Losing muscle mass after 1 week of not working out?

[Stabdogg]

So I got one of those (cheap) scales that measure bodyfay, muscle mass, etc. It might not be 100% accurate, but it is very consistent in it's measurements.

I've only been working out seriously now for about 10 weeks now. During the first 8 weeks, my muscle mass slowly but surely increased. At 8 weeks I was up about +2kg / 4.4 lbs. Also gained some fat which wasn't my intention since I'm skinny fat, but hey, at least some progress.
Then I got a small injury in my arm and thought it could be time for a rest week, so in week 9 I only trained once, lightly. After that week I measured again, and I lost about a 1kg / 2.2 lbs of muscle mass according to the scale. After working out twice again in the week after, I'm back at where I was in week 8 give or take.

How does this work? Is this thing really measuring muscle mass correctly? Or is it just water rentention from temporary swollen muscles? Or is that a precursor of growth?

I don't see much in the mirror yet, but that might be because I'm still only at 10 weeks and have a pretty high percentage of BF.


Thanks!

[paulinkansas]

I'm on an unscheduled 9 day deload. The condo I'm vacationing in has no gym.

[TolerantLactose]

After that week I measured again, and I lost about a 1kg / 2.2 lbs of muscle mass according to the scale.

You'd have to try pretty hard to lose 1kg of muscle in week. Most likely, it's almost all water, if accurate (most likely not).

[Stabdogg]

You'd have to try pretty hard to lose 1kg of muscle in week. Most likely, it's almost all water, if accurate (most likely not).

It might not be accurate, but it gives very consistent results. So what else might it be measuring in stead of muscle mass? And how likely is the 2 kg gained over the last 8-10 weeks? Could that be water retention as wel? And is that a precursor of muscle gain? Just have no idea if I'm making any progress at the moment

[TolerantLactose]

It might not be accurate, but it gives very consistent results. So what else might it be measuring in stead of muscle mass? And how likely is the 2 kg gained over the last 8-10 weeks? Could that be water retention as wel? And is that a precursor of muscle gain? Just have no idea if I'm making any progress at the moment

It's not precise either.

[air2fakie]

It might not be accurate, but it gives very consistent results. So what else might it be measuring in stead of muscle mass? And how likely is the 2 kg gained over the last 8-10 weeks? Could that be water retention as wel? And is that a precursor of muscle gain? Just have no idea if I'm making any progress at the moment

Try looking in the mirror instead of the "consistently inaccurate" numbers on your scale. Chances are that nothing's changed much in 1 week, good or bad.

[MadFury]

No, actual muscle loss only starts after a couple of weeks of not training, and as long as you keep eating well is very slow. You might actually look a bit smaller though but that's mostly water I imagine.

These scales that tell body fat and lean muscle are hardly accurate. It's an easy way of seeing you're going in the right direction but I wouldn't depend on them

[Omni]

I'm on an unscheduled 9 day deload. The condo I'm vacationing in has no gym.

Same except mine was sort of scheduled. It's looking like I'll be on a 10-11 day deload. This hotel I am at tonight has a "fitness center" with a treadmill and 30 pound dumbbells.

[AdamWW]

My bathroom scale says I'm 7% bodyfat.

That shyt means nothing.... it ain't accurate

[paulinkansas]

Same except mine was sort of scheduled. It's looking like I'll be on a 10-11 day deload. This hotel I am at tonight has a "fitness center" with a treadmill and 30 pound dumbbells.

I did some walking and ran sprints in the sand along a beach this morning wearing heavy duty hiking boots. I can really feel it in my hams and glutes.

[Stabdogg]

My bathroom scale says I'm 7% bodyfat.

That shyt means nothing.... it ain't accurate

Yea i know they might not be accurate, but, if I measure myself 3x in a row, I get the same outcomes 3x in a row. Also, stuff like my total bone weight never changes and is measured the same everytime. And, since I started lifting my muscle mass has been steadily climbing as well. So it doesn't matter that the starting point is off, what matters is that it gives consistent results.

I gained about 2 kg of muscle mass in the first 8 weeks, then dropped about 900 grams in the 'off week' and gained 700 grams back in the week therafter. Since it steadily rose in the 8 weeks before, I just wonder how that difference might be explained. That the measurements are probably way off as a whole is something I don't question.

[TolerantLactose]

I gained about 2 kg of muscle mass in the first 8 weeks, then dropped about 900 grams in the 'off week' and gained 700 grams back in the week therafter. Since it steadily rose in the 8 weeks before, I just wonder how that difference might be explained. That the measurements are probably way off as a whole is something I don't question.

The difference is explained by the poor precision in the measurements. You don't get swings like this in muscle mass.

[AdamWW]

Yea i know they might not be accurate, but, if I measure myself 3x in a row, I get the same outcomes 3x in a row. Also, stuff like my total bone weight never changes and is measured the same everytime. And, since I started lifting my muscle mass has been steadily climbing as well. So it doesn't matter that the starting point is off, what matters is that it gives consistent results.

I gained about 2 kg of muscle mass in the first 8 weeks, then dropped about 900 grams in the 'off week' and gained 700 grams back in the week therafter. Since it steadily rose in the 8 weeks before, I just wonder how that difference might be explained. That the measurements are probably way off as a whole is something I don't question.

Doesn’t matter if it’s consistent, it’s wrong…. The very equations used will not work, thus they won’t work for measuring changes either.

[faithbrah]

The difference is explained by the poor precision in the measurements. You don't get swings like this in muscle mass.

this. this whole thread is exactly why you shouldn't trust these scales in the first place - they make you question if you really lost 0.9 kg of muscle in a week of not working out

[SuffolkPunch]

You are measuring hydration - so yes, it will consistently read that if it doesn't change but the whole point is that it's a poor proxy for bodyfat.

I participated in a study where they used immersion weighing and a 7 point caliper test to measure BF%... they also used a BIA scale but only to measure (wait for it) hydration.

[paulinkansas]

this. this whole thread is exactly why you shouldn't trust these scales in the first place - they make you question if you really lost 0.9 kg of muscle in a week of not working out

I would use the readings as a delta, but not as an absolute measurement. If you go from 7% to 6%, it doesn't mean you went from 7% to 6%. You went from X% to (X - 1)%. X is unknown.

[faithbrah]

I would use the readings as a delta, but not as an absolute measurement. If you go from 7% to 6%, it doesn't mean you went from 7% to 6%. You went from X% to (X - 1)%. X is unknown.

doesn't it still change every now and then? i've seen tons of new guys asking why their bf% increased by 3% overnight

[paulinkansas]

doesn't it still change every now and then? i've seen tons of new guys asking why their bf% increased by 3% overnight

I would blame it on the measuring device. I've weighed myself on my bathroom scale, then used the toilet, then weighed myself again. I gained weight after using the toilet. And no, I was not drinking water from the toilet. I have a crappy electronic scale that I would use for reloading ammunition. After about 30 minutes I realized it was a p.o.s. and bought a better scale. These reloading scales go down to 1/100 of an ounce.

[Rsurf72]

So I got one of those (cheap) scales that measure bodyfay, muscle mass, etc. It might not be 100% accurate, but it is very consistent in it's measurements.

I've only been working out seriously now for about 10 weeks now. During the first 8 weeks, my muscle mass slowly but surely increased. At 8 weeks I was up about +2kg / 4.4 lbs. Also gained some fat which wasn't my intention since I'm skinny fat, but hey, at least some progress.
Then I got a small injury in my arm and thought it could be time for a rest week, so in week 9 I only trained once, lightly. After that week I measured again, and I lost about a 1kg / 2.2 lbs of muscle mass according to the scale. After working out twice again in the week after, I'm back at where I was in week 8 give or take.

How does this work? Is this thing really measuring muscle mass correctly? Or is it just water rentention from temporary swollen muscles? Or is that a precursor of growth?

I don't see much in the mirror yet, but that might be because I'm still only at 10 weeks and have a pretty high percentage of BF.


Thanks!

May be water weight and less food intake.
Also may have slightly smaller muscles due to them being healed and no longer inflamed now.

Won't lose contractile tissue in 1 week.

[air2fakie]

I would blame it on the measuring device. I've weighed myself on my bathroom scale, then used the toilet, then weighed myself again. I gained weight after using the toilet. And no, I was not drinking water from the toilet. I have a crappy electronic scale that I would use for reloading ammunition. After about 30 minutes I realized it was a p.o.s. and bought a better scale. These reloading scales go down to 1/100 of an ounce.

I usually blame the lighting. Sometimes I've looked in the mirror in the gym, and again when I come home - and I may lose/gain a large amount of muscle mass based on differences in type/direction of light sources combined with the amount of natural daylight.

[DougyF7]

I usually blame the lighting. Sometimes I've looked in the mirror in the gym, and again when I come home - and I may lose/gain a large amount of muscle mass based on differences in type/direction of light sources combined with the amount of natural daylight.

This. Lighting makes a world of difference. Not to mention when you're looking at yourself in the mirror each day it's hard to make an honest assessment of yourself. We hear a lot about body dysmorphias, but even without one it's difficult to grade yourself.

[paulinkansas]

This. Lighting makes a world of difference. Not to mention when you're looking at yourself in the mirror each day it's hard to make an honest assessment of yourself. We hear a lot about body dysmorphias, but even without one it's difficult to grade yourself.

I would still blame it on the measuring device. I spent 30 hours in airplanes and airports very recently without taking a bowel movement. The first thing I did when I got home was to weigh myself. You can probably guess the #2 thing I did. I weighed myself again after doing #2 and gained a pound. My house was about 50 degrees because I turned the heat off, and that probably messed up the battery in the scale. Today I lost 6 pounds from yesterday, and the scale is at room temperature.