How long does it take to lose muscles?

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blopmiyers
blopmiyers Posts: 195 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm going to the cottage for a week and I'll be missing my workouts. Is it alright to take a week off?

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  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Why not just do bodyweight exercises while you're there? Squats, lunges, pushups, glute bridges...can all be done anywhere without any equipment.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    You'll be fine with a week off.

    I can't find the exact Facebook post but Jay from aworkoutroutine.com addressed this in a recent one of his email newsletters and mentioned he has discussed it on FB. From the newsletter:
    Question #1: How long can you go without working out before you start losing muscle mass?

    Answer #1: This is actually something I've talked about before on the AWR Facebook page.

    Here's what I said...

    On the subject of losing muscle when you stop working out due to injury/illness/some other good reason, here's what I've personally found will happen...

    1 week missed = nothing lost at all. Measurements, body weight and mirror reflection are exactly the same.

    2 weeks missed = exactly the same as week 1, no real loss of any kind.

    3 weeks missed = surprisingly similar to weeks 1 and 2. Tape measure, scale and mirror showing everything remains virtually unchanged. I know, I was surprised too.

    4 weeks missed = this is the point when muscle loss starts. Nothing super extreme (e.g. you don't lose 20lbs), but this is when the regression clearly begins. It's all downhill from here.

    5 weeks missed = the same as week 4, but just slightly worse.

    6, 7, 8, 9, etc, weeks missed = the same as week 5, but just slightly worse.

    *NOTE: All of the above assumes your diet is kept in check (and you're at maintenance... not in a deficit).
  • blopmiyers
    blopmiyers Posts: 195 Member
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    capaul42 wrote: »
    Why not just do bodyweight exercises while you're there? Squats, lunges, pushups, glute bridges...can all be done anywhere without any equipment.

    Yeah ill look for time to perform some.
    jemhh wrote: »
    You'll be fine with a week off.

    I can't find the exact Facebook post but Jay from aworkoutroutine.com addressed this in a recent one of his email newsletters and mentioned he has discussed it on FB. From the newsletter:
    Question #1: How long can you go without working out before you start losing muscle mass?

    Answer #1: This is actually something I've talked about before on the AWR Facebook page.

    Here's what I said...

    On the subject of losing muscle when you stop working out due to injury/illness/some other good reason, here's what I've personally found will happen...

    1 week missed = nothing lost at all. Measurements, body weight and mirror reflection are exactly the same.

    2 weeks missed = exactly the same as week 1, no real loss of any kind.

    3 weeks missed = surprisingly similar to weeks 1 and 2. Tape measure, scale and mirror showing everything remains virtually unchanged. I know, I was surprised too.

    4 weeks missed = this is the point when muscle loss starts. Nothing super extreme (e.g. you don't lose 20lbs), but this is when the regression clearly begins. It's all downhill from here.

    5 weeks missed = the same as week 4, but just slightly worse.

    6, 7, 8, 9, etc, weeks missed = the same as week 5, but just slightly worse.

    *NOTE: All of the above assumes your diet is kept in check (and you're at maintenance... not in a deficit).

    Thank you! That's a relief aha. I'm staying at a calorie surplus so nothing should change at all.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
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    a week is fine. Detraining begins after 2 weeks.

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