All of you know that I take my training very seriously, if you want to win that is. Sometimes I feel that people go overboard with the whole thing. It's important to note that a lot of competitive eating training isn't exactly the most natural thing you could do to your body.
I think a lot about training methods can be learn by simply observing the work ethic of a bodybuilder. Their training methods are in the busness of destroying their muscles, so their body rebuilds it with larger fiber. That is how they put on muscle.
Bodybuilders recognize the fact that you can't just beat up on your body endlessly and expect good results.
There are two reasons why you should be taking a 7 day break:
1. Recovery
2. Energize
There is a point where your body has to recover from the training methods you implement for a competition. If you go into the competition without giving yourself the time to recover from what you're doing, you'll go in with a much lower state.
Other people, like me, just lose a lot of our amibition when we're training. It isn't enjoyable and you'll find that there is a point where you're not progressing anymore. When you take a break, you'll come back with much more energy and a fire to win.
Take a break sometimes, it helps.