10-Week Break from Training Won't Hurt Strength or Muscle Gains Long Term, Says Study
Taking a well-earned break from training? No need to sweat it when it comes to losing gains, according to this new study. We may not see the effects of detraining permanently – if we do lose any muscle size or strength during time off, we're likely to gain it back quickly when we get back into the swing of things. This really puts any stress over taking a week off here and there into perspective.
As if we needed any more encouragement to take it easy, here’s what the research says
The Study
The study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, aimed to determine whether taking a break from workouts (detraining) during a resistance training program impacts muscle strength and size. The researchers compared continuous resistance training with periodic resistance training to assess whether detraining periods affect muscle cross-sectional area, maximal strength, and jump height in untrained adults.
The Methods
The methods included:
Participants: 55 healthy, untrained adults.
Training groups: Either a continuous training group of 20 consecutive weeks of resistance training or a periodic training group of two 10-week training blocks separated by a 10-week detraining period where no resistance training occurred.
Tom Werner - Getty Images Training programme: Both groups completed full-body training sessions twice a week. Exercises included leg press, leg extension, bench press, bicep curls, and seated rows.
Measurements: Researchers measured muscle strength (leg press and bicep curl 1-rep max), muscle size of the quads and biceps, and jump height every five weeks during training and after detraining in the periodic training group.
The Results
The findings of the study:
Strength: Both groups achieved significant increases in leg press and bicep curl 1 rep max.
Muscle size: Both groups achieved significant increases in muscle cross sectional area of the quads and biceps.
Jump height: Both groups achieved significant increases in jump height.
Effects of detraining in the periodic training group: During the 10-week detraining period, participants saw a reduction in both muscle size and strength. However, they quickly recovered these losses within the first five weeks of the second training block. This resulted in similar final results to those in the continuous group.
The Conclusion
The results indicate that occasional short breaks from resistance training (up to 10 weeks) are not detrimental to muscular strength and size in the long term. Both continuous and periodic resistance training routines were effective, and detraining effects in the periodic training group were rapidly reversed after returning to exercise. The study mentions that lifters can take breaks without significantly affecting their overall progress, provided they resume training afterward. The researchers conclude, 'Our results therefore suggest that trainees should not be too concerned about occasional short-term training breaks in their daily lives when it comes to lifelong strength training.'
What Does This Mean to Us?
If you find it difficult to balance workouts with other life commitments, the flexibility of being able to take time off from training here and there may be helpful for you. This study is supported by other evidence suggesting that muscle memory exists and that taking short breaks from training isn't detrimental to strength gains.
In another 2024 study published in The Journal of Physiology, researchers aimed to investigate cellular muscle memory after strength training. Over 38 weeks, the study outlined that participants would train one of their biceps for 10 weeks, stop for 16 weeks, and then resume training for another 10 weeks (this time training both arms). After detraining, one of the biceps reduced in size, but it quickly regained its size when training recommenced. This confirmed that once muscles gain extra myonuclei from training, they retain them even if the muscles shrink due to detraining.
For us, this means we really don't need to stress about taking time off due to sickness, holidays, or other life commitments. What's important is getting back into it and regaining momentum when we can fully commit – our muscles will catch back up fairly quickly.
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