Taking Months Off

After years of pretty consistent training I am about to have to take about 3 months away from the gym. What should I expect as far as loss of strength and hypertrophy? How long will it take to get back to where I was when left off?

[quote]vkn1 wrote:
After years of pretty consistent training I am about to have to take about 3 months away from the gym. What should I expect as far as loss of strength and hypertrophy? How long will it take to get back to where I was when left off?[/quote]

Why are you taking 3 months off?

Are you planning on being in traction?

[quote]vkn1 wrote:
After years of pretty consistent training I am about to have to take about 3 months away from the gym. What should I expect as far as loss of strength and hypertrophy? How long will it take to get back to where I was when left off?[/quote]

[quote]vkn1 wrote:
After years of pretty consistent training I am about to have to take about 3 months away from the gym. What should I expect as far as loss of strength and hypertrophy? How long will it take to get back to where I was when left off?[/quote]

Unfortunately you will lose a bit of both. The good thing is that if you maintain good eating habits and take proper vitamins and supplements, your lose will be minimal compared to not taking the above.

But when you return to the gym(and have followed the above) the muscle and strength will return quicker than the first time. I hope all goes well, Good luck!!

[quote]Kal-El wrote:
vkn1 wrote:
After years of pretty consistent training I am about to have to take about 3 months away from the gym. What should I expect as far as loss of strength and hypertrophy? How long will it take to get back to where I was when left off?

Unfortunately you will lose a bit of both. The good thing is that if you maintain good eating habits and take proper vitamins and supplements, your lose will be minimal compared to not taking the above.

But when you return to the gym(and have followed the above) the muscle and strength will return quicker than the first time. I hope all goes well, Good luck!![/quote]

You can’t predict how much muscle someone will hold onto when they take long lay offs. There was a close friend of mine at my old gym whose genetics were simply ahead of most people’s. The entire time he was going through his divorce he quit lifting (which was nearly 5 months). When he came back to the gym, I couldn’t believe he had actually taken the entire time off because he didn’t lose anything. If anything, he looked a little bigger and he was already big to begin with.

Genetics are at the base of most things in the gym…and none of that answers WHY this guy is taking 3 months off. Aside from major life issues like that, you can still find a way into a gym unless you live in some completely isolated part of the country. If it is job related, again, this is one of things where you find the time.

And even if you can’t get in the gym, you can still do bodyweight stuff.

Shit… that’s what he should’ve been doing all along. It worked for Bruce Lee!

I took 2 months off in March-April (not by choice) and within 3 weeks of getting back in the gym I had surpassed my previous squat and deadlift PRs. I did put on a few extra kilos of fat, though.

However, if I had to do it again, I would do a lot more push-ups and such during the time off.

Stay hydrated and eat a quality diet and you won’t lose too much.

Taking it off from the gym doesn’t mean you have to take the time off from exercising.

Single leg squats, pushups with your feet up, one arm push ups, jump squats, there is a big list of things you could do. Don’t you think doing something in these few months will be better than doing nothing?

Here I am likely being forced into a layoff, because of a ridiculous non training related injury, ready to blow my brains out and this guy is talking casually about not training for 3 months. Holds head in hands and weeps.

–Tiribulus->