It doesn't sound like you have kids, Paranoid. When you're married with kids, there are two adults who are responsible for them. Withdrawing and spending 10 or more weeks ignoring your kids, WILL be noticed by the kids and will likely cause problems with the wife.
A person definitely has to find "ME" time but not for long 10-week periods--especially during a marriage.
Long&Strong,
Here's a perfect time for you to break any beliefs you might have about how important it is to be in the gym often versus rest.
Nutrition, rest and workout intensity are all just about equally important for growth, but if I had to put them in order of importance I would list them like this (first being most important):
1. Nutrition
2. Rest
3. Workout intensity
Yes, it is important that you get your rest. During times I could not sleep as much as 8 hours per night, I focused on doing the following things that helped me to continue to grow steadily:
1. I made sure that I did not go to the gym as frequently so that I could give my body time to rest. I cut back from going 3-5 days per 7 days to going 3-5 days per 8-10 days.
2. I made sure that the few times that I was in the gym, that I kept my workout to 1.5 hours, but worked INTENSELY that whole time, knowing that I would not hit that same body part for another 8-10 days.
NOTE: This will not work if you do not work out intensely during the few times you get to the gym.
3. I took 20 minute naps whenever I could. Don't go much longer than 20 minutes for a nap else your body will start producing chemicals that will make you sluggish the rest of the day until you get a several hours of sleep in a row.
4. On nights that I knew that I would be able to steel at least 7 hours of sleep I would occasionally take a sleeping pill to make sure that those were the best 7 hours I could have, knowing that I would be back to 4-5 hours of sleep for the next several nights.
5. I made every attempt to eat as healthy and as clean and as often as possible to keep a steady flow of fuel for energy in my body. I stayed away from sugar, caffine and most simple carbs that would cause an insulin spike/crash.
We grow as we rest! Remember that. It's hard for some to stay out of the gym because they think that the more often they lift, the more they'll grow. If you lift too often (5-7 days per week) you're going to overtrain yourself. Learn to feel comfortable giving yourself EXTRA time to rest--especially when you cannot sleep for 8 or more hours every night.
Best of luck! Keep growin!
