First, I’d like to thank
everyone for the support and well wishes over the last few weeks. And thanks
for the over 5000 page views last month when there were no new articles
published! You guys are great!
HOW
MUCH TIME CAN YOU TAKE OFF WITHOUT LOSING STRENGTH/MUSCLE?
I thought this would be a
good time to discuss this since I’m coming off a eight week layoff.
It happens to almost everyone
sooner or later. Either by choice, such as vacations, or due to sickness or
injury.
The answer to how much
strength or muscle you’ll lose depends on several factors:
·
Age
·
Genetics
·
Training Age (How
long you’ve been training)
·
Activity levels
during the layoff
·
Nutrition during
the layoff
Older adults tend to lose
more muscle and strength faster than younger adults. This factor is logical
since we naturally tend to lose muscle mass and strength as we age. But your
genetics also come into play. If you are naturally thin and have to work hard
to gain muscle you’ll also lose it faster if you go through an extended layoff.
Training Age (How long you’ve
been training) also comes into the equation. As a rule, the longer you’ve been
training the longer it will take to begin to lose muscle mass and strength. It’s
not a direct relationship; if you’ve been training for five years it won’t take
5 years for you to lose muscle and strength. But it will take longer than
someone who has only been training for 1 year. Gains made quickly will be lost
more quickly.
Your activity levels during a
layoff will naturally affect the rate of loss. The higher the activity level
the longer it will take to lose muscle. Note that this applies to any activity.
You don’t have to be lifting. Any physical activity will help delay the loss of
muscle and strength.
All of the above factors
matter but, in general, a layoff of one to three weeks will cause little, if
any, major loss in muscle or strength. Note that you may “feel” like you’ve
lost muscle. You may even look a bit smaller and “flatter” without quite as
much definition. But remember, strenuous exercise damages muscle fibers. That
damage is part of what forces the muscle to grow larger and stronger. But,
along with damage comes a bit of inflammation. That inflammation will make the
muscle look and feel slightly larger. During a layoff the inflammation will
subside making you feel and look slightly smaller. No one else would likely
notice the difference but you will notice it.
For the first 2 or 3 weeks
most people will have minimal loss in strength or muscle. So take that
vacation. After a short layoff you may even come back stronger. If you’ve been
training hard you’re muscles and joints can often use the rest. Remember, you
don’t get stronger in the gym. You get stronger during recovery.
In a recent test of two
groups of young men trained for 24 weeks. One group took 3 week breaks after
each 6 weeks of training. The other group had no breaks in their training. At
the end of the 24 weeks there was no difference in strength or muscle gain.
After 3 weeks you may start
to see from 5-10% loss in strength and mass. But the loss in strength is mostly
due to neural adaptations.
After 12 weeks even seasoned
lifters will see a noticeable loss of mass and strength.
The good news is (even with layoffs
of 12 weeks or longer) it will take much less time to gain back muscle mass and
strength than it took to build it in the first place. It is highly variable
but, as a rule, there is a 1:1 ratio – 1 week to build it back for each 1 week
of layoff.
HOW TO MINIMIZE LOSSES
1.
Stay as active as
possible. Any activity is better than none.
2.
Keep fat gain to
a minimum. Stay with your nutrition plan if it’s been working. You’ll be
burning fewer calories during a layoff so adjust calories as needed. But cut
calories by reducing fats and carbs and keep protein levels the same.
3.
Stay mentally
involved in your training. Use the time to read, study, learn and plan for when
you can get back to your workouts.
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