Logan Steele
Losing muscle mass can be disheartening, especially if it's due to an injury or illness, but the good news is that it is possible to regain lost muscle. The key to rebuilding muscle is to train diligently, but not so aggressively that you risk injury. It's important to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts. A well-balanced diet, appropriate exercise regimen, and proper recovery strategies are essential for restoring lost muscle mass. This includes ensuring your diet is rich in protein, as it is crucial for muscle repair and growth, and including lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, and plant-based protein sources in your meals.
How to Regain Muscle Mass
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle Memory | When you build muscle, you create new muscle cells. When you stop working out, your muscles get smaller and weaker but you still keep the new muscle cells for a long time. |
| Caloric Intake | If you are new to lifting weights, you can build muscle in a caloric deficit. If you are returning to lifting, eat a slight surplus as you will rebuild muscle faster. |
| Nutrition | Eat a diet rich in protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, healthy fats, and fruits. Aim for up to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. |
| Hydration | Drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially before and after workouts. |
| Rest and Recovery | Allow your body time to recover. Get enough sleep each night, and incorporate rest days into your workout routine. |
| Training Frequency | Start with 2-3 days of strength training per week. Allow 48 hours of recovery between workouts for the same muscle groups. |
| Training Type | Focus on multi-joint and compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, and lunges. Incorporate resistance training with light weights or resistance bands. |
| Training Progression | Start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts. |
| Training Form | Perform exercises with proper form to minimize the risk of injury and maximize muscle activation. |
| Age | You can regain muscle at any age. Older people may experience muscle atrophy or sarcopenia, but strength training can help improve their "economy of movement". |
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What You'll Learn
- Muscle memory: Muscles get smaller and weaker but new muscle cells remain
- Strength training: Target major muscle groups to improve your economy of movement
- Nutrition: Consume up to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight
- Rest and recovery: Allow your body time to recover and repair
- Resistance training: Incorporate resistance bands or light weights to stimulate muscle growth
Muscle memory: Muscles get smaller and weaker but new muscle cells remain
Muscle memory is a concept that has gained traction across several scientific communities, exercise practitioners, and the public. It is important to note that muscle memory is not the ability of muscles to "remember" movements. The term is a misnomer as muscles do not remember anything. The "remembering" is a result of motor learning that occurs in the central nervous system (CNS), not the muscles.
The myonuclear domain theory suggests that there is a linear relationship between muscle fibre size and myonuclear content. According to this theory, the myonuclear domain is kept constant by adding additional nuclei (supplied by muscle satellite cells) during muscle fibre hypertrophy and removing them during muscle fibre atrophy. However, recent animal studies have challenged this theory by suggesting that myonuclei added during hypertrophy are not lost during atrophy, a phenomenon known as "myonuclear permanence". This permanence may allow muscles to regrow more efficiently during retraining, which is referred to as "muscle memory".
While the existence of muscle memory in human skeletal muscle is still debated, research has shown that skeletal muscle tissue can be "primed" by early positive encounters with exercise training, enhancing adaptation to later retraining, even after significant periods of exercise cessation. This is supported by anecdotal evidence, where individuals who return to exercise after a long period of inactivity find that their strength returns faster than it took to gain initially.
To effectively regain muscle after a period of inactivity or muscle atrophy due to injury, illness, or surgery, it is important to take a gradual approach. Start with isometric exercises that focus on muscle contraction and relaxation, then progress to mid-range exercises that target specific muscle groups, and finally advance to weight-bearing exercises. It is recommended to begin with three days of strength training per week, allowing for at least 48 hours of recovery between workouts for the same muscle groups. A split-body program can be beneficial, maximizing training days while providing sufficient recovery time.
Additionally, focus on multijoint movements such as deadlifts, squats, lunges, presses, and rows, which are effective for building muscle mass. Eat a sufficient amount of protein, up to 1 gram per pound of body weight, and increase your intake of vegetables, healthy fats, and fruits. Consider using resistance that you can lift for eight to ten repetitions and work within 65 to 85 percent of your one-rep max to achieve hypertrophy.
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Strength training: Target major muscle groups to improve your economy of movement
Strength training is a great way to improve your economy of movement. Strength training improves the function of the neuromuscular system and enhances the recruitment of motor units, which will assist in pre-activation. This pre-activation leads to an increased concentric contraction, which can propel you forward, as seen in the stretch-shortening cycle in running.
To improve your economy of movement, you should target major muscle groups such as the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms. A full-body approach will ensure you improve your overall movement economy and not just that of one body part.
You can start with isometric exercises, which require no training equipment. Focus on contracting and relaxing muscle groups. For example, focus on your stomach muscles, contract them for 10 seconds, and then relax for 10 seconds. You can do this with other muscle groups, such as your quads.
Once you are comfortable with isometric exercises, you can move on to mid-range exercises, which are between light isometric exercises and weight-bearing exercises. For example, you can hold a squat against a wall for a specific amount of time or try a plank.
Finally, you can move on to weight-bearing exercises. It is important to start with light weights and gradually increase the weight as you get stronger. You can also incorporate multi-joint movements into your routine, such as deadlifts, squats, and lunges. These exercises are great for building muscle mass and improving your overall movement economy.
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Nutrition: Consume up to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight
Nutrition is a critical aspect of muscle growth and recovery. While protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass, it is important to note that consuming too much can lead to weight gain. The general consensus is that if your goal is to gain muscle, you should consume 1 gram of protein for every pound of your target body weight. For example, if your goal weight is 185 pounds, you should aim for 185 grams of protein per day.
However, it is important to understand that this is not a one-size-fits-all recommendation. The amount of protein you need depends on various factors, including your current body weight, activity level, and health status. For instance, endurance or strength athletes may require up to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Additionally, the quality of protein, or the total makeup of amino acids within the protein source, becomes more important as you age.
It is worth noting that consuming adequate protein alone is not enough for optimal muscle growth. Resistance or strength training is crucial to breaking down muscle fibers and promoting muscle growth. This involves incorporating exercises that use higher weights and higher reps to challenge your muscles.
When aiming to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, it is essential to spread your protein intake throughout the day. This means including protein-rich foods or supplements in your meals and snacks. Examples of protein-rich foods include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Additionally, protein supplements such as whey or casein protein powders can help you meet your daily protein goals.
It is important to consult with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet. They can provide personalized advice based on your individual needs and health status.
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Rest and recovery: Allow your body time to recover and repair
Rest and recovery are critical components of any workout plan, and they are essential to allow your body time to repair itself. Without rest, you risk overtraining, which can lead to overuse and burnout. Common overuse injuries include iliotibial band syndrome, stress fractures, patellofemoral syndrome, and muscle strains.
Rest and recovery are especially important if you are overcoming an injury or have had surgery, as these can cause extended periods of inactivity. During healing, your muscles are not getting the activity they need to stay strong, and they will grow thinner and weaker.
To elevate your fitness levels while incorporating rest and recovery, you should ensure you are getting enough sleep. During sleep, your body actively works to repair and grow muscles. Aim for a cool, dark, screen-free bedroom to foster good sleep. While the number of hours of sleep needed is an individual thing, most people require seven to nine hours, and athletes may need ten or more.
In addition to sleep, your overall lifestyle habits play a key role in exercise recovery. Non-fitness-related stressors, such as poor sleep, relationship troubles, and working overtime, can affect how much rest you need. Make sure you are eating a healthy diet with enough protein, drinking enough water, and taking rest days between workouts.
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Resistance training: Incorporate resistance bands or light weights to stimulate muscle growth
Resistance training is a great way to stimulate muscle growth. You can use resistance bands or light weights to build muscle mass and tone your muscles.
When you work out, you put your muscles under stress, which creates microscopic tears in the muscle fibres. After your workout, your body repairs these tears, creating new muscle protein strands in the process. This is how your muscles grow and adapt to the stress you put them under.
Resistance bands provide tension and resistance, which is what you need to create these tears in your muscles. The recovery period after your workout allows your muscles to repair and grow. You can increase the tension and resistance of the bands over time to build more muscle mass. Aim to repeat the same workout routine at least twice a week, leaving enough recovery time in between for your muscles to repair.
You can also use light weights to build muscle. The key is to do enough reps to fatigue your muscles. This is known as taking your muscles to
Remember, building muscle requires dedication, determination and consistency. Make sure you are also eating a balanced diet with enough calories and protein to support muscle growth.
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Frequently asked questions
The good news is that it is possible to regain muscle after a long period of inactivity. The first step is to ensure your diet is rich in protein, as it is essential for muscle repair and growth. Include lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, and plant-based protein sources in your meals. It is also important to eat adequate carbohydrates and healthy fats to provide the energy needed for workouts and recovery. Once you have your diet in place, start with low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, or cycling. As your strength improves, incorporate resistance training with light weights or resistance bands. Over time, you can increase the intensity and duration of your workouts and progress to more challenging exercises to stimulate muscle growth.
It is important to give your body time to heal after an injury or illness. Once you are ready to start rebuilding your muscles, start with isometric exercises that focus on muscle contraction and relaxation. For example, you can contract your stomach muscles for 10 seconds and then relax them for 10 seconds. As you regain strength, you can progress to mid-range exercises such as holding a squat against a wall or a plank. Finally, when you are ready, you can start weight-bearing exercises.
As we age, we lose muscle mass and strength, but it is still possible to regain and maintain muscle as we get older. The key is to focus on strength training, which improves your "economy of movement" and allows you to do the same amount of work with less pain and lower risk of injury. Some examples of strength training exercises that you can do at home include squats (with or without weight), chair dips, pushups, pullups, planks, lunges, burpees, and step-ups.
