Muscle memory

aneary1980
aneary1980 Posts: 461 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Is muscle memory a myth?

I have been doing a fair bit of interval training on the treadmill in the last few months and haven't noticed any changes in my legs which has been fine.

Over the weekend I started running on the road about 3km each time on sat, sun and this morning so nothing major but I realised that my calves are now defined and it's a massive changed.

Years ago I used to horse ride and had defination in my calves so could the recent defination be due to muscle memory?

Thnaks

Replies

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • aneary1980
    aneary1980 Posts: 461 Member
    I don't have either.

    They are defined now they weren't before.
  • BuoyantSoul
    BuoyantSoul Posts: 117 Member
    Yeah, you don't lose the muscle, it just shrinks. So when you train the muscle again, it comes back much more rapidly than it took you to build the muscle in the first place. Which is great for those of us who fell off the exercise wagon and have finally hopped back on - results are way more rapid than the first time around.
  • aneary1980
    aneary1980 Posts: 461 Member
    Thanks, I guess I'm never going to look good in skinny jeans. :grumble:
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Are you eating at a deficit? If so, it's likely that you are seeing more definition because you have lost fat.
  • aneary1980
    aneary1980 Posts: 461 Member
    The defination has happened over three days I don't think I've lost that much fat in that time, and my calves are actually bigger. :(
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    The defination has happened over three days I don't think I've lost that much fat in that time, and my calves are actually bigger. :(

    Then it's likely just water retention in the muscles from the change in exercise regime making them appear bigger (or swole). Chances are they will return to their previous size in a few days if you stopped running.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I have big calves and I think I look good in skinny jeans........ in fact, my main issue with skinny jeans is that they make my calves look too small. I'd rather have bigger calves, I think I'd look better in skinny jeans with them.
  • aneary1980
    aneary1980 Posts: 461 Member
    The defination has happened over three days I don't think I've lost that much fat in that time, and my calves are actually bigger. :(

    Then it's likely just water retention in the muscles from the change in exercise regime making them appear bigger (or swole). Chances are they will return to their previous size in a few days if you stopped running.

    10k in september so I'll have to live with them. :)
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    I'm not sure that muscle memory is what you think it is..

    Muscle memory is our ability to remember and 'replay' tasks ... like play the piano or type on a keyboard etc... sort of autonomously.
  • Raginirathore
    Raginirathore Posts: 1
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  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I'm not sure that muscle memory is what you think it is..

    Muscle memory is our ability to remember and 'replay' tasks ... like play the piano or type on a keyboard etc... sort of autonomously.

    that's not the only way the term is used. Also, what you're describing I think is termed procedural memory, although many people use the term muscle memory for it, but the academic term is procedural memory.

    in physiology, muscle memory refers to muscle rebuilding itself more easily/rapidly because it's muscle that you had before and then lost, e.g. if someone used to be athletic, then they quit sports for a while, lost some of their muscle mass due to being sedentary, but then took up the sport again, they'd rebuild that muscle more quickly than someone who's trying to build new muscle that they've never had.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    I'm not sure that muscle memory is what you think it is..

    Muscle memory is our ability to remember and 'replay' tasks ... like play the piano or type on a keyboard etc... sort of autonomously.

    that's not the only way the term is used. Also, what you're describing I think is termed procedural memory, although many people use the term muscle memory for it, but the academic term is procedural memory.

    in physiology, muscle memory refers to muscle rebuilding itself more easily/rapidly because it's muscle that you had before and then lost, e.g. if someone used to be athletic, then they quit sports for a while, lost some of their muscle mass due to being sedentary, but then took up the sport again, they'd rebuild that muscle more quickly than someone who's trying to build new muscle that they've never had.

    Ta
  • vorgas
    vorgas Posts: 741 Member
    Thanks, I guess I'm never going to look good in skinny jeans. :grumble:
    Don't worry about it. Nobody does.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    Thanks, I guess I'm never going to look good in skinny jeans. :grumble:
    Don't worry about it. Nobody does.
    ++++1
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Thanks, I guess I'm never going to look good in skinny jeans. :grumble:
    Don't worry about it. Nobody does.

    You shut your mouth. I happen to be wearing skinny jeans today and I have big legs. So there. :tongue:

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