Why Taking Two Weeks Off Is the Most Important Training You’ll Do All Year
After Ironman Cozumel, I stepped away from structured training. I am currently doing NOTHING. NADA. Zilch. No intervals, no power metrics, no squeezing in long rides or runs. Instead, I focused on eating what I craved, sleeping in, and letting my body and mind fully recover—and writing this.
This time, the offseason recovery, is one of my favorite parts of the year. I love the mental freedom, the physical rest, and the confidence that I’m setting myself up for a stronger season ahead.
Yet, I still see so many athletes (and even coaches) avoiding a proper offseason.
Why? Because of the elephants in the room:
- They think they’ll lose fitness.
- They’re worried about gaining weight.
- They fear they’ll get weaker.
- They feel like they “can’t” take time off.
- They believe they feel fine and don’t need it.
These are valid concerns, but they’re also built on misconceptions.
If this is you, let me be blunt: not taking a proper break is just plain dumb. Ignoring rest isn’t just a bad idea—it’s sabotaging your own potential. This includes taking only a few days off or doing light workouts.
In this article, I’ll break down these elephants, address the science of recovery, and explain why two weeks off is critical—not just for your body, but for your mind and your long-term performance.
Elephant #1: "I’ll Lose Fitness"
Yes, taking two weeks off will result in some temporary fitness loss, but this is necessary and even beneficial. Here’s why:
What Happens When You Rest
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VO₂ Max Declines Slightly:
VO₂ max, your body’s ability to use oxygen, can drop by 4-6% after 10-14 days of inactivity. This is due to reduced blood plasma volume and slight decreases in cardiac output. The good news? VO₂ max rebounds quickly once training resumes. -
Endurance Dips Temporarily:
Muscular endurance may decline slightly due to reduced mitochondrial enzyme activity, but these adaptations are quickly restored with training. -
Neuromuscular Efficiency Resets:
Your coordination and movement patterns may feel slightly off, but this reset can actually improve efficiency when you return to training.
What You Gain!
-
Fatigue Reduction:
Fatigue accumulates faster than fitness during training, and rest allows you to clear it, setting the stage for better performance. -
Improved Hormonal Balance:
Rest normalizes cortisol levels and increases anabolic hormones like testosterone and growth hormone, essential for muscle repair and adaptation. -
Injury Prevention:
Proper recovery allows your tendons, ligaments, and bones to repair micro-damage, reducing the risk of overuse injuries like tendonitis or stress fractures.
Elephant #2: "I’ll Gain Weight"
Yes, you might gain a few pounds during your offseason, but that’s not a bad thing.
Why Weight Gain Happens
-
Glycogen Replenishment:
Every gram of glycogen in your muscles holds 3-4 grams of water, so replenishing glycogen stores naturally increases weight. -
Reduced Caloric Burn:
Without high training loads, your calorie expenditure decreases, which may result in slight fat storage. -
Hormonal Rebalancing:
Rest restores hormonal balance, including leptin and ghrelin (which regulate hunger), often leading to better long-term energy balance.
Why This Is Good
-
Energy Reserves:
Extra weight provides a buffer against low energy availability, critical for endurance athletes prone to RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). -
Tendon and Joint Support:
A small increase in body weight reduces the risk of tendon and ligament injuries during future high-intensity training phases.
Elephant #3: "I’ll Get Weaker"
Taking time off doesn’t make you weaker. In fact, it can make you stronger in the long run.
-
Muscle Strength:
Muscle fiber size and contractile strength remain largely unchanged after 14 days of rest. Strength declines only after prolonged inactivity (3+ weeks). -
Improved Recovery:
Rest allows microtears in muscle fibers to fully repair, creating stronger, more efficient muscles for future training.
Elephant #4: "I Can’t Take Time Off"
If the idea of stepping away from training feels impossible, ask yourself: Why?
Possible Reasons
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Fear of Falling Behind:
Are you worried others are training while you’re resting? Studies show that athletes who rest perform better in the long term than those who grind through fatigue. -
Identity Tied to Training:
Is your sense of self-worth tied to being “the athlete”? Rest is an opportunity to explore who you are outside of sport. -
Addiction to Structure or Stress:
Exercise addiction can prevent athletes from fully recovering, leading to burnout and overtraining syndrome.
Elephant #5: "But I Feel Fine"
Feeling fine after your season doesn’t mean you don’t need rest.
-
Hidden Fatigue:
Accumulated fatigue often lags behind physical sensations. Invisible fatigue increases injury risk even when athletes feel good. -
Connective Tissue Stress:
Tendons and ligaments heal more slowly than muscles, so underlying stress may not be noticeable until it’s too late. -
Hormonal Fatigue:
Elevated cortisol levels and central nervous system fatigue can exist without obvious symptoms, only surfacing as burnout or injury later.
Why One Week Off Isn’t Enough
One week of rest can feel like enough, but it’s not sufficient for full recovery:
-
Tissue Repair Takes Longer:
Bones, tendons, and ligaments need 10-14 days to repair microdamage. -
Hormonal Balance Takes Time:
Stress hormones normalize only after 10-14 days of rest. -
Mental Recovery Requires Distance:
Two weeks provides the psychological detachment needed to refresh motivation and focus.
The 10-Day Reset Plan
If you only took one week off or skipped your offseason, it’s not too late.
Days 1-7: Full Rest
- No structured workouts.
- Sleep, hydrate, and focus on recovery.
Days 8-10: Gentle Movement
- Low-intensity activities like walking, hiking, or easy jogging.
- No pressure or structured training.
Final Thoughts
Taking two weeks off—or committing to a proper reset if you’ve fallen short—isn’t about being lazy. It’s about being smart. Recovery is where the real gains happen.
Yes, you’ll lose a little fitness, gain a little weight, and feel out of routine—but these temporary trade-offs will set you up for long-term gains.
If you’re looking for guidance on how to structure your offseason, build a strong training foundation, or take your performance to the next level, I’d love to help. Visit AngelaNaethCoaching.com or email me at AngelaNaeth16@gmail.com.
Angela Naeth
- Mujika, I., & Padilla, S. (2000). "Detraining: Loss of Training-Induced Physiological and Performance Adaptations." Sports Medicine.
- Hackney, A. C. (2013). "Stress and the Neuroendocrine System: The Role of Cortisol." Journal of Endocrinology.
- Mountjoy, M., et al. (2014). "The IOC Consensus Statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)." British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- Bosquet, L., et al. (2007). "Effects of Tapering on Performance: A Meta-Analysis." Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
- Rattray, B., et al. (2015). "The Role of Fatigue in Endurance Training and Performance." Journal of Sports Medicine.
- Lichtenstein, M. B., et al. (2017). "Exercise Addiction in Endurance Athletes." Psychology of Sport and Exercise.