Lifting every other week

[Rip-Rabbo]

I'm currently doing my country's military service in the military police, and can only get to the gym every other week or so.

Any advice for this kind of situation? Would it be possible, or smart, to skip some rest days to get in more work for the week? To lift five times a week or so, and then take the week off, or to train in longer sessions.

I suppose any lifting is better than none, but how much of a hindrance do you think the mandatory week off will be?

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[ciscokid1024]

Can you do body weight exercises and conditioning on the off weeks?

If so I would lift a regular schedule when you can get to a gym and do conditioning work the other times. You won't get super strong, but you should maintain strength and maybe get in better condition.

 

[Rip-Rabbo]

That's a good idea.

I suppose I could get some conditioning workouts done, but it's a pretty tight schedule of guard duty during the off weeks.

Eight hours allotted for rest each day, and the exercise would probably have to happen during that time. Some sleep should happen during that time, as well. :icon_chee

 

[ronin0352]

check out the books on rossboxing.com: Infinite Intensity & Never Gymless. Many good workouts in there that only take 20 - 30 minutes but will have you gasping for air.

 

[JinKazama]

if u liftin heavy i would say dont go any more than 3X on your lifting weeks, just go real heavy

who knows, the extra rest could do u some good

 

[lukinakai]

I feel for you man, also being in the military quite often you get screwed over when it comes to keeping a regular weights schedule.

Once I was put in some god forsaken place where we we're doing 3 hours on, 6 off, and I was assured there was a gym at the location. And there was...

... a broken rowing machine, 3 green mats, a bench but no weights and a twenty kilo power bag. Not exactly world class fitness facilities.

I was in a similiar situation where I'd have five weeks where I didn't have anything to do but lift weights, then five weeks where I couldn't. I'd make good progress, then have five weeks off and have to start pretty much all over again. So I'd just start with my weights a little heavier than the start of the last five weeks. I figured even adding 5 kilos to my lifts every ten weeks was better than nothing. At least with a week on, week off you won't detrain so much, and slow progress is better than no progress.

 

[Admles]

That's a good idea.

I suppose I could get some conditioning workouts done, but it's a pretty tight schedule of guard duty during the off weeks.

Eight hours allotted for rest each day, and the exercise would probably have to happen during that time. Some sleep should happen during that time, as well. :icon_chee

Would you be able to get up an hour earlier and lift then? That way you wouldn't be lifting right before going to bed - I dont' know about you but that always makes it hard for me to sleep.

 

[JPC]

You have the oppurtunity to try some experimentation. I like the idea of lifting every day one week, and taking the next week off. This would be like a weekly version of the dual factory theory of training, where you over reach, then rest, to experience greater supercompensation than if you trained, rested, trained, rested without ever over reaching. Train hard one week, so hard that by the end of the week you are tired, unrecovered, and weaker than you were in the beginning of the week. Then rest the next week and make sure you can get adequate nutrition and sleep.

A full body routine would be best in this situation. If you do a split, then the exercises you do at the end of the week would suffer. Pick a few basic lifts and work them every day. Maybe start lighter on monday, heavier on tuesday and try to peak on wednesday, then try to get the same weights thurs and friday even though fatigue might cause a drop in performance. This drop is what you want. It means you've worked hard enough to over reach, and the rest the next week should allow major supercompensation.

 

[Rip-Rabbo]

I like that!

Have any of you guys tried similar routines before? How much of a workload per workout would you recommend?

Would it be better to stick to the same exercises every day, or to alternate between, for example:

1.
Squat
Overhead press
Clean
Row

2.
Deadlift
Bench press
Overhead squat
Chin

I guess the best would be just get in there and try it out, though. Thanks for the replies, it's much appreciated.

 

[Vedic]

Do not DL 2-3 times a week. *sigh*

 

[Rip-Rabbo]

Do not DL 2-3 times a week. *sigh*

Yep. The above routine was really an example thrown together without much thought. Never really planned to deadlift *that* much.

 

[ThinkGreen]

You should lift heavy 3x a week with a lot of volume, then do some GPP/Recovery training type stuff on your time off. I still think you'll make a lot of gains

 

[BayAreaGuy]

Things might not be so bad, one week of low-medium rep heavy lifting. The next week focusing high right push ups, abs and conditioning stuff, maybe go for long runs and what not.