Q. I'm going on a week-long vacation. What's the best way for me to train beforehand?

Everybody needs a vacation now and then. But how many times have you gone on a long vacation, only to find that the workout space resembles The Professor's makeshift gym on Gilligan's Island? You can skip training altogether, but a lost week may not do much to enhance your ripped physique.

For me, a little "overtraining" right before I go on vacation has worked really well. I train hard 6-or-7 days in a row before packing my bags. After all that muscle destruction, my body will be screaming for some days off. I use my vacation to give my body that rest. I don't touch a weight while I'm on vacation — I let myself completely recover. On the beach watching sunsets and hardbodies, if all goes according to plan.

Yes, even The Ripped Dude takes a holiday from the shred.

After a week of hard training and a week of rest, my body is ready to get back into the gym. Most of the time, I don't even feel like I've taken a week off! I feel as strong as ever, if not stronger.

Using your vacation time to rest up from a week of overtraining does not mean that you should eat like a Hungry Hungry Hippo. Keep your diet relatively clean so you don't come back rotund, courtesy of salt, sugar and adult beverages.

If you have a vacation planned, and want to plan your training around it, try this overtraining technique. Here is the routine I use for my vacation preparation: