People who take a break from working out with weights will easily get back to former strength and muscle size afterwards, new research shows People in the new study worked out for 10 weeks, took a 10-week break, then worked out another 10 weeks The little understood phenomenon of 'muscle memory' could explain the findings TUESDAY, Oct. 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- For many reasons, bodybuilders and others involved in might have to take a break from the gym. However, new Finnish research finds that even weeks-long interruptions in training won't hamper muscle-building efforts.
“Of course, the break slows progress some, but it is comforting to know that it is possible to reach the pre-break level surprisingly quickly,” said study lead author . He's a doctoral student in sport and health sciences at the University of Jyväskylä. Halonen and his colleagues published their findings recently in the .
In the new study, 42 adults (just over half were males) took part in one of two 20-week weight-training regimens. In one group, folks engaged in weight-training sessions (exercises included leg presses and biceps curls) for the whole 20 weeks without interruption. The second group exercised for 10 weeks, then took a 10-week break, then resumed exercise for another 10 weeks.
"Results for maximum strength and muscle size development were similar in both groups," the researchers concluded in a university news release. For the 20 people that took the 10-week break midway, all measur.
