However, if you go beyond a week without activity, you begin to experience the effects of “detraining” (also called deconditioning), a phenomenon in which you lose the beneficial effects of training. As opposed to rest and recovery, detraining is an extended rest interval that results in reduced physical fitness.
If you take a break from working out for a week or two, your muscles may experience some loss of size and strength. This phenomenon is known as detraining, and it can occur relatively quickly due to a decrease in muscle protein synthesis and an increase in muscle protein breakdown during periods of inactivity.
No. Studies have shown that it takes at least four to six weeks to start seeing any noticeable loss of strength. In fact taking a week off may actually improve your performance as it gives the body a chance to rest.
Based on the research and expert opinions available, taking a week off from training is not likely to result in significant muscle loss for the average individual. In fact, a short break might even be beneficial for recovery and muscle growth.
No, missing a week at the gym likely won't hurt your progress significantly. It may even be a good thing! A short break allows your body to recover and come back stronger. You might feel a bit weaker initially, but muscle loss takes longer than a week to set in.
Both rest days and deload weeks help the body to recover from training, which is important for improving your fitness. It is not a case of either/or. For example, if you are undertaking an intense training regime for a marathon, Ironman or CrossFit competition, you should be scheduling weekly rest days.
In the first ten days to two weeks of inactivity/de-training, there is a measurable loss in cardiovascular fitness, but even this level of decrease is only about 2-3% drop in values such as VO2 Max, MAP (maximum aerobic power), or FTP (functional threshold power).
“There's no hard and fast rule for how long a 'break' from exercise should be,” Ting says. “It may be as short as a few days, but it's important to realize as well that it can also be up to one to two weeks without any significant detriment or loss in previous fitness gains.”
Symptoms and warning signs of overtraining
“It's natural and expected to feel fatigued after challenging training sessions,” Dr. Goolsby says. “But feeling like you aren't recovering between sessions or experiencing overall fatigue and difficulty pushing yourself during workouts can be indicators of overtraining.”
Glatt said that as long as you train consistently, it usually takes about half the break length to get back to your previous fitness level—which is consistent with the new study's findings. “For instance, a six-week break might require three weeks of training to regain prior levels of strength and size,” he said.
"Muscle is developed in its 'repair phase', when you're resting and refuelling," says Jordane. Every time you work out you create microscopic tears in your muscle tissues. When you rest, your muscles start to heal and grow back stronger, meaning you'll be able to do the same workout with less effort in the future.
Early Changes: Research suggests that within the first two weeks of complete inactivity or immobilization, noticeable changes in muscle size and strength can occur. Some studies have shown that muscle protein synthesis starts to decline after a few days of disuse.
Remember, health experts recommend fitting in at least two strength training workouts per week. That means you can make progress when it comes to sculpting your muscles and getting stronger, even if you're only able to exercise twice a week.
The bottom line on taking a week off without training
Is that a week away from resistance training shouldn't hinder strength or muscle size according to the research we currently have.
"A lot of people feel and look less tight and toned when they stop working out," he explains. "It's more of a cosmetic thing." When you don't work out regularly, your body composition starts to change. With little physical activity, muscle cells shrink.
“Taking one or two days off can help you recover more and make more progress,” Olenick said. “We make our gains while training, but we need rest and recovery for our body to heal from that training and [to] make adaptations.”
But in some cases, extreme exercise can damage the heart. Research is showing that a small percentage of middle-aged and older athletes who compete in endurance events over many years may be at higher risk for developing atrial fibrillation – an irregular heartbeat – and other heart problems.
Doing 100 push-ups a day can help build muscle mass, strength, and endurance, especially in your core and upper body. But it can also increase your risk of muscle imbalances, injury, and overtraining. It's important to focus on proper form when practicing push-ups.
Too Much Cardio 🏃♀️ Endless cardio sessions can actually make you feel “fluffy” rather than toned. While cardio has its place, excessive cardio can strip muscle mass, leaving you with a softer look. Strength training should be the foundation of your routine if your goal is a lean, toned physique.
How Taking a Workout Break Impacts Your Fitness. Try not to worry about losing the progress you've made. Research shows that it takes at least a few weeks for detraining to happen. If you're concerned about the impact of taking a week off from working out, it can be helpful to consider what not taking a break can do.
It's important to acknowledge when you're feeling tired and adjust your workout intensity accordingly. Overexerting can lead to burnout or injury. Sometimes, a gentle stretch or restorative yoga session might be more beneficial.
Key Takeaways. Skipping a day of exercise won't cause weight gain, but frequently missing workouts may impact your weight management efforts and make it harder to stay motivated. Experts recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise and two days of resistance exercises per week.
Time away from the gym
In general, just two weeks of detraining can lead to significant decline in physical fitness. A study from the Journal of Applied Physiology concluded that just a fourteen-day break significantly reduces cardiovascular endurance, lean muscle mass, and insulin sensitivity.
Generally, it takes anywhere from two to 12 weeks to regain cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength and feel like you're back at your previous level of fitness.
However, if overreaching is extreme and combined with an additional stressor, overtraining syndrome (OTS) may result. OTS may be caused by systemic inflammation and subsequent effects on the central nervous system, including depressed mood, central fatigue, and resultant neurohormonal changes.