How difficult is it to maintain lean mass while not working out consistently? I've made some very pleasing gains in the 8 months since I've started lifting seriously, but I'm about to take an extended break due to travel. I'll be moving around quite frequently, and most of the places I'll be won't have a gym within hundreds of miles, so it's unlikely I'll even be able to touch a weight for the next 4-5 months. I might be able to fit in some improvised workouts now and then, but the days of hitting the gym 5 days a week are over. Am I bound to lose most of my gains, even if I continue to eat well?
More generally, once one has attained a certain level of mass, how easy is it to lose it? The sense I get around here is that as soon as you slack off on the weights and revert to more normal (less planned) eating habits, the mass goes pretty quickly. But there are plenty of big guys (not necessarily cut) who don't work out but eat big and stay muscular. Is it possible to permanently shift up your body's set point and maintain a heavier weight without the extra effort? Of course I'm talking about lean mass here -- obviously it's not very tough to get fat.
vmc wrote: :: How difficult is it to maintain lean mass while not working out :: consistently? I've made some very pleasing gains in the 8 months :: since I've started lifting seriously, but I'm about to take an :: extended break due to travel. I'll be moving around quite :: frequently, and most of the places I'll be won't have a gym within :: hundreds of miles, so it's unlikely I'll even be able to touch a :: weight for the next 4-5 months. I might be able to fit in some :: improvised workouts now and then, but the days of hitting the gym 5 :: days a week are over. Am I bound to lose most of my gains, even if I :: continue to eat well?
Do some bodyweight movements.
:: :: More generally, once one has attained a certain level of mass, how :: easy is it to lose it? The sense I get around here is that as soon :: as you slack off on the weights and revert to more normal (less :: planned) eating habits, the mass goes pretty quickly. But there are :: plenty of big guys (not necessarily cut) who don't work out but eat :: big and stay muscular. Is it possible to permanently shift up your :: body's set point and maintain a heavier weight without the extra :: effort? Of course I'm talking about lean mass here -- obviously it's :: not very tough to get fat.
"vmc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
How difficult is it to maintain lean mass while not working out consistently? I've made some very pleasing gains in the 8 months since I've started lifting seriously, but I'm about to take an extended break due to travel. I'll be moving around quite frequently, and most of the places I'll be won't have a gym within hundreds of miles, so it's unlikely I'll even be able to touch a weight for the next 4-5 months. I might be able to fit in some improvised workouts now and then, but the days of hitting the gym 5 days a week are over. Am I bound to lose most of my gains, even if I continue to eat well?
More generally, once one has attained a certain level of mass, how easy is it to lose it? The sense I get around here is that as soon as you slack off on the weights and revert to more normal (less planned) eating habits, the mass goes pretty quickly. But there are plenty of big guys (not necessarily cut) who don't work out but eat big and stay muscular. Is it possible to permanently shift up your body's set point and maintain a heavier weight without the extra effort? Of course I'm talking about lean mass here -- obviously it's not very tough to get fat.
There have been several threads lately with suggestions for bodyweight exercise - Google them and you should be all set. You might need to learn some new skills before you can perform them well enough to be challenging enough to keep some mass, or at least that might make it go better for you.
Several studies have shown that in as little as 2 weeks strength declines. However the longterm effects from weightlifting continue up to 1 year. So if you can get some weightlifitng in you may be able to hold onto what you have...but some loss will happen. The good news is that once you restart your regimen you gain it back quickly. Motor units, nervous system, brain, etc will rememeber quickly.
