How fast to lose muscle?

sdavis484

How fast is muscle weight going away while I loaf around at home with my gym closed? I am happy to lose weight - but fat, not muscle.

janejellyroll

If you're interested, body weight resistance exercise can be done with no equipment and they're a great way to use your muscles when you don't have access to weights.

sdavis484

I'm not. Lol, I find motivating myself to workout on my own, incredibly difficult and right now I just feel depressed.

janejellyroll

sdavis484 wrote: »

I'm not. Lol, I find motivating myself to workout on my own, incredibly difficult and right now I just feel depressed.

I'm sorry to hear that. Best wishes.

Terytha

I read somewhere that it takes four weeks, and even then loss is very slow.

ETA: it was an email I got from the dude who runs the oft-cited A Workout Routine site. I'll share some:

1. Muscle loss doesn't happen quickly.

In my experience, as long as your diet is in check (more about that below), muscle loss doesn't happen to any meaningful degree until around 4 weeks of not training at all. And even at that point, we're talking very tiny amounts of muscle being gradually lost at a slow rate.

2. Muscle is regained quickly.

I've said it before but I'll say it again, "muscle memory" is real and it's spectacular. Sure, losing muscle sucks (something I've experienced myself at times due to injuries), but the silver lining is that you will gain back what you lose significantly faster than you initially gained it.

3. Consume 0.8-1.3g of protein per pound of body weight.

Above all else, protein is THE key nutritional component when it comes to preventing muscle loss. Shoot for at least 0.8 grams per pound of your current body weight (use your goal body weight if you're very overweight).

4. Keep your calorie intake at maintenance (if possible).

If you were bulking and in a surplus, you're going to want to bring your calorie intake down to maintenance until you're able to work out again, otherwise you'll just end up gaining a bunch of fat.

And if you're in a deficit for the purpose of losing fat, being at maintenance would be more ideal for preventing muscle loss. So, unless your fat loss goals are more important to you than your muscle maintenance goals over this specific period of time, I'd recommend going back up to maintenance until you're able to work out again.

sschauer513

I had to stop lifting for 1.5 years with various medical issues and while I gained good amount of weight as far as muscle "strength" when I went back only took 2 months to really get back where I was. Now I was no power lifter but thats my story.

sdavis484

Terytha wrote: »

I read somewhere that it takes four weeks, and even then loss is very slow.

ETA: it was an email I got from the dude who runs the oft-cited A Workout Routine site. I'll share some:

1. Muscle loss doesn't happen quickly.

In my experience, as long as your diet is in check (more about that below), muscle loss doesn't happen to any meaningful degree until around 4 weeks of not training at all. And even at that point, we're talking very tiny amounts of muscle being gradually lost at a slow rate.

2. Muscle is regained quickly.

I've said it before but I'll say it again, "muscle memory" is real and it's spectacular. Sure, losing muscle sucks (something I've experienced myself at times due to injuries), but the silver lining is that you will gain back what you lose significantly faster than you initially gained it.

3. Consume 0.8-1.3g of protein per pound of body weight.

Above all else, protein is THE key nutritional component when it comes to preventing muscle loss. Shoot for at least 0.8 grams per pound of your current body weight (use your goal body weight if you're very overweight).

4. Keep your calorie intake at maintenance (if possible).

If you were bulking and in a surplus, you're going to want to bring your calorie intake down to maintenance until you're able to work out again, otherwise you'll just end up gaining a bunch of fat.

And if you're in a deficit for the purpose of losing fat, being at maintenance would be more ideal for preventing muscle loss. So, unless your fat loss goals are more important to you than your muscle maintenance goals over this specific period of time, I'd recommend going back up to maintenance until you're able to work out again.

Thank you very much!!! Incredibly helpful!!