How much strength do you lose if you don't lift and cut weight?

[sports19]

I play soccer two nights a week and I have been doing squats and I notice that even with one weekly session of squats (3x5) my legs are always a lot slower when I play. How much strength would I lose if I was cutting for 8 weeks and dropping squats? I can squat 255 now one time at a weight of 150lbs. Instead of doing squats yesterday I did some really steep hill sprints with short recovery. 5x35 yard sprints with 60 second recovery and I was exhausted. I woke up today a little sore but way more explosive compared to when I do squats. I actually feel much lighter and quicker comparitively speaking. I am sure I will lose some strength but if it is only 15 or so lbs I should be able to get that back within a couple weeks once the season is over right?

[JMCandelario]

You'll lose quite a bit, though you won't lose much size over that time.

Good news is it comes back relatively quickly when you resume squatting. There are ways to work in squats and sports, though. Eliminating it completely isn't the only answer. Explore your options.

[wildcats9]

I play soccer two nights a week and I have been doing squats and I notice that even with one weekly session of squats (3x5) my legs are always a lot slower when I play. How much strength would I lose if I was cutting for 8 weeks and dropping squats? I can squat 255 now one time at a weight of 150lbs. Instead of doing squats yesterday I did some really steep hill sprints with short recovery. 5x35 yard sprints with 60 second recovery and I was exhausted. I woke up today a little sore but way more explosive compared to when I do squats. I actually feel much lighter and quicker comparitively speaking. I am sure I will lose some strength but if it is only 15 or so lbs I should be able to get that back within a couple weeks once the season is over right?

There is no reason to stop squatting. There are thousands of athlete's high school to elite level who manage to train/squat in season and with nothing but beneficial results. Here is an idea, drop the weight and focus on the speed of the movement. take 50% or so of your max and do 6-8 sets x 2 reps as fast as possible on the concentric portion of the lift after a brief pause either on a box or at parallel with about 45 sec. rest periods between sets.

[RawAthletics]

I agree with the above posters. Figure out a way to continue to squat as opposed to dropping it. The tough part about lifting while in-season is managing your recovery periods. Make sure you have your routine set, but also be aware of your flexibility routine, your nutrition, and your sleep schedule.

[carl.c]

I'm confused why are you cutting? Are you an althlete or a fitness model ?

[MDS143]

I'm curious why you would be wanting to cut at 150 lbs?

[KingSSaid]

I play soccer two nights a week and I have been doing squats and I notice that even with one weekly session of squats (3x5) my legs are always a lot slower when I play. How much strength would I lose if I was cutting for 8 weeks and dropping squats? I can squat 255 now one time at a weight of 150lbs. Instead of doing squats yesterday I did some really steep hill sprints with short recovery. 5x35 yard sprints with 60 second recovery and I was exhausted. I woke up today a little sore but way more explosive compared to when I do squats. I actually feel much lighter and quicker comparitively speaking. I am sure I will lose some strength but if it is only 15 or so lbs I should be able to get that back within a couple weeks once the season is over right?

Detraining starts happening after 2 weeks in general. You could maintain strength if u did a session once every 2 weeks.