People are actually advised by trainers to take a break of 1-2 weeks. But it is only if a person has been doing intense workouts for over 8-12 weeks. A week off the gym will help the body recover and replenish. However, during the rest period the body will undergo some changes.
According to the journal Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise, two weeks of downtime causes no significant loss in bench press or squat performance, while, in a separate study, scientists estimated that strength 'is readily maintained for up to four weeks of inactivity'.
Studies show that those who weight train regularly are less susceptible to muscle loss when training breaks take place. In these studies, there was actually NO significant drop off in muscle mass after two weeks of detraining.
You might notice your performance slip, too: “Speed, endurance, and strength can decrease by 25 to 30 percent within two to three weeks,” says Weiss.
In the first ten days to two weeks of inactivity/de-training, there is a measurable loss in cardiovascular fitness, but even this level of decrease is only about 2-3% drop in values such as VO2 Max, MAP (maximum aerobic power), or FTP (functional threshold power).
Generally, it takes anywhere from two to 12 weeks to regain cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength and feel like you're back at your previous level of fitness.
Downtime between workouts (whether you're lifting, doing cardio or training for a sport) is when our bodies have a chance to actually build muscle. Strenuous workouts cause muscle breakdown, while rest allows our bodies to build it back up.
You won't lose a material amount of muscle in 14 days provided you eat reasonably. If you've been lifting seriously for 5 years, you'll be fine. For what it's worth, when I'm on a holiday I treat it as a semi-deload week and I train 2 or 3 times a week.
From there, “typically you can see tangible changes—whether it be body composition, change in resting heart rate, etc. —within two to six weeks,” says Ellis. That breaks down to roughly two to four weeks for beginners and four to six weeks (or more) for more seasoned athletes, he adds.
It takes about three months of total inactivity (e.g. bed rest) to lose your strength gains. In fact, if you're doing heavy training consistently, a 1–2 week break can actually help you get stronger, which is exactly why Centr Power has deload weeks.
Two weeks will not cause you to lose any noticeable amount of muscle. If you haven't taken a long break from the gym before and have been going hard, it might actually make you stronger if you've been overtraining. Keep training until the break and enjoy the rest.
Duration. You may be surprised to learn that taking a few days or a full week off from working out won't necessarily hurt the gains you've made. Sometimes it's good to take extra days off to rid fatigue in your body.
Aerobic Capacity
Research shows significant reductions in VO2 max within two to four weeks of detraining, which is attributed to decreased blood volume and cardiac output. Another study found that most of the aerobic capacity gained through exercise over two to three months is lost within two to four weeks.
Generally speaking, your total protein goals for the day should not change whether its a training day or a recovery day. These will differ from person to person. As a general rule of thumb, for most people, 0.8-1.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day day will be adequate.
However, skipping a workout here and there typically doesn't cause weight gain, and taking regular rest days is healthy for muscle recovery and preventing injury.
These studies tell us that you probably won't see noticeable muscle loss within two weeks of detraining, as long as you're bothering to get up and get dressed.
For the majority of people, it takes roughly 130 quality hours to get fit. A lot of people ask me where I got that number. It's equivalent of training hard, an hour a day, 5 days a week, for 6 months. Your hours can't be half-ass hours, either.
So if you lose 1lb (0.45kg) a week you could hope to reduce your waistline by an inch after four weeks. Dieticians advise that if you eat 500 calories less than your daily requirement you will lose about 1lb every seven days (expect some variation from person to person).
“There's no hard and fast rule for how long a 'break' from exercise should be,” Ting says. “It may be as short as a few days, but it's important to realize as well that it can also be up to one to two weeks without any significant detriment or loss in previous fitness gains.”
In 2 weeks, most people can lose between 2-4 pounds (0.9-1.8kg) if they're sticking to a healthy eating plan and exercising regularly. This might not seem like much, but it's the best way to lose weight without causing harm to your body. Remember that small, steady progress leads to long-term success.