Those who pursue bodybuilding have different views on time off from weight training, with some believing that several weeks of consistent bodybuilding workout sessions should be followed with a break from training of at least one week, while others worrying about the very idea of vacation from bodybuilding, to the point that they try to find a gym even when they are on a pleasure trip with family or friends. The true answer to how a fitness enthusiast must deal with time off in order to avoid any significant adverse impact to muscle gains or fat loss is somewhere between these two extremes.

It's very easy to become compulsive with weight training, to the point where skipping a workout brings about worry of substantial muscle loss or body fat gain in a short period, and this can cause those who pursue weight training to actually try and avoid time off so that they can remain consistent with their weight training workouts at all times. This to the individual who does not live a bodybuilding lifestyle seems excessive, and there is no doubt that, mentally, following such a one track bodybuilding lifestyle can bring about depression and alienation from family and friends, so avoiding breaks from bodybuilding training completely is never a logical or reasonable choice.

Others aim for vacations from weight training workouts every several weeks, performing their weight lifting and cardiovascular sessions for a month, and then taking a several week sabbatical from weight training before beginning another 4-6 week weight training and cardiovascular routine. This technique can delay bodybuilding progress significantly, so I recommend, instead, planning breaks from bodybuilding around special occasions (Christmas, trips to the beach), and saving unexpected time off for times when illness surfaces (flu, injuries, etc), so that you can easily move away from weight training sessions for 1-2 weeks during periods of the year when you have places to see and people to spend time with, or when you are surprised with an unexpected illness or injury.

The amount of muscle mass lost during a vacation from weight training can be substantial if the time away from bodybuilding is excessive, so my recommended period to vacation from weight lifting is seven days, and preferably, time off from weight training should never exceed a two week period, as the body begins to burn muscle after a 1-2 week period (depending on individual genetics). If you are taking a vacation that requires a lengthy time away from your standard weight training workout routine, consider following a reduced frequency schedule, where each muscle group is trained once per week with low volume, at least to try and encourage muscle maintenance during a longer period away from weight lifting. This technique can be used for a vacation that spans any length, but is especially important if your time away from bodybuilding will exceed two weeks. Such an approach allows for very short weight lifting workout sessions that stimulate the muscle sufficiently to delay catabolism.

Many times bodybuilders believe that since muscles grow during rest, long periods away from weight lifting will cause the body to achieve superior results compared with rare breaks from weight lifting, and rest will assist in muscle gains if in fact sufficient stimulation has occurred through weight training, but this also means that extensive breaks from weight lifting will not only remove the overload necessary for continued muscle building, but also eventually begin to burn away muscle tissue, as the body constantly adapts to the most recent stress, and will begin the muscle reduction process during extended vacation breaks from weight lifting workouts.

In regards to the frequency of breaks from bodybuilding workout sessions, this will depend on your lifestyle. Generally, the less extended breaks you take, the more muscle mass you will build, yet a one week vacation several times per year is helpful for the mind and body, but only if such periods away from weight training occur at extended intervals, with at least two months (three is ideal) of consistency prior to a break from weight lifting.

Also, do not neglect the importance of proper diet during time off from weight lifting, as abandoning sufficient carbohydrates or protein during vacations from bodybuilding will cause your body to quickly reduce muscle mass, where otherwise very little negative change will occur. Most are not opposed to eating during leisure time away from bodybuilding, but just make sure to ingest sufficient protein during such periods, and aim for carbohydrates at a sufficient level to sustain daily activities in order to discourage unnecessary muscle loss.