Very true. I found out recently I have high blood pressure. I do all the right things, though I didn't realise how much sodium is being pumped into the food chain, by irresponsible food manufacturers. I am now for exercise just walking an hour ever day and cutting my sodium, but after years of weights and thinking about how many protein products that may have been sodium packed. I would urge others to do what they wish but be careful. I believe the food system is set up for population control.
The truth is the only person that will notice a 3cm loss in muscle growth is the person looking at their bathroom mirror at 10pm every single day. If you’re big, you won’t be not big a month later.
I can guarantee that’s not the case. Most people at public gyms train to approximately 5rir and never do any remotely challenging multi joint exercises. Just think of all the people at the gym who haven’t made changees in their physique in like 5 years. Only a very small percentage of people needs to take it easier. It’s usually the ones that are insanely committed to working out and are willing to make sacrifices
@@john_m3619 True observation. Powerlifting/general weightlifting, make for a rough regimen. Had to back off. Can’t keep up, naturally, as the decades pass. I’m currently backing off to try to heal my joints. All the best. Enjoy the process.
@@simonm6203overtraining is when you dont let yourself recover adequately before training again. the most efficient way to train is to hit the muscle again as soon as it recovers. but you will need to focus on recovery and be committed. since many people arent willing to do that, then like at least two days a week of resistance training is recommended. under recovery is the real issue. so mind yourself if you do extra cardio activities, since the caloric surplus will need to be higher to accommodate for that. also might be prudent to do less sets in a single session so that you can recover better in time for the next session.
I was huge in 2015 or so. I didn't train much 2016-2017 and I stopped training in 2018. I recently surpassed my strength and size of that time after about 8 months of lifting again. Muscle memory is crazy.
I once went 14 months out of the gym due to a lower back injury (movement is medicine but I'm not messing with my lower back). Lost basically no strength. The body is resilient.
I think it also might be different if steroids are involved... I've also gone a year or more training totally differently (light calisthenics vs heavy strength) and lost no strength whatever.
@@blueanima8623I wasn't going to the gym last summer go save some money, so I was training using only very basic equipment. I was able to do most exercises with the same intensity, but I wasn't able to do any deadlifts and barbell squats, because I just don't have my own barbell and don't have sufficient amount of plates, so I swapped it with unilateral versions of those two exercises and also did some nordic curls, so I could load the legs in a similar way. When I started going to the gym again in september-october (I stopped in (april-june), I lost basically no strength and gains.
This. I think it's mostly person to person basis. Some people can last longer; other lose it quickly. Probably something in our blood types that helps preserve or something.
@@jakubslavik5595 @RoganBits yeah I don't think it's all that cut and dry. Factors such as how much protein you eat, your health generally and your hormones probably also play a role.
I went 1 year without lifting. I'm natty with a powerlifting history. I lost a lot of strength. But I was still much stronger than the general populace, even general gym goers. And it came back rapidly. Between 3-6months I was like 95+ percent back.
For over 2 years, I almost quit training completely- divorce, back surgery, etc. I just got back into it and just finished my 4th week in. I can already feel my strength coming back quickly. Hopefully, within a few more months, I'll really start getting back to how I used to be! Muscle memory is awesome.
For me I quit training completely and sat around being a fat ass for half a year and I swear I lost dramatic amounts of muscle and gained lots of fat. I’ve started training again but I just can’t make it back. I went from a 500 squat to a 405 squat and it hurts 😢
After a 5-6 month break from working out, I recently got back into my routine. Surprisingly, after just 4-5 comparably short workouts and some time to recover, I’m already back to where I was six months ago. So, even if you have to take a long break-like I did due to an injury-don’t worry. You can regain your progress in just 2-3 weeks.
@@jamesb400 You don't lose a significant amount of muscle in 2 weeks. It can be measured, but you can probably gain it back in a single good session. It's when you stop for months that it'll take a while to get back to where you were.
That is wonderful news to hear today! School holidays makes getting to the gym tough. I do miss the sense of power/ strength though and can't wait to get back.
One thing for me is true, if I don’t go to the gym for more than a week, I will get the worst DOMS for the first week I’m back at the gym. My groin will cramp hard and my quads will be so sore, even if it’s only light squats. Then after the first week back, I’m back in the groove & muscle soreness & recovery is back to normal.
Took 3 weeks off to travel / vacation. I’ve been so incredible sore the first session for push pull and legs. And those sessions were tough. But just hit the gym and I feel like I’m back!
Right on the money as usual brother. You and I did for on a few things but you know your s*** better than most. That initial inflammation you get from training goes away you automatically think you're losing muscle.
For perspective…I stopped working out around the pandemic and did not touch a weight for over a year. I would say that my strength was lost in a couple months before my size diminished. My size went down within 4-5 months that I could tell. It took me about a year and a half to put all the muscle back on, roughly 10-15 lbs. now 2 years later I’m where I want to be. I’m 43
How long had you trained for prior to the break? I’m interested to know how many years of training were ‘lost’ until you spent 1.5 years to put it back on. Is the training you did to put it back on similar to the training you did prior? Thanks for answering these questions if you get the time
I've not gone in half a year and had a shitty schedule for the second half of 2023 and didn't do as much as I used to in early 2024 either. That's what bad relationships and overworking yourself does to you. I'm on my way back to where I was in early 2023 now and it's painful but oh so rewarding - and I won't ever stop again, for anyone.
I was worrying about my muscles, because I had surgery done and I couldnt train for 6 weeks. But now I started doing some home workouts and I can see that, its almost like I never stopped
I played hockey and baseball until I was 18 and then focused on baseball until 22. I did nothing until I was 26 when I came back to men’s league hockey. Playing competitively for 2ish years I developed major back problems and had to teach myself to listen properly to my body and stretch. I did this through Yoga. It’s now taken me 7 years to heal the scars and physical imbalances and I’m still not done yet. Granted, I’m not the poster person for recovery, but your body remembers. Obviously I don’t have the structure I did in high school and college, nor do I have the same need (or desire) to push myself that hard. But I legitimately don’t think I can ever stop exercising without serious mental and physical repercussions. “Quitting” is not a healthy option and I’m actually having to reimplement some of that structure for myself and my loved ones. I think we need to make that clear to everyone, not just athletes. There’s a wolf behind both doors. You can continue to heal yourself, which involves pain and sacrifice, or you can quit, which just involves pain and no healing.
Muscle memory is a very real thing too. Had a bout of depression that kept me out of the gym for 3 years after 20+ years lifting. It only took a couple months to get 90% of it back. So don't give up hope if you take a break.
Before 2 weeks? You lose muscle immediately a few days after the last time you trained a muscle it’s just very little. You thinking you can see your quads getting smaller (assuming you are talking about under ~1 month of stopping is probably just due to edema subsiding
To be fair due to a surgery I haven’t trained in about 4 years. The amount of muscle I’ve lost is basically negligible so every single person experiences their own unique reality!!
Absolutely addicted to lifting!😮😅I cannot even rest 2 days in a row.My day just doesn’t seem right and I definitely don’t feel right!😅2 weeks off?YIKES!I would be so cranky.The gym really IS my happy place😅
Been going really hard past couple months and after today my deload week starts. Thankfully because of rp and Doctor Mike I have the knowledge that I’m not gonna lose any muscle in that time, as a matter of fact I’m gonna get stronger as my body recovers from its accumulated fatigue
Mike mentzer philosophy, train less get better results...but when I train less I drink more? I don't always lift but I do sprints, plyo's martial arts workouts ect...good for my mental health....I would imagine that's pretty common with guys like us
Mike trained less and drank more too. It should be noted that he built his physique with the current recommended volumes, switched to the lazy man's routine and tried to sell it to the sedentary masses, just fyi
Bruh “detectable by modern machinery” makes it sound like I haven’t lost shit lol, unless you’re like a top level competition builder it doesn’t seem like something to worry about
@@smallfry7304that’s is assuming the ppl isn’t six days a week and is poorly optimized. I would be willing to wager a well constructed six day split will get more gains than a well constructed 4 day split
One of my clients took a month off training before, he was never very good at pull-ups and always struggled to do anymore than 5 reps but after that time off he came back and pumped out 10 like it was nothing. It was an epiphany moment for myself as it let me know I was over-training him and the importance of recovery. Not everyones the same, we all have different needs.
I used to not be able to do a push up. Now even after not training for months I still always been able to do some push ups, meaning I’ve never fully regressed to where I started from. It’s quite comforting
What i noticed, is that for some reason. if i dont lift or exercise for a week, I am for some reason Way, Waaay stronger. when i come back to the gym why is that? anyone know?
You’re overtraining, same here but I’ve realised the solution I train 4 days a week and then take 1-2 weeks off. I also only train 2 times a day. My strength is through the roof I can do 80 push ups in a row and like 35 pull ups in a row. Recovery is important. When it comes to working out doing less is more
You overtrain lol. Reduce your training to the point that every training you have doesn't have any drop in strength. That's the optimal you can do, including muscle growth.
@@muhwyndham exactly! People forget rest days are important and also taking time off and sleeping in when you can. Too much training especially with high intensity is bad
The real answer is it starts about 30 days for someone who have trained for 1 year or longer. And it increases exponentially. 60 days will lose a lot more compared to 45 days. And 90 days a lot more than 75 compared to 60.
Nah. Science likes to exaggerate everything. Calling something small 'significant' or something like that. You're always losing and gaining muscles, sometimes more sometimes less :P It's always fluctuating.
@@Moesmakendehakker658 If you stop working out after a while of working out, you will eventually go back to the same level you were before you stopped. This is true. And what you're saying is true too, but less significant!
In 2018 i started using an exercise bike. Everyone and every web page said it would make me lose weight and be slimmer. I was 36 inch hip, with bones that stuck out and wanted to be 34 inches. Within a few weeks I actually put muscle on my frame. I persevered but my hips were now bigger, 38 inches. I wanted to lose the saddlebags I had at my biggest part, not cover up my bones which is the look I liked. I stopped exercise biking a few months later. I haven’t used an exercise bike in 5 years. My hips are still 38 inches. I don’t eat more than I did then, in fact I eat less. I am active with cardio. My muscle has not gone away. I don’t go on about this to anyone I know but it is d e v a s t a t i n g to have round, full hips when I wanted to be skinnier.
I know all this but still gives me some relief anticipating a surgery that won’t allow me to lift for several weeks to months really. I’ll get it all back.
Yeah that's just bs. Maybe if you were completely sedentary and inactive you will start to lose muscle, but if you're active, especially playing sports, you lose muscle very slowly.
You lose muscle immediately after myofibular protein synthesis goes back to baseline, it’s just very little. Otherwise you could do 1 set per body part every 2 weeks and maintain. Obv wrong.
Are you referring to edema? Because I’m pretty sure you will be losing myofibrils, but ye if u think u look smaller after a week it’s mainly due to edema subsiding
This is exactly what happened to me when I took a month off of consistent training during August… I was on holiday with my family and although I wasn’t eating much worse than usual I convinced myself that everything I had gained over 5 years had been lost… To my shock I returned to training and after 1 session I had looked and felt better than I had done at any point up till then… The Mind can do crazy things….
It ties in with the other recent short Mike posted, about muscle memory. Because even if you loose a tiny amount of muscle in 2 weeks, you'll get it back in one or two sessions basically
Great information for the newbie of body-building. Actually in my eyes its one of the things you should research in-depth. Don't worry. Everyone will work out why ? If they going in the advanced room of this game.
I was in a coma for 3 weeks, took me 2 months 2 months to be able to drink water and eat completely right, and 3 months to walk again with new age forest gump braces, was working 2 jobs as soon as i could
Went 6 years without training and still have a lot of muscle. If you don’t take anything and do real natty lifting. Your retention is immense. 34 now and still decent amount left on me stopped when I was 27. But I’m about to start again 1st day back 💪🏼
I've learned so much here bc you speak about the subject as if it is within the reach of everyone @ every level. In fact it is, but many ppl attempt to make the novice fell like an idiot !😢😮
I started working out for Football in High School. After the football season, I was consistently training five days per week, alternating upper body and lower body every other workout. I went on a two week vacation where I didn't have access to a gym and when I came home, some of my lifts had actually gone up.
I haven’t been for a few weeks after going for a full year, and thought I just lost everything went back to the gym while on vacation last week, and hit a pr on shoulders out of nowhere. I was actually eating, and fueling myself for more muscle growth. Now Mike menzer might have some truth to his training. I just know I was definitely overtrained, and fatigued going 6 days a week, but now I feel good to get into it again. I’ve also been trying to cut for a year foolishly because I started fat instead of just focusing on muscle growth so I’m sure that was draining.
I noticed my body was stressed out, so I stopped working out for 2 weeks. It made everything better after. My body took time to really recover from the constant training.
yes and with this approach i get better EACH workout ,so while i FEEL smaller that week ,the day after my workout im past my initial last week state. rinse repeat.
I don’t work out much and I’m no means an authority on the subject but as someone who has been chubby as a child, to near anorexic as a teen into early 20’s, I started working out every other day for about a year and bulked up a decent amount just working out at home. Nothing major but definitely noticeable. Started going to the gym and seeing real improvement. I stopped for a long time after I got my wisdom teeth pulled but finally started going back after about 6 months. It was wayyy easier to gain back what I lost than starting from scratch. I’ve had bits of time of going weeks to months without going to the gym. It used to be easier when I worked normal hours and was single. Now I work night shift 12 hours a day 4 days a week and I’m engaged, but even with big breaks between gym trips I still look better than ever. I only go about just once a week now mostly just to get that pump in and keep from getting atrophied but people around me notice the difference. Creating definitely helps too lol. My dad just last week was like “dude you’re getting buff” and I needed that motivation 😅 I think if you lay the foundation even a once a week trip to the gym will net great results and I feel like the extra rest between actually has a really big impact on muscle gain, at least in my experience.
I stopped for 2-3yrs and coming back to lifting I was impressed by how relevant muscle memory was after all that time. I have my gains back and then some within 90 days (I train hard, creatine, HMB, tons of salmon, and whey isolate)
I am 44, discovered I have high blood pressure. I have trained, not really drank more than once or twice a year, birthday and Christmas, I do not smoke, eat white proteins, veg etc. I ate pizza once per week. I am not here to say don't do weights. I enjoyed it and will miss it, but I am going to stick with long distance walking and a low sodium and 1600 cal a day diet. There is a load of hidden sodium in alot of products they encourage weight lifters to invest in and ingest. Couple that with anyone who juices. It's a big risk for heart health and in my opinion it's not worth it. Stay safe all, do what you do and enjoy life, just think about it. Think about what is going to give you quality if life and good long term health.
Wow I feel this way completely... I haven't trained for like 2 months I feel so wimpy, worked out a good session yesterday I felt I was buff af again.... Definitely a psychological effect
I have been ill all summer, so I haven’t worked out for a solid 4 months. I’ve lost all of my muscle definition and strength. Just going up stairs has me fighting for my life.
The time it takes to lose muscle without going to the gym can vary depending on several factors, such as your previous fitness level, diet, and activity level. Generally, noticeable muscle loss can begin after 2 to 3 weeks of inactivity, particularly if you're not maintaining a proper protein intake. However, significant muscle atrophy (loss) usually happens after 3 to 4 weeks of inactivity. If you're staying somewhat active or engaging in other physical activities, the rate of muscle loss might be slower.
Been lifting for 10+yrs, work out 5-6 days/ week and usually dont drink. I went on vacation for a month, drank every single day and worked out once a week, my lifts stayed pretty solid when I got back.
I’ve been exercising for over 40 years, I’m 67 now, as a rule of thumb I’ve found if I wasn’t able to exercise for say 8 weeks due to surgery or illness or whatever, once I’m able to train properly it takes about the same amount of time to get back to where i was fitness / strength wise , 🇬🇧
What he said is real. I got sick for 2 weeks without gym training and balanced diet. Because of that, I lost 3kg of weight, but not only fats, muscle mass and Bone mass was lost too.
I went sedentary for 2 years after an injury. I never lost more than a miniscule amount of muscle. I went back to the gym and in 3 sessions back to the strength and size i was before
Dr. Mike saying abt how hes addicted to lifting and the "omg omg all my muscles are disappearing" is prolly the most relatable thing i've ever heard in my life.
I got a so-called "Tennis Elbow" that after a while spread to the shoulder joint. Had to stop going to the gym for over a year before I was healed. Guess what! I had to start from scratch and it took me "for ever" to get even close to what I used to do! Now, a year and a half later I am back!
Everyone is very different. I started going to the gym and was going for an hour a day, 5 days a week. Did that for about 4 months and then decided to take 2-3 weeks off. When I went back, all of my lifts felt too light. I was using the same weight I was before my break, but it was too easy now. I increased the weight on each workout by at least 15 pounds. Sometimes a break can do you good
Just starting to return to the gym after 12months recovery from back and hip injuries and surgery. Definitely lost some size in one leg and strength is down. Body is responding but it is a journey
You also have to factor in nutritional changes ie increase or decrease of calories, protein and vit + mins, and general levels of activity ie am i landscape gardner vs an office worker or longtime trainer. Unfortunately, we always have to generalize the answers to fit the masses.
I was a competition powerlifter in hs, over 1500 total in the 3 competition lifts, it was my life, every moment i wasn't in class or eating or sleeping I was lifting. Its been almost 8 years since i went to college and stopped, its been a long road restarting from almost nothing
One of the best advice I got : You have to accept how you look when the pump is gone.
I'm still gonna chase the pump.
Never
I look the same with a pump 😭😭
Very true. I found out recently I have high blood pressure. I do all the right things, though I didn't realise how much sodium is being pumped into the food chain, by irresponsible food manufacturers. I am now for exercise just walking an hour ever day and cutting my sodium, but after years of weights and thinking about how many protein products that may have been sodium packed. I would urge others to do what they wish but be careful. I believe the food system is set up for population control.
@@rangersnutmost definitely is
Dr. Mike does a fantastic job of describing body dysmorphia.
Fr, he been thru it so he understands
Recreates the question…
The truth is the only person that will notice a 3cm loss in muscle growth is the person looking at their bathroom mirror at 10pm every single day. If you’re big, you won’t be not big a month later.
Bro got a blue comment on RUclips shorts
Bro got a TikTok search comment on RUclips shorts wow
Thinking most people overtrain. I sure did for over 50 years. Finally moving in the right direction. All the best. Enjoy the process.
I can guarantee that’s not the case. Most people at public gyms train to approximately 5rir and never do any remotely challenging multi joint exercises. Just think of all the people at the gym who haven’t made changees in their physique in like 5 years. Only a very small percentage of people needs to take it easier. It’s usually the ones that are insanely committed to working out and are willing to make sacrifices
How much is overtraining and what is the right direction?
I’m one of them ✋🏻 and for now it’s my body that tells me to stop (lifting less weight, feeling like garbage, being extremely sore all time and so on)
@@john_m3619 True observation.
Powerlifting/general weightlifting, make for a rough regimen. Had to back off. Can’t keep up, naturally, as the decades pass. I’m currently backing off to try to heal my joints. All the best. Enjoy the process.
@@simonm6203overtraining is when you dont let yourself recover adequately before training again. the most efficient way to train is to hit the muscle again as soon as it recovers. but you will need to focus on recovery and be committed. since many people arent willing to do that, then like at least two days a week of resistance training is recommended.
under recovery is the real issue. so mind yourself if you do extra cardio activities, since the caloric surplus will need to be higher to accommodate for that. also might be prudent to do less sets in a single session so that you can recover better in time for the next session.
I was huge in 2015 or so. I didn't train much 2016-2017 and I stopped training in 2018. I recently surpassed my strength and size of that time after about 8 months of lifting again. Muscle memory is crazy.
wow, and are you hella detailed about protein intake and eating
Its placebo
@@tomloftus3236 Its not. Dr mike did a video on it saying that you if you have had the muscle you gain it back almost 10x as fast.
@@tomloftus3236 No?
This is NOT what muscle memory means 😅
Everything this guys says is spot on , no bull shit with this guy , fucking awesome
WTF are you saying? He didn't answer the question AT ALL. XD
Absolutely not true. A lot of what Israetel says is literal bullshit. It’s not fucking awesome..
@@christophroth373 You clearly can't relate to the struggle of lifting
Anyways he has very giant ass head 🗣️🗣️🗣️
He likes ego lifting
He just attaches is ego to the technique, instead of the weight.
I once went 14 months out of the gym due to a lower back injury (movement is medicine but I'm not messing with my lower back). Lost basically no strength. The body is resilient.
I think it also might be different if steroids are involved...
I've also gone a year or more training totally differently (light calisthenics vs heavy strength) and lost no strength whatever.
@@blueanima8623I wasn't going to the gym last summer go save some money, so I was training using only very basic equipment. I was able to do most exercises with the same intensity, but I wasn't able to do any deadlifts and barbell squats, because I just don't have my own barbell and don't have sufficient amount of plates, so I swapped it with unilateral versions of those two exercises and also did some nordic curls, so I could load the legs in a similar way. When I started going to the gym again in september-october (I stopped in (april-june), I lost basically no strength and gains.
This. I think it's mostly person to person basis. Some people can last longer; other lose it quickly. Probably something in our blood types that helps preserve or something.
@@jakubslavik5595 @RoganBits
yeah I don't think it's all that cut and dry.
Factors such as how much protein you eat, your health generally and your hormones probably also play a role.
I went 1 year without lifting. I'm natty with a powerlifting history. I lost a lot of strength. But I was still much stronger than the general populace, even general gym goers. And it came back rapidly. Between 3-6months I was like 95+ percent back.
For over 2 years, I almost quit training completely- divorce, back surgery, etc. I just got back into it and just finished my 4th week in. I can already feel my strength coming back quickly. Hopefully, within a few more months, I'll really start getting back to how I used to be! Muscle memory is awesome.
The interviewer: "How long before I lose muscle?"
The man: "Not after 2 weeks"
Good luck! Routing for you
For me I quit training completely and sat around being a fat ass for half a year and I swear I lost dramatic amounts of muscle and gained lots of fat. I’ve started training again but I just can’t make it back. I went from a 500 squat to a 405 squat and it hurts 😢
@Matthew-jm6zt Here I am only squatting 190 lbs 😅
@@Scottnoyb Dw everyone has their own goals as long as you’re dedicated you’ll see progress
After a 5-6 month break from working out, I recently got back into my routine. Surprisingly, after just 4-5 comparably short workouts and some time to recover, I’m already back to where I was six months ago. So, even if you have to take a long break-like I did due to an injury-don’t worry. You can regain your progress in just 2-3 weeks.
Thanks for sharing, that's really encouraging.
Same thing here
I think that depends too tho. Like on your daily activities and diet.
Thanks for this. I'm going to have a surgery that'll impact me being able to life for 12 weeks. I'm dreading it
This kind of info is so so encouraging for getting back into it rather beating yourself up when you go through a rough patch or deciding its too late
i havent trained for years but watching this beast being so passionate about it makes me kinda wanna do it again
That’s actually 100% correct according to the current science. Finally a RUclipsr that knows what he’s talking about
take a look at the rest of this guys comtent if you like this also he is a professor at some university i cant remeber ehat one
Absolute rubbish isn’t that why you lose muscle in a week or two?
Absolute rubbish isn’t that why you lose muscle in a week or two? Simply doesn’t happen.
@@jamesb400he said the very first detectable loss was at two weeks. Not that you lose it all dumbass
@@jamesb400 You don't lose a significant amount of muscle in 2 weeks. It can be measured, but you can probably gain it back in a single good session. It's when you stop for months that it'll take a while to get back to where you were.
That is wonderful news to hear today! School holidays makes getting to the gym tough. I do miss the sense of power/ strength though and can't wait to get back.
My dad never goes to the gym but still has a ton of muscle from working and his old days in the gym
One thing for me is true, if I don’t go to the gym for more than a week, I will get the worst DOMS for the first week I’m back at the gym. My groin will cramp hard and my quads will be so sore, even if it’s only light squats. Then after the first week back, I’m back in the groove & muscle soreness & recovery is back to normal.
Same thing here. That first week back has me moving stiff like c3po 😂
Took 3 weeks off to travel / vacation. I’ve been so incredible sore the first session for push pull and legs. And those sessions were tough. But just hit the gym and I feel like I’m back!
Right on the money as usual brother. You and I did for on a few things but you know your s*** better than most. That initial inflammation you get from training goes away you automatically think you're losing muscle.
For perspective…I stopped working out around the pandemic and did not touch a weight for over a year. I would say that my strength was lost in a couple months before my size diminished. My size went down within 4-5 months that I could tell.
It took me about a year and a half to put all the muscle back on, roughly 10-15 lbs. now 2 years later I’m where I want to be. I’m 43
How long had you trained for prior to the break? I’m interested to know how many years of training were ‘lost’ until you spent 1.5 years to put it back on.
Is the training you did to put it back on similar to the training you did prior?
Thanks for answering these questions if you get the time
Bro never skips head day 😂
I've not gone in half a year and had a shitty schedule for the second half of 2023 and didn't do as much as I used to in early 2024 either. That's what bad relationships and overworking yourself does to you. I'm on my way back to where I was in early 2023 now and it's painful but oh so rewarding - and I won't ever stop again, for anyone.
Completely understand not going to the gym and becoming anxious until I do get to workout.
I was worrying about my muscles, because I had surgery done and I couldnt train for 6 weeks. But now I started doing some home workouts and I can see that, its almost like I never stopped
I played hockey and baseball until I was 18 and then focused on baseball until 22. I did nothing until I was 26 when I came back to men’s league hockey.
Playing competitively for 2ish years I developed major back problems and had to teach myself to listen properly to my body and stretch. I did this through Yoga.
It’s now taken me 7 years to heal the scars and physical imbalances and I’m still not done yet. Granted, I’m not the poster person for recovery, but your body remembers.
Obviously I don’t have the structure I did in high school and college, nor do I have the same need (or desire) to push myself that hard. But I legitimately don’t think I can ever stop exercising without serious mental and physical repercussions. “Quitting” is not a healthy option and I’m actually having to reimplement some of that structure for myself and my loved ones.
I think we need to make that clear to everyone, not just athletes. There’s a wolf behind both doors. You can continue to heal yourself, which involves pain and sacrifice, or you can quit, which just involves pain and no healing.
So true! Great short Dr Mike. It’s important to point out how our minds can tell us something that isn’t the case. This is a prime example
It takes years to lose muscle you have when natural, when on gear months.
Hurt my shoulder while training haven’t been to the gym for almost a month.. this helps thank you
YOUR METAL AF ELI
keep it up!
What?
@@rockyevans1584 wrong video
I’ve just been sick for a week so I really needed to hear this, thank you
Nice to see Dr. Mike helping people
Muscle memory is a very real thing too. Had a bout of depression that kept me out of the gym for 3 years after 20+ years lifting. It only took a couple months to get 90% of it back. So don't give up hope if you take a break.
I feel it literally after a week and a bit of not training. It's bleeding tragic really.
Man this guy just clarified so much for me 🎉
Yup! I can see the difference especially in my quads
Can I see?
@pjb4653 oh hell nah
@@Stopitgetsomehelp3012 😂
Before 2 weeks? You lose muscle immediately a few days after the last time you trained a muscle it’s just very little. You thinking you can see your quads getting smaller (assuming you are talking about under ~1 month of stopping is probably just due to edema subsiding
@@smallfry7304how do you know she isn't talking about gaining muscle back quickly?
To be fair due to a surgery I haven’t trained in about 4 years. The amount of muscle I’ve lost is basically negligible so every single person experiences their own unique reality!!
Absolutely addicted to lifting!😮😅I cannot even rest 2 days in a row.My day just doesn’t seem right and I definitely don’t feel right!😅2 weeks off?YIKES!I would be so cranky.The gym really IS my happy place😅
You really need to then, especially if your growth is drastically slowing down or you are having a pleutu in strength
Lower the intensity just
your life must be boring
@@ARBets23 you must really skinny, or 300lb+
I’m the exact same way as you! Love the gym, my sanctuary 💪💪💪
Been going really hard past couple months and after today my deload week starts. Thankfully because of rp and Doctor Mike I have the knowledge that I’m not gonna lose any muscle in that time, as a matter of fact I’m gonna get stronger as my body recovers from its accumulated fatigue
Mike mentzer philosophy, train less get better results...but when I train less I drink more? I don't always lift but I do sprints, plyo's martial arts workouts ect...good for my mental health....I would imagine that's pretty common with guys like us
Mike trained less and drank more too. It should be noted that he built his physique with the current recommended volumes, switched to the lazy man's routine and tried to sell it to the sedentary masses, just fyi
This is funny. I was sick and literally just took about 2.5 weeks off. I felt it this week, man!
Bruh “detectable by modern machinery” makes it sound like I haven’t lost shit lol, unless you’re like a top level competition builder it doesn’t seem like something to worry about
he was just awnsering the question very precies
“detectable by modern machinery” = tape measure.
reallly needed this
Very informative. Love this guy
Good info to have, gives me motivation to get back into the game after being out injured for 3 month
Upper day rest day lower day rest day rinse and repeat throughout the week ,works fantastic for me.
Upper lower is more optimal than PPL
@@smallfry7304 I do enjoy ppl but I feel like it beats me up more
@@smallfry7304that’s is assuming the ppl isn’t six days a week and is poorly optimized. I would be willing to wager a well constructed six day split will get more gains than a well constructed 4 day split
@@smallfry7304 why?
@@KevinsKontentKorner more net stimulus for less volume
One of my clients took a month off training before, he was never very good at pull-ups and always struggled to do anymore than 5 reps but after that time off he came back and pumped out 10 like it was nothing. It was an epiphany moment for myself as it let me know I was over-training him and the importance of recovery. Not everyones the same, we all have different needs.
I used to not be able to do a push up. Now even after not training for months I still always been able to do some push ups, meaning I’ve never fully regressed to where I started from. It’s quite comforting
What i noticed, is that for some reason. if i dont lift or exercise for a week, I am for some reason Way, Waaay stronger. when i come back to the gym
why is that? anyone know?
Rest.
It means you were overtrained
You’re overtraining, same here but I’ve realised the solution I train 4 days a week and then take 1-2 weeks off. I also only train 2 times a day. My strength is through the roof I can do 80 push ups in a row and like 35 pull ups in a row.
Recovery is important. When it comes to working out doing less is more
You overtrain lol.
Reduce your training to the point that every training you have doesn't have any drop in strength.
That's the optimal you can do, including muscle growth.
@@muhwyndham exactly! People forget rest days are important and also taking time off and sleeping in when you can. Too much training especially with high intensity is bad
This is exactly what I needed to hear rn
The real answer is it starts about 30 days for someone who have trained for 1 year or longer. And it increases exponentially. 60 days will lose a lot more compared to 45 days. And 90 days a lot more than 75 compared to 60.
Nah. Science likes to exaggerate everything. Calling something small 'significant' or something like that. You're always losing and gaining muscles, sometimes more sometimes less :P It's always fluctuating.
@@Moesmakendehakker658 If you stop working out after a while of working out, you will eventually go back to the same level you were before you stopped. This is true. And what you're saying is true too, but less significant!
Mike is an OG. Great elaboration
Oh, so that's why Tom Platz trained legs once every 2 weeks! 😮
The intensity he went at legs with probably wasn't recoverable inside a week.
Steroids are also extenely anti catabolic. He could've probably gone longer tbh lol
@@zachdowdell583 steroids let his muscles grow without training
Thank you
Working back to a 4-day a week schedule after slacking for a few weeks. This is very encouraging
Isn't that just a case of twisted body dysmorphia?
Kind of. But not really.
As he said, it does get somewhat visibly smaller.
lol all body builders have body dysmorphia, cus they sure aint pumping chemicals into their blood for health and fitness
In 2018 i started using an exercise bike. Everyone and every web page said it would make me lose weight and be slimmer. I was 36 inch hip, with bones that stuck out and wanted to be 34 inches. Within a few weeks I actually put muscle on my frame. I persevered but my hips were now bigger, 38 inches. I wanted to lose the saddlebags I had at my biggest part, not cover up my bones which is the look I liked. I stopped exercise biking a few months later. I haven’t used an exercise bike in 5 years. My hips are still 38 inches. I don’t eat more than I did then, in fact I eat less. I am active with cardio. My muscle has not gone away. I don’t go on about this to anyone I know but it is d e v a s t a t i n g to have round, full hips when I wanted to be skinnier.
The effort you put into this really shows!
Begone bot
Just recently got over the whole paranoia about not training for a week--only took a few years!
The most exquisite head shape keeping you big as hell
I know all this but still gives me some relief anticipating a surgery that won’t allow me to lift for several weeks to months really. I’ll get it all back.
Yeah that's just bs. Maybe if you were completely sedentary and inactive you will start to lose muscle, but if you're active, especially playing sports, you lose muscle very slowly.
So how long?
two weeks reduction in muscle will start
@@yslchristian But he made it seem like that's not a reduction in actual muscle tissue. It's just the liquid in the muscles.
@@sub7se7enNo, he said at a week and a half, it’s just water, but by two weeks, you are losing muscle quantifiably as revealed by a dexa scan.
You lose muscle immediately after myofibular protein synthesis goes back to baseline, it’s just very little. Otherwise you could do 1 set per body part every 2 weeks and maintain. Obv wrong.
This explains what I've felt. I could swear after a few days I was losing muscle, but it's mostly mental.
There is no “ lose”. The muscle decreases in cellular volume until it needs to increase again. Each muscle differs.
Yeah the muscle protein stays for a while. Most people think they lost all their gains when really they just lost the pump.
Are you referring to edema? Because I’m pretty sure you will be losing myofibrils, but ye if u think u look smaller after a week it’s mainly due to edema subsiding
@KeithBurtons I know, so funny, isn't it?
I’ve been out due an injury it’s been two months, I look forward to the Challenge of regaining gains 👌
This is exactly what happened to me when I took a month off of consistent training during August… I was on holiday with my family and although I wasn’t eating much worse than usual I convinced myself that everything I had gained over 5 years had been lost… To my shock I returned to training and after 1 session I had looked and felt better than I had done at any point up till then… The Mind can do crazy things….
It ties in with the other recent short Mike posted, about muscle memory. Because even if you loose a tiny amount of muscle in 2 weeks, you'll get it back in one or two sessions basically
Great information for the newbie of body-building. Actually in my eyes its one of the things you should research in-depth. Don't worry. Everyone will work out why ? If they going in the advanced room of this game.
I was in a coma for 3 weeks, took me 2 months 2 months to be able to drink water and eat completely right, and 3 months to walk again with new age forest gump braces, was working 2 jobs as soon as i could
Went 6 years without training and still have a lot of muscle. If you don’t take anything and do real natty lifting. Your retention is immense. 34 now and still decent amount left on me stopped when I was 27. But I’m about to start again 1st day back 💪🏼
I've learned so much here bc you speak about the subject as if it is within the reach of everyone @ every level.
In fact it is, but many ppl attempt to make the novice fell like an idiot !😢😮
thanks for the update Dr.muscle head.
I started working out for Football in High School. After the football season, I was consistently training five days per week, alternating upper body and lower body every other workout. I went on a two week vacation where I didn't have access to a gym and when I came home, some of my lifts had actually gone up.
I haven’t been for a few weeks after going for a full year, and thought I just lost everything went back to the gym while on vacation last week, and hit a pr on shoulders out of nowhere. I was actually eating, and fueling myself for more muscle growth. Now Mike menzer might have some truth to his training. I just know I was definitely overtrained, and fatigued going 6 days a week, but now I feel good to get into it again. I’ve also been trying to cut for a year foolishly because I started fat instead of just focusing on muscle growth so I’m sure that was draining.
I noticed my body was stressed out, so I stopped working out for 2 weeks. It made everything better after. My body took time to really recover from the constant training.
yes and with this approach i get better EACH workout ,so while i FEEL smaller that week ,the day after my workout im past my initial last week state. rinse repeat.
I don’t work out much and I’m no means an authority on the subject but as someone who has been chubby as a child, to near anorexic as a teen into early 20’s, I started working out every other day for about a year and bulked up a decent amount just working out at home. Nothing major but definitely noticeable. Started going to the gym and seeing real improvement. I stopped for a long time after I got my wisdom teeth pulled but finally started going back after about 6 months. It was wayyy easier to gain back what I lost than starting from scratch. I’ve had bits of time of going weeks to months without going to the gym. It used to be easier when I worked normal hours and was single.
Now I work night shift 12 hours a day 4 days a week and I’m engaged, but even with big breaks between gym trips I still look better than ever. I only go about just once a week now mostly just to get that pump in and keep from getting atrophied but people around me notice the difference. Creating definitely helps too lol. My dad just last week was like “dude you’re getting buff” and I needed that motivation 😅
I think if you lay the foundation even a once a week trip to the gym will net great results and I feel like the extra rest between actually has a really big impact on muscle gain, at least in my experience.
I stopped for 2-3yrs and coming back to lifting I was impressed by how relevant muscle memory was after all that time. I have my gains back and then some within 90 days (I train hard, creatine, HMB, tons of salmon, and whey isolate)
It comes back so fast after a long break… like it was just laying in wait
I am 44, discovered I have high blood pressure. I have trained, not really drank more than once or twice a year, birthday and Christmas, I do not smoke, eat white proteins, veg etc. I ate pizza once per week. I am not here to say don't do weights. I enjoyed it and will miss it, but I am going to stick with long distance walking and a low sodium and 1600 cal a day diet. There is a load of hidden sodium in alot of products they encourage weight lifters to invest in and ingest. Couple that with anyone who juices. It's a big risk for heart health and in my opinion it's not worth it. Stay safe all, do what you do and enjoy life, just think about it. Think about what is going to give you quality if life and good long term health.
Wow I feel this way completely... I haven't trained for like 2 months I feel so wimpy, worked out a good session yesterday I felt I was buff af again.... Definitely a psychological effect
I have been ill all summer, so I haven’t worked out for a solid 4 months. I’ve lost all of my muscle definition and strength. Just going up stairs has me fighting for my life.
Thanks! Had to take 6 weeks off due to travel and flu after going consistently for like 7 months and felt it all melt away!
He seems calm but also ready to snap at any moment
The time it takes to lose muscle without going to the gym can vary depending on several factors, such as your previous fitness level, diet, and activity level. Generally, noticeable muscle loss can begin after 2 to 3 weeks of inactivity, particularly if you're not maintaining a proper protein intake. However, significant muscle atrophy (loss) usually happens after 3 to 4 weeks of inactivity.
If you're staying somewhat active or engaging in other physical activities, the rate of muscle loss might be slower.
Been lifting for 10+yrs, work out 5-6 days/ week and usually dont drink. I went on vacation for a month, drank every single day and worked out once a week, my lifts stayed pretty solid when I got back.
I’ve been exercising for over 40 years, I’m 67 now, as a rule of thumb I’ve found if I wasn’t able to exercise for say 8 weeks due to surgery or illness or whatever, once I’m able to train properly it takes about the same amount of time to get back to where i was fitness / strength wise , 🇬🇧
What he said is real. I got sick for 2 weeks without gym training and balanced diet. Because of that, I lost 3kg of weight, but not only fats, muscle mass and Bone mass was lost too.
It depends on who it’s happening to. I went of vacation for a week to Hawaii and came back lost all my gains for the last 3-6 months
This guy is great mad respect great question too
Havent lifted consistently for about 7 years now and i can testify that starting back up ive still got 80-90% of my previous strength
I went sedentary for 2 years after an injury. I never lost more than a miniscule amount of muscle. I went back to the gym and in 3 sessions back to the strength and size i was before
The background music is really calming 😌
I like how I got the answer to the question at the end.
Muscle memory is a beautiful thing. Literally insane the gains i made after 4 weeks back in the gym after having 3 months off
Dr. Mike saying abt how hes addicted to lifting and the "omg omg all my muscles are disappearing" is prolly the most relatable thing i've ever heard in my life.
This is good to know, I had to stop for a couple weeks because I got a real bad cold
I got a so-called "Tennis Elbow" that after a while spread to the shoulder joint. Had to stop going to the gym for over a year before I was healed. Guess what! I had to start from scratch and it took me "for ever" to get even close to what I used to do! Now, a year and a half later I am back!
Everyone is very different. I started going to the gym and was going for an hour a day, 5 days a week. Did that for about 4 months and then decided to take 2-3 weeks off. When I went back, all of my lifts felt too light. I was using the same weight I was before my break, but it was too easy now. I increased the weight on each workout by at least 15 pounds. Sometimes a break can do you good
Bro yapped a lot to not even answer the question.
Just starting to return to the gym after 12months recovery from back and hip injuries and surgery. Definitely lost some size in one leg and strength is down. Body is responding but it is a journey
You also have to factor in nutritional changes ie increase or decrease of calories, protein and vit + mins, and general levels of activity ie am i landscape gardner vs an office worker or longtime trainer.
Unfortunately, we always have to generalize the answers to fit the masses.
I’ve been wondering this. Thank you for the info
I was a competition powerlifter in hs, over 1500 total in the 3 competition lifts, it was my life, every moment i wasn't in class or eating or sleeping I was lifting. Its been almost 8 years since i went to college and stopped, its been a long road restarting from almost nothing
Dom Mazetti was onto this years ago "You'll never be as good your pump"
Love this guy