How long do you think gains take to fade?

**dhriscerr** · 09-29-2007, 09:03 PM

I finished a cycle of Prop and NPP about 6 weeks ago and am just finishing up my PCT. I did not lift for almost 4 weeks during PCT but kept my diet pretty dang good still. I have only lost 4lbs and my bench and clean have only dropped about 10lbs on reps of 8-10. I am back into it again and already back to where i was at the end of the cycle after 2 weeks of lifting, I just wondered if anyone else has taken a substantial amount of time off and kept most of their gains? Maybe My body needed a rest from the cycle and it actually did some good? Just wondered what others thought!

**a lifeless plague** · 09-30-2007, 03:09 PM

i recently hurt myself arm wrestling my friend. bad idea, strained muscles from my wrist all the way up into my delts, sucked. never took this much time off. 4 weeks basically. i meen i went in there twice. the first time, just reinjured myself like a jackass cause the shit wasnt healed up yet. but i hate taking that long off, might not be too long to some people with greater accidents in the past but was for me. anyway i just benched last week and benched the best i ever have almost. taking that time off was good in the sense of letting everything recover. my forearms maybe deflated a tad and things like that. but im getting back in there slowly arm is like 90%. feeling alright. it actually taught me not to worry that im losing weight so fast all the time. and if you need a day off or two do it. didnt start feeling any losses till maybe 3 or 3 1/2 weeks of being off

**jnm** · 09-30-2007, 03:34 PM

I too used to worry about taking too much time off, no more than a couple of days.. but my trainer told me to rest assured that muscle doesnt break down that fast, as long as your eating. Also said that some might think that their losing muscle when their taking time off, but really its the pump that their losing not muscle. so every couple months i take a week to two weeks off just to recover, muscles and joints. and sometimes i just go really light.. my 2 cents.

**a lifeless plague** · 09-30-2007, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by jnm

I too used to worry about taking too much time off, no more than a couple of days.. but my trainer told me to rest assured that muscle doesnt break down that fast, as long as your eating. Also said that some might think that their losing muscle when their taking time off, but really its the pump that their losing not muscle. so every couple months i take a week to two weeks off just to recover, muscles and joints. and sometimes i just go really light.. my 2 cents.

totally agree with the idea that its the pump you're losing. i felt the same way. definetly.

**dhriscerr** · 09-30-2007, 05:56 PM

Yeah thats what Im feeling, slightly smaller pumps, but strength is still there and the diet is still pretty good, so I think that helped me alot, hopefully I recover soon from PCT Im pretty stoked about my winter bulk in December.

**IronReload04** · 09-30-2007, 07:16 PM

ya guys, stop lifting for a week or 2, and suddenly, glycogen isnt overcompensated in the muscle any more too

**Atomini** · 09-30-2007, 07:22 PM

So taking time off during PCT keeps muscle on or no?

I keep hearing "if you don't train hard during PCT, you'll lose everything!"

ANd now i'm hearing this. Which is it?

**helium3** · 10-02-2007, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Atomini

So taking time off during PCT keeps muscle on or no?

I keep hearing "if you don't train hard during PCT, you'll lose everything!"

ANd now i'm hearing this. Which is it?

if you did no pct at all then i might worry but otherwise your good to go.

**soulstealer** · 10-02-2007, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by Atomini

So taking time off during PCT keeps muscle on or no?

I keep hearing "if you don't train hard during PCT, you'll lose everything!"

ANd now i'm hearing this. Which is it?

Just think about it dude testostorone and other hormones promote protein synthesis and nitrogen retention they allow you to heal and grow at a super human rate w/o then you become over trained and loose muscle so if your on PCT and your hormone levels are well below normal which do you think would make more sense work out really hard and over tax your body beyond what it can recover from or let your body heal?

**dhriscerr** · 10-02-2007, 04:56 PM

Im not saying to take a break during PCT, Im just saying that I did, and not on purpose, but it didn't seem to hurt my progress to much. I do not plan on making this a regular occurance, just seeing if others had the same experience. I do plan on taking a week or two off every few months though, from now on. But still keep diet good during that time.