Fact or Myth about muscle memory

[OnT]

If you were once big, say a high school or collage bodybuilder and you stopped lifting for 10-20 years, is it easier for you to get most of it back then lets say a person who never lifted before? Example: Arnold now...


http://mozey.files.wordpress.com/200...fore_after.jpg

[kick6]

If you were once big, say a high school or collage bodybuilder and you stopped lifting for 10-20 years, is it easier for you to get most of it back then lets say a person who never lifted before? Example: Arnold now...


http://mozey.files.wordpress.com/200...fore_after.jpg

If he wasn't computer-enhanced in terminator 3 (filmed like 3 years ago) I'd say its easy to get it back.

[OnT]

If he wasn't computer-enhanced in terminator 3 (filmed like 3 years ago) I'd say its easy to get it back.

That was three years ago? Wow! Stop lifting for three years and that's what happens.

[kick6]

That was three years ago? Wow! Stop lifting for three years and that's what happens.

Apparently it was released in '03 so it was probably filmed in '02. So not 3 years, 6.

[OnT]

Apparently it was released in '03 so it was probably filmed in '02. So not 3 years, 6.

Dude needs to get back on the juice and fast.

[kfrost06]

He's getting old and he's the governor of the largest state(population wise), he has other proirties and keeping a body like his(used to be) takes a lot of work. No reason to jump on him about that. He was and will always be my lifting idol. No matter what, we all get old and will lose all our muscle. The more you have the more you'll lose.

[Peducho0113]

IMO I think he set an standard for a lot of us of what we would like to look like that it is hard to see him loose his body since we are used to see him on his movies.

[feanixco]

I heard this picture is fake.

[Big]

I heard this picture is fake.

yep, been going around a while. There are pics from a recent even where he is wearing a tight t-shirt and he's still buff.

[200byjune]

bump for the question

[Big]

bump for the question

Muscle memory is basically due to the fact that muscle growth is often limited by the thick fascia of the muscle. Once you are big, and the fascia is stretched, if you were to lose your muscle, it would indeed be easier to regain your size due to the fascia not being a direct limiting factor. However, I don't know what would happen after 20 years, I don't know anyone who ever lost size for that long and then tried to regain it.

[InsaneInTheMembrane]

^^agreed

Muscle memory is a great thing... I've fallen off the grid a couple of times and always came back stronger and bigger than before within a few months of resuming my training... heck, I KNOW it works...

although i must agree I son't know about MM after going off for more than 5 years ...

[Schmidty]

I was out for about6months for the army doing boot camp and AIT, they are the catabolic kings. They run u all damn day, dont feed u, n thers no weights. Needless to say i went from a 5ft9inch tall205lbs 17%bf 2a5ft9inch170-175lbs 14%bf real fvckn quick. I came home from19/dec/07-3/jan/08, I ran a2wk cycle of prop, tren, clen, T3, and winny the entire time i was home and i gained 20-25lbs.

[mister bator]

The pic is fake indeed. Arnold still looks pretty good for his age !

[Schmidty]

[QUOTE=kfrost06;3904913]He's getting old and he's the governor of the largest state(population wise), he has other proirties and keeping a body like his(used to be) takes a lot of work. No reason to jump on him about that. He was and will always be my lifting idol. No matter what, we all get old and will lose all our muscle. The more you have the more you'll lose.[/QUOTE]

NO!!!

[MuscleScience]

He's getting old and he's the governor of the largest state(population wise), he has other proirties and keeping a body like his(used to be) takes a lot of work. No reason to jump on him about that. He was and will always be my lifting idol. No matter what, we all get old and will lose all our muscle. The more you have the more you'll lose.

The typical adult after the age of about 30 will lose about 10% of their muscle mass about every 10 years. With training this can be dropped to one or two percent per decade, assuming no prolonged illnesses. Now with AAS who knows what the potential is. I have only seen studies that show that older adults (55 and older) will benefit as much as or more from AAS treatment as young adults.

[MuscleScience]

Muscle memory is basically due to the fact that muscle growth is often limited by the thick fascia of the muscle. Once you are big, and the fascia is stretched, if you were to lose your muscle, it would indeed be easier to regain your size due to the fascia not being a direct limiting factor. However, I don't know what would happen after 20 years, I don't know anyone who ever lost size for that long and then tried to regain it.

The muscle fascia is plastic and remodels fairly quickly since it is intimately attached to the muscle. I think in a short term say a year or so it would have some effect but after 5 years I cant see it retaining any laxity from the previous muscle size like you said.

I know that in the clinical definition of "Muscle Memory," it has to do with motor unit pathways being established from CNS to Neuromuscular junction. Lifting is like riding a bike so since your body doenst have to have the CNS adapt to exercise nearly as much as a novel lifter. This may take out the limiting factor for muscle growth due to neural input not having to catch up such as in a novel lifter. Were as before it was just building neural pathways which since two systems are trying to adapt at the same time, each would limit the other to prevent injury.

I think this is different then the concept being expressed here if I understand it correctly?

[LETSROCK!!!!]

This is kinda off topic but can you remodel the homeostatis of a certain muscle? For example my last cycle i did a shit load of shrugs and before i new it my neck was a goddam tree trunk, a friend pointed it out one day and i havnt trained it since, but its still massive just not tree trunk massive. So my question is if a muscle gets big enough for an extended peroid of time, then does its natural size (without lifting) increase? I would also like to add my neck was like a fkn pencil before i started lifting(ectomorph) so genetics arent a factor.

[MuscleScience]

No, as soon at the stimulis is removed your muscle will start to regress. Muscles will only retain there mass for the most part if there is a need for it to. You will still retain some it may take a few years to get to pre lifting levels.

[Big]

The muscle fascia is plastic and remodels fairly quickly since it is intimately attached to the muscle. I think in a short term say a year or so it would have some effect but after 5 years I cant see it retaining any laxity from the previous muscle size like you said.

I know that in the clinical definition of "Muscle Memory," it has to do with motor unit pathways being established from CNS to Neuromuscular junction. Lifting is like riding a bike so since your body doenst have to have the CNS adapt to exercise nearly as much as a novel lifter. This may take out the limiting factor for muscle growth due to neural input not having to catch up such as in a novel lifter. Were as before it was just building neural pathways which since two systems are trying to adapt at the same time, each would limit the other to prevent injury.

I think this is different then the concept being expressed here if I understand it correctly?

Excellent post, that's why I love this place, I learn something almost every day.

[MuscleScience]

Excellent post, that's why I love this place, I learn something almost every day.

I am guessing this is what is meant by muscle memory. Because in classical exercise physiology the term is used to describe athletes retaining skill sets as a function of repetitive training over time. This is what I was speculating on as a possible mechanism.

I guess in bodybuilding it means the ability to quickly build muscle after cessation of regular training for extended periods of time. For this I have no particular knowledge base on. I just always assumed it was due to CNS "memory"

I like this place also, there are questions here I could never think of on my own. It keeps me on my feet and makes me stay current with the literature since I left science to pursue another profession. Now I will probably spend a few hours doing literature reviews to learn about this concept, to see how wrong I am.

[NEMESIS RR]

Lets not forget that a seasoned lifter knows what works best for "HIM" as far as workouts, recovery, and diet. For a new lifter these are very hard hurdles to overcome. If I knew now at 38 when I was say 17.

[Fantomg]

yep, been going around a while. There are pics from a recent even where he is wearing a tight t-shirt and he's still buff.

I was volunteering help at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego last October during the fires we had here for the thousands of folks that were displaced after losing their homes. Arnold was there helping and talking to victims. Certainly a different man. Aged quite a bit and I'd have guessed him under 200lbs. He's in his 60's and has his hands full as governor. Ask yourself how much lifting you'd be doing as a governor in your 60's, being filthy rich, and having accomplished about everything you can imagine.

[OnT]

I was volunteering help at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego last October during the fires we had here for the thousands of folks that were displaced after losing their homes. Arnold was there helping and talking to victims. Certainly a different man. Aged quite a bit and I'd have guessed him under 200lbs. He's in his 60's and has his hands full as governor. Ask yourself how much lifting you'd be doing as a governor in your 60's, being filthy rich, and having accomplished about everything you can imagine.

At his age with the right cycles he could jump back up to a solid 250lbs fairly quick. I'm sure he has the best gym money can buy at home.

[DaBoy7777]

dude that is not a real picture of him. I was him face to face like a year ago and he was in a t-shirt! I still had muscle

[OnT]

dude that is not a real picture of him. I was him face to face like a year ago and he was in a t-shirt! I still had muscle

A lot can happen in a year when you're 60.