a scheduled vacation for me so even better - YAY FOR VACATIONS!

It's normal to have some DOMS after taking a week off. Go with the fish oil, as stated above but just know it IS normal.

I always spend my recov. weeks active...actually very active. Just in a diff way. This time around though..since it is a planned vacation...I expect not quite as much activity, a lot more sleeping...and some grip strength training [from holding lots of fancy cocktail glasses!]. But, knowing me, I'll still be active...some of the days