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Advice on taking a month off from exercise
Posted on 5/6/26 at 10:22 am
Posted on 5/6/26 at 10:22 am
I had gone about 15 years without exercising or workign out, but around November I decided to get back on the horse and have been working out regularly since then. Nothing crazy or extreme, just a resitance band and a dumbbell in my office before anyoen else shows up. Sounds ineffective but doing that routinely for 4-5 days a week for 6 months has really shown benefits and I look and feel great.
That brings me to the title. Yesterday I had to get my appendix removed and they said no strenuous activity for at least 2 weeks which also includes not picking up anything over 10 pounds. Browsing online many articles say closer to 3-4 weeks. Has anyone had any similar experience with having to take an extended break? I will still eat clean as i have been and make sure i get enough protein but I'm worried that the last 6 months is going to practically be undone over these next 3-4 weeks.
That brings me to the title. Yesterday I had to get my appendix removed and they said no strenuous activity for at least 2 weeks which also includes not picking up anything over 10 pounds. Browsing online many articles say closer to 3-4 weeks. Has anyone had any similar experience with having to take an extended break? I will still eat clean as i have been and make sure i get enough protein but I'm worried that the last 6 months is going to practically be undone over these next 3-4 weeks.
12
Posted on 5/6/26 at 10:46 am to WG_Dawg
Got my appendix out last October. I didn’t lift anything for 5 weeks and absolutely ate like shite. I lost alot of muscle but I’ve been strength training for a long time and knew my muscle memory would kick in once I started back. I got my gains back after about 3 weeks of hitting it hard again.
The one positive of it was I had been working through knee pain for a long time to where I couldn’t squat free weight at all. Taking those 5-6 weeks off did wonders for them. I’m back to squatting on a smith machine without any issue. Not going to push my luck with free weight but it’s great to at least be able to do smith again.
The one positive of it was I had been working through knee pain for a long time to where I couldn’t squat free weight at all. Taking those 5-6 weeks off did wonders for them. I’m back to squatting on a smith machine without any issue. Not going to push my luck with free weight but it’s great to at least be able to do smith again.
Posted on 5/6/26 at 11:40 am to WG_Dawg
If you continue to eat well, you'll be fine. You should be able to walk and do low intensity cardio pretty much immediately, it is even recommended. I would just walk on a treadmill or something (low intensity) and focus on eating well. The only way you can truly undo your progress is by no longer being in a calorie deficit as far as your weight loss is concerned. A 1-2 week break from weight lifting won't have much of an impact as far as loss of muscle gains/strength. In fact, there has been some benefits shown to doing that every 6-8 months or so. A month there will be some retraction but you wn't lose everything by any means. You'll definitely feel it when you finally get back to full speed for a bit, but you won't lose that much of your progress unless you just do absolutely nothing and eat like crap.
This post was edited on 5/6/26 at 11:42 am
Posted on 5/6/26 at 12:12 pm to WG_Dawg
Just go for lots of walks and keep eating the same. You will be fine.
Posted on 5/6/26 at 12:40 pm to WG_Dawg
If you are worried about weight gain, you could go keto or carnivore for a month.
Posted on 5/6/26 at 12:43 pm to XenScott
Oh no I'm not worried about weight gain at all. More so losing the muscle that I have gained up to now.
Posted on 5/6/26 at 1:21 pm to WG_Dawg
Super light weights for range of motion. Walk as much as allowed
Posted on 5/6/26 at 2:34 pm to WG_Dawg
I broke my wrist at 18 and hand at 30 so I had to take about a month off lifting each time. My arm atrophied horribly but went back to normal fairly quickly after lifting again.
I jogged a little for exercise but not much else.
I jogged a little for exercise but not much else.
Posted on 5/6/26 at 9:45 pm to WG_Dawg
Eat tons of protein. As much as you can stomach. That will limit muscle loss.
Whatever you lose in those 3-4 weeks, and it won’t be very much at all, will come back very quickly. Muscle memory is a real thing and it’s beautiful
I took off 4 months.
Had my gains back in 6-8 weeks
Whatever you lose in those 3-4 weeks, and it won’t be very much at all, will come back very quickly. Muscle memory is a real thing and it’s beautiful
I took off 4 months.
Had my gains back in 6-8 weeks
This post was edited on 5/7/26 at 5:20 am
Posted on 5/7/26 at 5:56 am to pwejr88
quote:
Eat tons of protein. As much as you can stomach. That will limit muscle loss.
Whatever you lose in those 3-4 weeks, and it won’t be very much at all, will come back very quickly. Muscle memory is a real thing and it’s beautiful
awesome, thanks.
what about creatine? I had only started taking some creatine in the mornings a couple weeks ago but I assume now there's no reason to keep taking it daily since I won't be active for a couple weeks? Shoudl I pause that until my activity resumes?
Posted on 5/7/26 at 9:25 am to WG_Dawg
I had hernia surgery last year. 6 weeks without lifting.
Once I was cleared to go back to the gym, I started at 50% my training max for all major lifts.
The next week I did 60% of my training maxes.
After that I went back to my normal pre-surgery routine.
The first couple of weeks kind of sucked with soreness and just general tightness around the surgery area.
I imagine since you're working out mainly with dumbbells and bands, you should be able to get back into it rather quickly once cleared.
Until then, once you're able to, go on long walks to keep things moving and as loose as possible.
Once I was cleared to go back to the gym, I started at 50% my training max for all major lifts.
The next week I did 60% of my training maxes.
After that I went back to my normal pre-surgery routine.
The first couple of weeks kind of sucked with soreness and just general tightness around the surgery area.
I imagine since you're working out mainly with dumbbells and bands, you should be able to get back into it rather quickly once cleared.
Until then, once you're able to, go on long walks to keep things moving and as loose as possible.
This post was edited on 5/7/26 at 10:06 am
Posted on 5/7/26 at 12:13 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
I'm worried that the last 6 months is going to practically be undone over these next 3-4 weeks.
I broke my femur in February while cycling, and was having the same thoughts. I got back on the bike 4 weeks after the break and really started training 6 weeks after the break. Fitness has comeback quick after I would estimate a 30% loss on my threshold power. I do have to caveat it that I have been training fairly seriously for 10+ years, so the muscle memory that I have is pretty extensive. Bottom line is it will comeback and faster than it took to build. Just focus on recovery and worry about the fitness loss once you get to the point in which you can be active again
Posted on 5/7/26 at 7:39 pm to WG_Dawg
I would keep taking the creatine.
It’ll keep your body saturated with it and there are more positive effects than just ATP/muscle
It’ll keep your body saturated with it and there are more positive effects than just ATP/muscle
Posted on 5/7/26 at 9:32 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:I think the literature shows that atrophy from literal non-use doesn't really start in any noticeable way for 10-14 days. Losing 6 months? That's crazy talk. You'll be fine.
I'm worried that the last 6 months is going to practically be undone over these next 3-4 weeks.
Posted on 5/13/26 at 11:30 am to WG_Dawg
It likely will be undone or a lot of it. I had to take 6 mos. off for shoulder impingement surgery about 16 years ago. It took a bit to get back to where I was before the surgery but not near as long as what it would take if you had no training at all prior to the surgery. Hang in there. This too shall pass.
Posted on 5/13/26 at 4:32 pm to WG_Dawg
I recently took almost ten weeks off for an elbow injury (5 weeks of that was post surgery). Started lifting really light weight the first week, and have been increasing more and more every week since. After 4 weeks of increases, I'm feeling more and more like my old self. I havent completely gotten all of my strength back yet, but its coming. I went from doing 25lb dumbbells on the bench the first week, to last week doing 185lbs on the incline bench, and this week 70lbs dumbbells on flat bench. So the strength comes back quick, but I'm still not pushing myself too much because of the type of injury I had. But I'm confident that in another month or so, I'll be back to repping out 225lbs on the bench. It comes back quicker than you think.
Posted on 5/24/26 at 7:16 pm to WG_Dawg
My appendix burst and I was septic. Was in the hospital 4 days, got checked out was back at the gym within 10days after taking the staples out. Obviously not heavy lifting just form low weight/higher reps and cardio. All depends on how quickly you heal and how you feel.
Posted on 5/26/26 at 9:04 am to NorthstarinLA
I totally forgot about this thread but since someone bumped it I'll update, not that anyone actually gives a shite anyway lol.
Appendix went out on the 5th and I was at home on the 6th.
I didn't do any physical activity at all for about 9-10 days. Last weekend I did some very light arm stuff from a chair so that my midsection woudln't be moving around much and was fine. Starting last week on the 18th I went back to my normal routine but maybe only about 80% intensity, and no cardio.
Fully back to 100% schedule this week.
Appendix went out on the 5th and I was at home on the 6th.
I didn't do any physical activity at all for about 9-10 days. Last weekend I did some very light arm stuff from a chair so that my midsection woudln't be moving around much and was fine. Starting last week on the 18th I went back to my normal routine but maybe only about 80% intensity, and no cardio.
Fully back to 100% schedule this week.
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