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I won't be able to work out for at least 2 months (November 2017), I'm undergoing a surgery... I'm only able to walk... and that's it! SO, do you maybe have tips and tricks for not losing the muscle mass I gained until now... I'm working out now for 6 months and I'm scared I'll lose my strength and muscle mass..Thanks anyway for the tips!
best regards,
Selin
I don't have any answers directly for your question, but maybe I can still help a little bit.
Atrophied muscles seem to 'remember' they were once larger. If you are lean and muscular and stop training for a (long) while and you become fat and lose your muscle mass. Once you start training again and eating right you drop the fat very easy while rebuilding your muscle mass.
My point is, even if you might lose muscle mass, you should regain it fairly easily.
There is no way to keep muscle mass without working out but if u keep your diet clean as u do while work out, u can minimize your loss and as they said before its easy to regain when u start back. So only tip I can give is taking care about your diet. Keep your protein intake as much as before and keep your daily caloric intake in maintenance (no weight loss and gain).
To elaborate a bit on the previous answers,
If you can't workout at all for 2 months, you will lose muscle mass and strenght that's a fact nothing you can really do about this.
However, There is a few things that makes it not as demoralizing as it may sound :
Hope it helps.
Maybe you don't want to give the details of your surgery,but maybe you will be able to work the parts of your body that aren't affected (by example a hip surgery will prevent you from doing squats but probably not from bench press, dumbbell row lying on bench, and military press)
I once took six months off from training. My first day back I tested my maximum amounts and surprisingly was able to lift about 10% more weight on all motions. Go figure!
Personally, wouldn't worry about it too much. There's good feedback here regarding protein an calorie intake. Plus, you'll need good nutrition for surgery recovery.
Studies show that a special diet high in protein BEFORE an operation speeds recovery. Naturally, lots of protein AFTER is paramount. There may be times when you just won't feel like eating but you gotta anyway. Find a tasty protein powder.
In the hospital, they actually feed glutamine intravenously while recovering. (Google "wound healing," "Pre and post-op nutrition").
Plus, creatine and BCAAs have nootropic benefits, improving brain function, even if you're not working out. (maybe it's a time to train the brain?)
Find a positive perspective... God's giving you an opportunity to grow in other ways. Find'em and have fun!
