Muscle memory affected by age?

[sunsean]

Just turned 40. Also just finished a 6 month cut that I started back after Thanksgiving. Kept it going through quarantine with limited equipment at home, definitely wasn't able to keep up the intensity of the gym, no bench/rack/45s...mostly just pull ups and dips with 1 dumbbell for accessories.

Anyway, I'm finally at the body fat level I was more or less shooting for...but at a lower body weight than last time I cut. I'd say I'm about 5lb lighter at same body fat, meaning obviously I've lost some lean mass.

When I get either gym access or better equipment, and can return to my former intensity for lifting, will whatever I lost come back "quickly" despite age?

I know we can still build muscle well into our 40s/50s and beyond...I was just curious about muscle memory as honestly this is the first time since I've started lifting I'm finishing a cut LIGHTER than my previous cut.

[Tommy W.]

At 67 I’ll tell you that yes it is a real thing. This is why guys shouldn’t stress so much about some muscle loss when cutting. As long as you can resume the training you had during your last mass adding phase and you actually had the muscle you though you had it comes back fast. I’ve had several periods over almost 50 years of training where I had to stop training and
The muscle came back every time quickly.

The last time I was 55 and had no problem putting the muscle back on. You HAVE to be able to train with the intensity and volume that will allow the muscle to come back and the issue is as you get older the recovery can really fall off and compromised recovery means compromised training unfortunately

[sunsean]

At 67 I’ll tell you that yes it is a real thing. This is why guys shouldn’t stress so much about some muscle loss when cutting. As long as you can resume the training you had during your last mass adding phase and you actually had the muscle you though you had it comes back fast. I’ve had several periods over almost 50 years of training where I had to stop training and
The muscle came back every time quickly.

The last time I was 55 and had no problem putting the muscle back on. You HAVE to be able to train with the intensity and volume that will allow the muscle to come back and the issue is as you get older the recovery can really fall off and compromised recovery means compromised training unfortunately

Good point on recovery time. You can still get the same results, it just takes longer.

But it's great to hear about the muscle memory. I'm pretty sure I've lost a few pounds of muscle, though without "real" weights I haven't been able to test my strength on any of the big lifts. But it seems pretty clear from weight/body composition.

Thanks.

[Tommy W.]

Good point on recovery time. You can still get the same results, it just takes longer.

Actually the problem is if you can't use the same volume and intensity on a weekly basis as before it's most likely to not going come back at the same level. At some point the joints just don't like to do these things anymore, exacerbating the outcome. As you age the muscle can come back however as the years roll on it becomes increasingly difficult to hold the size

[sunsean]

Actually the problem is if you can't use the same volume and intensity on a weekly basis as before it's most likely to not going come back at the same level. At some point the joints just don't like to do these things anymore, exacerbating the outcome. As you age the muscle can come back however as the years roll on it becomes increasingly difficult to hold the size

Makes sense...I forget the %, but you lose a bit of muscle with each decade you age, that combined with more recovery time it all adds up...hopefully won't have to wait too long to find out. Another couple months and I'll look like I've never lifted in my life lol.

[Tommy W.]

Makes sense...I forget the %, but you lose a bit of muscle with each decade you age, that combined with more recovery time it all adds up...hopefully won't have to wait too long to find out. Another couple months and I'll look like I've never lifted in my life lol.

You'll look like you lifted more than those that didnt. Sean you'll just have to be satisfied with being good for your age. It sucks but it is what it is. There just becomes a point in life where other things matter more and you're just happy to be healthy and fit. You have a ways to go however that time does come and you need to be good with it.

[sunsean]

You'll look like you lifted more than those that didnt. Sean you'll just have to be satisfied with being good for your age. It sucks but it is what it is. There just becomes a point in life where other things matter more and you're just happy to be healthy and fit. You have a ways to go however that time does come and you need to be good with it.

Thanks Tommy, yeah I'm at peace with aging. It's just crazy how fast you can lose it...10 years of diet/training etc and a few months of no gym and I've lost 2 years progress. But it is what it is - use it or lose it, as they say.

But trying to maintain a good physique as you age is a good way to stay healthy too - staying active, weight control, diet etc.

In the end I agree - "happy healthy and fit" is enough for me.

[Tommy W.]

Thanks Tommy, yeah I'm at peace with aging. It's just crazy how fast you can lose it...10 years of diet/training etc and a few months of no gym and I've lost 2 years progress. But it is what it is - use it or lose it, as they say.

But trying to maintain a good physique as you age is a good way to stay healthy too - staying active, weight control, diet etc.

In the end I agree - "happy healthy and fit" is enough for me.

youll always lift and be healthy however you just won’t be so focused on perfection.

[SteveWeber]

you can check video How To Build Muscle After 50 - With Lee Labrada / youtube.

[Luclin999]

Sean,

Most of the studies that I have read on this have shown that you retain the muscle nuclei developed from initially building up the muscle even after you stop working out and allow the muscle mass to decrease. That is why it is generally easier to regain "lost" muscle than it is to build it up in the first place. Basically, once the muscles are stressed again, the already developed nuclei allow for fairly quick recovery of the lost mass.

The only caveat to this is that some recent studies seem to indicate that there may be a limited time window before you start to lose some of those developed nuclei which seems to begin at some point after 12 or more months of inactivity.

Adding to that, I have definitely seen some of this in my own experience.

At one point back in the mid-90s, I managed to get to roughly 10-11% BF (with "abs" ) at about 172-174 pounds.

Jump forward over 20+ years of being lazy and having terrible diet choices and today even with a great diet and a ~lot~ more dedicated weight training, I am currently at 14-15% BF at 164 pounds. I noticed that I did still manage to recover some muscle fairly quickly at the very beginning of my attempts to put myself back together but clearly not all of what I had 2+ decades ago.

So the combination of long term absence from the gym + age has definitely reduced the amount of my overall "recoverable" muscle mass.

However as far as you are concerned, this shouldn't really be an issue for you unless the gyms where you are decide to stay closed for 2+ years.

[sunsean]

Sean,

Most of the studies that I have read on this have shown that you retain the muscle nuclei developed from initially building up the muscle even after you stop working out and allow the muscle mass to decrease. That is why it is generally easier to regain "lost" muscle than it is to build it up in the first place. Basically, once the muscles are stressed again, the already developed nuclei allow for fairly quick recovery of the lost mass.

The only caveat to this is that some recent studies seem to indicate that there may be a limited time window before you start to lose some of those developed nuclei which seems to begin at some point after 12 or more months of inactivity.

Adding to that, I have definitely seen some of this in my own experience.

At one point back in the mid-90s, I managed to get to roughly 10-11% BF (with "abs" ) at about 172-174 pounds.

Jump forward over 20+ years of being lazy and having terrible diet choices and today even with a great diet and a ~lot~ more dedicated weight training, I am currently at 14-15% BF at 164 pounds. I noticed that I did still manage to recover some muscle fairly quickly at the very beginning of my attempts to put myself back together but clearly not all of what I had 2+ decades ago.

So the combination of long term absence from the gym + age has definitely reduced the amount of my overall "recoverable" muscle mass.

However as far as you are concerned, this shouldn't really be an issue for you unless the gyms where you are decide to stay closed for 2+ years.

Good info, thanks! On spread with you

So far its been about 2.5 months so I guess I'm good for a while. And as I said, I haven't stopped working out completely, it's just simpler and less intense, mostly pull ups and dips, no bench etc. So I think I'm slowly losing muscle due to less resistance but still slower than if I weren't working out at all.

And I hear you - "use it or lose it" right? Glad you're back on the horse.