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To make a long story short, I had back-to-back conferences in Pittsburgh and Europe the last 2 weeks, and I didn't do a damned thing besides walk around a lot. Took about 10 days off.

I figured I'd ht the gym this week rested, refreshed, and ready to go.

Not.

In the middle of the stretch, my shoulders both started to be sore in spots that they have never been sore before. My back got stiff. My knees started to be sore. And so on.

After the first workout this week, 70% start of an operator block, I was so sore in the hammies and shoulders that I had to skip workout #2. First hockey rental was last night, and it went reasonably well. Workout #3 (really 2) this morning after hockey, and I magically started to feel a lot better even though I only took 8 hours off between hockey and lifting.

Time off = pain!

Training pain = end of pain!

Anybody else have this happen?

Maybe I spent too much time in strange beds and on cramped airplanes, but I did not expect this. I've been pretty religious about TB-style training for around 2 years (almost never more than 4 days off).

WallBilly wrote:To make a long story short, I had back-to-back conferences in Pittsburgh and Europe the last 2 weeks, and I didn't do a damned thing besides walk around a lot. Took about 10 days off.

I figured I'd ht the gym this week rested, refreshed, and ready to go.

Not.

In the middle of the stretch, my shoulders both started to be sore in spots that they have never been sore before. My back got stiff. My knees started to be sore. And so on.

After the first workout this week, 70% start of an operator block, I was so sore in the hammies and shoulders that I had to skip workout #2. First hockey rental was last night, and it went reasonably well. Workout #3 (really 2) this morning after hockey, and I magically started to feel a lot better even though I only took 8 hours off between hockey and lifting.

Time off = pain!

Training pain = end of pain!

Anybody else have this happen?

Maybe I spent too much time in strange beds and on cramped airplanes, but I did not expect this. I've been pretty religious about TB-style training for around 2 years (almost never more than 4 days off).

All the time. The best recovery for me is active recovery. That's why I try to move around on my weeks off. And yes, I always work out through painful DOMS on my 1st week after time off. I feel miserable but it goes away magically. Also, simple walking does recover me in a heartbeat.

But frankly, as much as weeks off are fun -> i HATE it

WallBilly wrote: Time off = pain!

Training pain = end of pain!

Anybody else have this happen?

Maybe I spent too much time in strange beds and on cramped airplanes, but I did not expect this. I've been pretty religious about TB-style training for around 2 years (almost never more than 4 days off).

2 years with no Easy weeks or weeks off?

Long flights can cause the soreness you describe, including delayed soreness. Especially if your body is not used to flying like that.

It helps to stretch as able during the flight, and get a good stretch in ASAP when you get off the plane. But long flights just wreck your body in general. There's really no healthy way to do it.

DocOctagon wrote:
2 years with no Easy weeks or weeks off?

I think I missed maybe 5 max strength sessions in the last 18 months. Also, "test week" is usually pretty easy: 4 days off, test (hard, but not brutal), then take the rest of the week off of lifting. Say, 4 times in the last 18 months.

The beauty of the TB approach is that every Operator "Week 1" (70% training max) and "Week 4" (75% of training max) are both really pretty easy weeks, but not "sit on your ass in Portugal and hope for the best" weeks.

That's why I transitioned from Starting Strength and Practical Programming from Rip. I was always sore and dead after the "newbie gains". I thank Rip for getting me to this point, but I'm loving the periodization of TB.

WallBilly wrote:

DocOctagon wrote:
2 years with no Easy weeks or weeks off?

I think I missed maybe 5 max strength sessions in the last 18 months. Also, "test week" is usually pretty easy: 4 days off, test (hard, but not brutal), then take the rest of the week off of lifting. Say, 4 times in the last 18 months.

The beauty of the TB approach is that every Operator "Week 1" (70% training max) and "Week 4" (75% of training max) are both really pretty easy weeks, but not "sit on your ass in Portugal and hope for the best" weeks.

That's why I transitioned from Starting Strength and Practical Programming from Rip. I was always sore and dead after the "newbie gains". I thank Rip for getting me to this point, but I'm loving the periodization of TB.

Yikes man, might be time to take a couple of weeks off!

DocOctagon wrote:
Yikes man, might be time to take a couple of weeks off!

Yeah, but I just did take almost 2 weeks off, and I felt like crap! I was hoping to feel refreshed instead of feeling like crap after taking almost 2 weeks off.

On the bright side, Week 2 of Operator is underway, and I seem to be back to normal.

The funny shoulder pain in a new place is gone, too.

WallBilly wrote:The funny shoulder pain in a new place is gone, too.

I found that my body hurts all over during the weeks off.. I guess it is a part of recovery. Usually, I feel surprised that I was able to pull all those workouts for the cycle and feel like a broken machine during recovery. It does affect my mood as well..

That tells me that training is an addiction

Barkadion wrote:
I found that my body hurts all over during the weeks off.

Maybe it's an old guy thing . . . the 33 year old guy that I work out with sometimes always raves about how great he feels after 4 or 7 days off . . . bastard!

WallBilly wrote:

Barkadion wrote:
I found that my body hurts all over during the weeks off.

Maybe it's an old guy thing . . . the 33 year old guy that I work out with sometimes always raves about how great he feels after 4 or 7 days off . . . bastard!

Right.. But old dogs still can bite!