Keeping muscle mass during break from working out

[Disconnect]

SStype's pushup thread raises a question: is it possible to stop working out and still save the previously gained muscle mass? If I don't lift for a week, my bench press drops about 10-15 lbs, not to mention I begin to look smaller.

SSType talks about his trainer maintaining strength even though he hasn't done training routines in a while. Are there exercises/routines that allow one to build this sort of muscle resilience?

 

[Laney]

If you're losing size after just a week of not going to the gym, no offence, but you're training wrong.

It takes a good 2 weeks for your body to start reverting back to it's untrained shape, sorry, but that's the truth in it! (2 weeks for your body to strip protein from muscles and poop it away!)

You lose strength because your nervous system has lost the "grove" of contracting fibres.... If you tense up as hard as you can BEFORE you do a set, you wont lose anywhere near that amount of strength, as you ready your muscles for the load bearing....

As for resilience.... when doing pushups and bodyweight exercises, do them semi-isometrically and tense up everything when you're doing it. Might work.

 

[sstype]

bodyweight excerises are great for maintaining strength and muscles. The best way to make them bigger is do them NICE and SLOWLY. So when you are doin pushups for example, go down slowly, hold for about 10 seconds, and then go up SLOWLY, hold for 10 seconds. Repeat. Do these on whatever makes it intense, flat palm, vertical fists, horizontal fists, or your fingers. Pullups are good to, as long as you are not jerking yourself up and down. NICE and SLOWLY.


My trainer emphasizes that BODYBUILDERS, if they go off their routine, their protein, glutamine, 20 egg whites a day, etc. the muscles will sag and lose definition. That is why during off-season, many pro bodybuilders look fat. They just stop doing their routine until season comes around, and then BAM! We see them and we think that is what their bodies look like ALL the time.


But dont take my word for it, give me some time to post some pictures and we will see if I made some gains

 

[MindOverMatter]

That is why during off-season, many pro bodybuilders look fat. They just stop doing their routine until season comes around, and then BAM! We see them and we think that is what their bodies look like ALL the time.

No it's because during off season, that's when they do their bulking cycles and just gorge on food without worrying about appearance. Their goal is to put on as much size as possible. Then 10 weeks from their competition, they begin cutting and losing the fat. It has nothing to do with how they train during off season, they still work their asses off.

 

[Nocturnal]

The most important thing is nutrition. Over Christmas break I didn't get the chance to workout for nearly a month, but I kept eating enough and I was pretty much the same when I got back. Another time, I got really sick and couldn't eat well, after 3 days I had lost 5 lbs.

 

[Heizen]

Originally posted by sstype
bodyweight excerises are great for maintaining strength and muscles. The best way to make them bigger is do them NICE and SLOWLY. So when you are doin pushups for example, go down slowly, hold for about 10 seconds, and then go up SLOWLY, hold for 10 seconds. Repeat. Do these on whatever makes it intense, flat palm, vertical fists, horizontal fists, or your fingers. Pullups are good to, as long as you are not jerking yourself up and down. NICE and SLOWLY.


My trainer emphasizes that BODYBUILDERS, if they go off their routine, their protein, glutamine, 20 egg whites a day, etc. the muscles will sag and lose definition. That is why during off-season, many pro bodybuilders look fat. They just stop doing their routine until season comes around, and then BAM! We see them and we think that is what their bodies look like ALL the time.


But dont take my word for it, give me some time to post some pictures and we will see if I made some gains

Muscle is muscle. What makes muscle that is made in 2 weeks worth more then muscle made in 1 week? Bodyweight exercises don't build strength past a certain point. Ever see a powerlifter or bodybuilder do pushups for their chest?

If you are dieting correctly, you shouldn't lose weight. If you party, sleep little, and eat shit all day, yes your body will revert back a little bit.

I know guys who havn't lifted a weight in a year or two after lifting for some time, and come back with very little loss. It's your diet, lifestyle, and genetics that will decide this.

Your trainer still probably leads a active lifestyle. That, plus the fact you admit he isn't big, suggests that his lifestyle maintains his muscles for him. Martial arts especially will do that. Should he sit on the couch and eat **** all day, then you can see where this 'resiliance' goes.

After that little off season comment I am beginning to lose faith in your trainer SS. He may know martial arts, but building muscle I don't think he knows too well.

 

[sstype]

Originally posted by Heizen
Muscle is muscle. What makes muscle that is made in 2 weeks worth more then muscle made in 1 week? Bodyweight exercises don't build strength past a certain point. Ever see a powerlifter or bodybuilder do pushups for their chest?

If you are dieting correctly, you shouldn't lose weight. If you party, sleep little, and eat shit all day, yes your body will revert back a little bit.

I know guys who havn't lifted a weight in a year or two after lifting for some time, and come back with very little loss. It's your diet, lifestyle, and genetics that will decide this.

Your trainer still probably leads a active lifestyle. That, plus the fact you admit he isn't big, suggests that his lifestyle maintains his muscles for him. Martial arts especially will do that. Should he sit on the couch and eat **** all day, then you can see where this 'resiliance' goes.

After that little off season comment I am beginning to lose faith in your trainer SS. He may know martial arts, but building muscle I don't think he knows too well.

Nah, my trainer is BIG and STOCKY. I mean he has muscles in his freaking hands and wrists! This guy has gone through a lot of training to get where he is at right now. And right now his "lifestyle" consists of getting his new place up and running, so he really never has the time now to workout, yet he still has incredible strength and size. So I really would not discredit him right away, as it may very well be just as effective, if not more effective than the tradtional "pumping iron" And honestly, I look much better working with him for four weeks, than I was trying to bulk up in TWO years. Heck maybe I did not bulk correctly, but nonetheless I am still impressed by his method, and we will see where this goes in four weeks. Stay tuned for pics

 

[Disconnect]

I know this guy who is absolutely huge. Senior year, maybe 225 lbs. He hasn't worked out in a year. When I asked how he keeps his muscle, he said 'drugs' as in pot. Any truth to this?

 

[Lifeforce]

It's a matter of biology sstype. The muscles consist of different musclefiber types. Doing bodyweight exercises will only get you a bit. There is no way doing some 30 second squats will build as much as doing a full heavy ass set with many hundred pounds on the back.

 

[EFFORT]

The guy was reffering to roids and he was probably working out.


Just because someone is big doesn't mean they know what there talking about. Thats why so many people have trouble and most of the information in bodybuilding is bad since some big guy withgood genetics or some guy that juices up runs his mouth and says workout really hard most of the week and do lots of sets and reps and if you don't get big then your not working hard enough or you don't have heart.....bs don't listen

 

[sstype]

Originally posted by Lifeforce
It's a matter of biology sstype. The muscles consist of different musclefiber types. Doing bodyweight exercises will only get you a bit. There is no way doing some 30 second squats will build as much as doing a full heavy ass set with many hundred pounds on the back.

Yeah, but you gotta realize that with many hundred pounds on the back, dont you think that there is some slight possibility that all that pressure will affect your overall HEALTH in your later years?

The squats I do with my trainer have nowhere the same amount of weight that I was squatting with when I was bulking, yet my legs look A LOT more muscular and defined.

It is more in how you lift the weight, than the actual weight itself. Example, if you could lift 200 lbs squats by using the momentum of your body to bring the weight up, you muscles are not getting the full benefit of the workout than if you had just done 130 lbs NICE and SLOWLY.

I mean, try it next time lifeforce. Down the weight a little bit, and move yourself nice and slowly. Feel the leg muscles burning as you go up, do the same when you go down. Do this on ALL your lifts. Tell me you dont feel sore the next day.

 

[Lifeforce]

There were a veteran who talked about health side effects. He had trouble putting up a 500 lbs squat while other at his age had problem with random paín in their back and trouble with their heart.

There is no other way to go when you lift heavy then to go slow (and with good form if you want to avoid injuries). Speed comes with lighter weight. I have started doing squats with paus a second or two at the paralell or just go ATTG, but I never bounce! To be perfectly honest, I don't give a **** about growing muscle anymore, the weight is what's important since I need a strong (front) squat to do olympic lifting and I need to keep to my weight class.

If it works for you, then it's all good for both of us. But just to get perspective on it, how many big guys have you ever seen lifting like you say.

 

[sstype]

Originally posted by Lifeforce
There were a veteran who talked about health side effects. He had trouble putting up a 500 lbs squat while other at his age had problem with random paín in their back and trouble with their heart.

There is no other way to go when you lift heavy then to go slow (and with good form if you want to avoid injuries). Speed comes with lighter weight. I have started doing squats with paus a second or two at the paralell or just go ATTG, but I never bounce! To be perfectly honest, I don't give a **** about growing muscle anymore, the weight is what's important since I need a strong (front) squat to do olympic lifting and I need to keep to my weight class.

If it works for you, then it's all good for both of us. But just to get perspective on it, how many big guys have you ever seen lifting like you say.

well powerlifting is different. weight is everything for you then. Do what you do.

Haha, well those big guys probably started where I am at. I mean lets get realistic, most of those "big guys" you talk about are

1. on steroids
2. if not then they are taking various "prohormones"
3. various other supplements which I cant even pronounce

Without those mentioned above, we will never be able to get to the size and physique of our beloved bodybuilders. But in the long-run, those who bodybuild naturally will end up healthier and live longer lives than those who are freakishly huge. Its a price you pay for getting that kind of mass on you.


Right now I am just taking my first steps, and making some pretty noticeable improvements with my trainer, but it will still take more time, years to get the physique I want to have. But if it also means having a great looking AND healthy body, I will take the extra time to attain that

 

[Lifeforce]

I know lots of people who do it naturally and are very big. One guy went from 121 to 209 lbs. He used creatine, whey and glutamine and lifted heavy.

Anyways, I hope you succeed in your goal. Good luck.

 

[semag]

Without those mentioned above, we will never be able to get to the size and physique of our beloved bodybuilders. But in the long-run, those who bodybuild naturally will end up healthier and live longer lives than those who are freakishly huge. Its a price you pay for getting that kind of mass on you.

Nooo way... you can get waay big naturally. You just have to eat, and lift heavy.

 

[Heizen]

Originally posted by sstype

It is more in how you lift the weight, than the actual weight itself. Example, if you could lift 200 lbs squats by using the momentum of your body to bring the weight up, you muscles are not getting the full benefit of the workout than if you had just done 130 lbs NICE and SLOWLY.

Hello? Have you ever lifted heavy before? When you rack up your 3 rep max, there is no other speed BUT slow. It's maximum effort and rest after you are done. What good do you think you are doing building muscle when you have to force yourself to go slow? I could take 2 lbs and take 5 minutes to complete a rep and it wouldn't do jack for building muscle.

You have been making noticable improvements because to honest you didn't have much of a physique to start with. Thats what we are saying; you will make gains but they will stop. I did the same thing when I was 14 with pushups and what not, but I stopped making gains.

Also, that bowflex you are using is also a beginners machine; the poundages are too low to do much of anything after a few months of lifting.

Bows are for killing deer, not lifting.

It wouldn't be a big deal but you are mixing goals. You are trying to gain muscle with a martial arts kind of routine, and asking for large poundages from a inforior program for building muscle.