Decrease in firmness? in 3 weeks? why?

Dposh67

I strength trained for 2 months. Mostly focusing on lower half like the thigh & glutes. I noticed my butt was super firm and sitting higher and my thighs were getting tighter. By the 3rd month I had problems with my lower back and couldn't do too much with weights. I didn't use any weights for 3 weeks straight. I probably did the elliptical or treadmill 1-2x a week that month. but that was it! But at the end of that 3rd week break I noticed my entire body softened up A LOT. there was no more firmness in my butt and my legs were back to being jiggly.

I know the obvious answer is "well because you stopped your weight training". But I'm looking for more of a scientific reason as to what made the tightness/firmness disappear after only 3 weeks. I don't know that much about muscle. i know i'm not growing muscle because i'm eating at a deficit. I wasn't working out prior to these last 3 months. I'm not using super heavy weights (10-12lbs right now).

I read numerous things like your muscle stores water or your muscles were swelling. Idk...i just want to hear other opinions. Is this something that happens to people who have trained for a long time? I think my main shock is how fast i was able to lose the tightness. i didn't think it would go away after a 3 week break

Rianne90

I'm not an expert, but here's what I think:
Your body is built to work as efficient as possible. You built some extra muscle (probably) by lifting heavy weights. You needed the extra muscle for your body to perform efficiently with the weights you were lifting. If you don't lift those weights anymore, the body will 'notice' and start breaking down the muscle tissue that it no longer needs, as muscle tissue takes quite a bit of energy to maintain (that's why your TDEE is higher when you have a lot of muscle mass) and it's therefore not efficient for the body to maintain it when it isn't needed. I think it happens pretty fast, especially if you eat at a deficit as well (don't know if you do).

Hope there's someone here who can give a more accurate/eloquent explanation though (and maybe I'm completely wrong too, as I said no expert)

bcattoes

A quick internet search says that how quickly disuse muscle atrophy occurs depends on the individual but most fit people can see a noticable difference in 2 weeks.

Dposh67

muscle atrophy? i'm guessing that's what its called. thx. I'll look into that.

I guess since I haven't been strength training that long, I lost the definition faster than i thought i would