hg5,
It depends on the situation. A guy that has been exercising for a long time, opposed to a newbie, is more likely to hit a plateau. In my experience, nothing breaks a plateau better than a decon break.
The bottom line: Sooner or later, yes, a decondition break is needed. However, it might not be needed right away. If you are gaining suffciently, and the gains start to dwindle you can either
A) Take a decon break ranging from 2 - 12 weeks (many people suggest around 2 months). A more recent idea floating around is that taking breaks before a plateau can keep the gains coming indefinitely (without ever hitting a major plateau).
B) Up the intensity and time until the gains stop, at which point a decon break will be needed. |