Is there such thing as a "base"

**benverner** · 10-21-2005, 01:27 PM

I've been lifting off and on for years, only now have I figured out what works for me.

One thing I was always able to do is to come back quickly. Within 3-4 weeks of relatively high volume training I would be right back where I left off. Even if my BF% was in the singles. I assume that if my BF was that low I was losing muscle, why am I able to "bounce" back so quickly? If I am truly losing muscle, it can't possibly be built up that quickly. Is it muscle memory that induces a quick gain is mass or is it merely "volumizing" the cells that are already there. Just a question for the physiology guru's out there.

BTW, I'm talking layoffs of 6 mos to a year.

**CowPimp** · 10-21-2005, 01:34 PM

I don't fully understand the phenomenon, but there is something called muscle memory that allows us to return to a previous state of fitness, in terms of muscular strength, quicker than reaching it the first time.

**TJ Cline** · 10-21-2005, 01:35 PM

Lets say you lost 25lbs of muscle from taking 1 year off from lifting.
And lets say it took you 2 years to put that 25lbs on in the first place.
Building it back now wont happen in 3-4 weeks but it will be possible to build it back in 4-6 months......much faster than the original 2 years it took to build it in the first place..

**benverner** · 10-21-2005, 01:44 PM

so to me that means it never really "went away" in the first place. Hope that makes sense. My strength, size and weight go up dramatically with no increase in calories or protein intake and it only takes a couple weeks. Could it be my muscles pulling in nutrients to recover thus increasing in size?

Not that important really, I'm just curious. The important thing is that is does come back easier then the initial load, I guess we're all happy for that at some point in our training.

**TJ Cline** · 10-21-2005, 01:48 PM

I think its the same theory as fat cells growing easily once they have expanded a great deal.............thats why fat people gain back weight so easily...
Muscle cells get bigger when you train them..........so when they shrink...just like fat cells they can return to their larger size more easily........don't know the scientific explanation but this is basically what I think happens.

**benverner** · 10-21-2005, 02:08 PM

makes sense...or maybe it doesn't...

guess we won't know until someone does a study on it and we have some scientific explanation. I think you both are on the right track. Thanks for confirming my suspicions. If anyone has something concrete to offer I think we all may appreciate it.

**MyK** · 10-21-2005, 02:25 PM

I was sketchy about it at first, I know muscle memory is a term used to describe the strenthening of motor neuron connections. I have no Idea if it a term use to describe muscle re-growth either, but according to LAM (a guy who posts here and knows his shit) there is a skin around your muscle called a fascia or something that expands when your muscle grows. and once it is stretched it is easier to fill again. make sense???

**benverner** · 10-21-2005, 02:30 PM

fo shizzle...muscle sack, that's a new one for me. For now I'll assume it's some sort of black magic and roll with it.

It is cool to see yourself blow up those first few weeks though. Hopefully I won't be seeing that for a long time (meaning no extended time off).

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