Muscle maintenance without exercise?

Graelwyn75

rybo wrote: »

Based solely on my experience, I was pretty muscular and just stopped lifting and exercising for 2-3 years. I retained most of my muscle for quite a while, it was only after a while my weight crept up with fat gain. Once I lost weight and started strength training again, I was pretty much back to very near my previous size pretty quickly.

rybo wrote: »

Based solely on my experience, I was pretty muscular and just stopped lifting and exercising for 2-3 years. I retained most of my muscle for quite a while, it was only after a while my weight crept up with fat gain. Once I lost weight and started strength training again, I was pretty much back to very near my previous size pretty quickly.

Yeah this happened to me. I was super lean and peak fitness then stopped totally for a few years and gained a lot of fat whilst on an anti depressant. Once I got back to the gym and my old style of eating I quite quickly returned to being very lean and having muscle definition.

heybales

The reason why you may be saying lose muscle and gain fat - is because many that stopped exercising didn't adjust calorie intake correctly, and that can be difficult even if you had great records while working out.

So eating in excess for a while probably helped the retain muscle, though it likely shrunk, while the fat went on.

The opposite I've seen happen too, knowing intake must be adjusted, but now going too low and losing some weight and some muscle just not being built back up again.

Saw one study that said about 75g of protein from muscle a day is in normal breakdown process, to be rebuilt if protein intake needs are met of course.

I've also seen people that indeed gained weight after not working out, and kept a decent amount of strength and from appearances muscle size - when called upon to use it.
But they were still active in general. Perhaps with decent strength still able/willing to do things that required strength.

Compared to the injured/sick/losing weight side of the story and non-use.

jamesakrobinson

I'm 51 and I can still keep and even gain a little muscle if my macros are on point and I lift heavy 5 times a week. The progress is less and slower every year.

In the case of an injury or a vacation keeping me out of the gym for even just a week the muscle loss is very obvious in the mirror and on the scale... and the strength loss is striking when I get back into the gym.

On the up side muscle memory is a real phenomenon. You can get muscle BACK much quicker than you can grow it in the first place. (on the down side, the injury rate is higher with age... I have had 3 bouts of nasty tendonitis (in 3 different places) in the last 18 months or so.)

LiftHeavyThings27105

I am 50....have not been in the gym for three months. No bed rest or anything like that. But no training at all (still some NEAT....still pretty active). Muscle definition has indeed changed. Nutrition - been playing with things so protein intake has not been where it would have been were I not playing with differrnt ideas.

Not interested in hearing about age-related "things" - to be honest. Just seem like a bunch of excuses. And not being aggressive with that.......just how I really feel. I fight that stuff with "Really? Look at me!" (not being egotistical with that).

Anyway, love this question. Will document my "recovery" (go back in the gym tomorrow).

But, would say that "use it or loose it" does apply!!!!

peaceout_aly

sardelsa wrote: »

A question in the main forums got me thinking. Just out of curiosity...can you maintain muscle in maintenance without exercise/resistance training? I would imagine, over enough time...you lose muscle and gain fat, the opposite of a recomp?

For example.. if someone finds they are unable to workout for a few months but wants to maintain their physique and muscle mass (as much as possible).

Or perhaps if someone finds themselves too bulky/muscular (rare I know, but I am sure it happens)..and wants to stay around the same weight... it is possible to lose muscle and gain fat over time.

I wonder how long it takes for the body to start to lose muscle over time, if anyone has any articles or insight!

Thanks!

So concerned about this right now! Great thread! I am getting surgery on 11/15 and will have 3-6 weeks of no leg work outs (although you bet I'm gonna end up finding a way to do extensions or something along those lines, I can't do 3-6 weeks of back/arms/abs and mild bike riding LOL). I'm so concerned that I'm just going to turn into fat and mush and not hold an ounce of all the muscle I've spent years working towards.

heybales

peaceout_aly wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

A question in the main forums got me thinking. Just out of curiosity...can you maintain muscle in maintenance without exercise/resistance training? I would imagine, over enough time...you lose muscle and gain fat, the opposite of a recomp?

For example.. if someone finds they are unable to workout for a few months but wants to maintain their physique and muscle mass (as much as possible).

Or perhaps if someone finds themselves too bulky/muscular (rare I know, but I am sure it happens)..and wants to stay around the same weight... it is possible to lose muscle and gain fat over time.

I wonder how long it takes for the body to start to lose muscle over time, if anyone has any articles or insight!

Thanks!

So concerned about this right now! Great thread! I am getting surgery on 11/15 and will have 3-6 weeks of no leg work outs (although you bet I'm gonna end up finding a way to do extensions or something along those lines, I can't do 3-6 weeks of back/arms/abs and mild bike riding LOL). I'm so concerned that I'm just going to turn into fat and mush and not hold an ounce of all the muscle I've spent years working towards.

Don't eat in a diet during recovery.

First you don't know how much extra energy your body needs for repair and you'll likely get a slight deficit anyway.

Second diet with no resistance workouts will just be asking for muscle not being built back up and lost away.

3-6 weeks really not that bad if not bed-ridden - merely getting around will use a lot of body muscles, so stay active as you can.

And ask your PT about leg curls/extension - if you can focus your mind clearly on just using quads/hamstrings and not engaging muscles attached to something you shouldn't be moving - not bad. But one distracted movement in that case could be really bad - so be sure you have that ability first.
Practice now.

canadianlbs

i have limited experience and what i have is just anecdotal, but fwiw the last time i freaked out about hurting a knee my gp was pretty hipped on me continuing to move any way that i could until it settled down. she told me people start to lose muscle 'within a week' of complete inactivity. she may have been thinking of a specific population since she and i are both in our early 50's.

also anecdotally, it does seem to come back pretty quick. that's providing any underlying/causative issues have been fully resolved though. otherwise i find that whatever set me off just lies there and lurks waiting for me to get back to the requisite weight/volume to set it back off.