Muscle Memory Myth

[copaaz]

Ok so now that I have your attention:

I have been away from lifting for about 12 years and I'm now getting back into it hardcore like I was back in the late 90's. I'm taking 6 months to bring my body-fat down to below 10% (before I cycle) and lifting at the same time. My diet won't be the normal bulk 4,000-5,000 calorie per day like during a cycle, but when I do reach my target BF and my first cycle begins, I'm wondering if 6 months of lifting will bring me anywhere near the strength I had 12 years ago.

[Bonaparte]

In my experience, the gains come back 5-10 times faster than they took to originally acquire.
i.e. if it took you a year to get from 170-180 and you let yourself fall back down to 170, you could get back up to 180 in about a month or two. Obviously there are a lot of other factors at play, but that's what I've noticed.

[zaggahamma]

agree with above in regards to strength as well

[MBMETC]

12 years away from lifting i duno your muscles may have alzhiemers by now...jk

[dec11]

muscle mem is very real, its pulled me through a good few times now

[Dont wanna be old]

I don't think it's a memory in the muscle , but the muscle has been engulfed to a large size at one time and is ready to fill it's void when opportunity arises .
So rename muscle memory to True blood muscles , once they get the taste for blood they will always want blood .

[smalltime7]

i am almost positive I was 195 dropped to 155 to fight and when I hit the weights with diet in check poof it cam back within months

[Far from massive]

Not only is that a long time, but you did not mention age. If you quit at 21 and are 33 now the gains will come a lot quicker than if you were 35 when you quit and are 47 now. I also feel a lot will have to do with what activity you have been doing since you stopped lifting as long as you have engaged in occasional high output work your connective tisssues and nervous system will not have declined nearly as much as if all you do is sit at a desk all day, I say this because although 6 months is plenty of time to drop the fat your joints, nervous system and muscle bellies will take longer to develop back to their true potential.

All that opinion and scientific bullshit aside, great plan and good luck on the comeback, hopefully you were not completely sedintary and your gains will be excellent.

[Bigdog99]

not a myth for sure. Gains come back quickly. For me it took me about 9 months to get back to where I was in my mid-20's. That is with no gear and after a ~8 year layoff from regular lifting. I am 38 now and MUCH stronger than a was back then. Gear helps of course.....but it isn't everything as we all know.

[BigJuice777]

Agreed... not a myth. Busted my ass for years in the gym and got pretty big. I let it go for about 2 years and started to get a nice layer of chub. I started lifting again and had the exact same body back in less than 4 months. I WAS STOKED!! My friends were pissed cause they just started to train for the first time. I got huge in 4 months, they still haven't changed much at all. We started bench at about the same weight. I am now benching approx 75lbs more .... in 4 months

Totally not a myth... they remember

[desizon]

It seems like YES it is true is the consensus here. Anyone got any scientific insight as to WHY muscle memory is true.

[BigJuice777]

http://ezinearticles.com/?Does-Muscl...cur?&id=759493

Good article. No studies have been provided but there is some really good theory and information.

[Bigdog99]

I don't think it's a memory in the muscle , but the muscle has been engulfed to a large size at one time and is ready to fill it's void when opportunity arises .
So rename muscle memory to True blood muscles , once they get the taste for blood they will always want blood .

she is hot. who is it?

[kleaver]

depends on your goals etc...

one of the factors is the stretched fascia. when you lift, stretch, etc... you stretch out the fascia. this happens when the muscle is engorged with blood (getting a 'pump'), hypertrophy (muscle fiber size growth), hyperplasia (growing NEW muscle fibers), bla bla bla.

so if your goals are aesthetics, then the already stretched fascia, etc will make it easier to regain a semblance of your former size

if it is strength related, there was a study done (wish i knew where to find it so i could link it) that during a period of 4 months of absolutely no lifting, no strength was lost. after that, with no lifting, a pretty steady decline in strength. after 4 months, with light lifting, or even sporadic lifting sessions, the strength was relatively maintained, with only a slow decline in strength (1 rep max)

[Ashop]

Its not myth. Its a very real thing. Ive seen it 1st hand hundreds of times if not thousands.
You will gain it back far faster than someone who has never trained at a much faster rate.

[gypsy]

after some time off I always get back to speed in no time.

[kleaver]

Its not myth. Its a very real thing. Ive seen it 1st hand hundreds of times if not thousands.
You will gain it back far faster than someone who has never trained at a much faster rate.

gain WHAT back though?
size or strength (1rm)... there is a big difference between the two

[Bonaparte]

gain WHAT back though?
size or strength (1rm)... there is a big difference between the two

Both. Depends on how you eat and train.

[NMacFar]

she is hot. who is it?

Anna Paquin, she stars in the HBO series Trueblood.

I can't say anything about muscle memory because I haven't put a weight down for more than a week since I started lifting

[MACHINE5150]

she is hot. who is it?

she plays suki in Trueblood and was Rogue in Xmen 2.. don't know her name though

[MACHINE5150]

muscle memory DOES exist.. i gained 20lbs and 80% of my strength back in 6 months of lifting again.. when it took me 4 years to get there before...