Will 6 weeks w/out lifting result in much muscle loss?

[aur462]

I have what appears to be a minor, albeit nagging, pulled rotator cuff. I can do all my lifts, I just tend to feel a bit of an ache around my shoulder that's more than normal.

Anyone have experience w/taking up to 6 weeks off from gym? Some are telling me I should take off for this long. I've been told by experienced lifters that there's a "muscle memory" involved that gets you back quickly to where you were previously. Anyone w/a rotator cuff pull experience feel 6 weeks is a long time for just a "pull"? Any thoughts or experiences w/this would be great.

Also, I have access to Testosterone Enanthate - would this help to preserve muscle mass?

 

[OmniScience]

It would, but you would be wasting the compound by not training, your best bet, is to take your supplements, eat plenty, drink plenty of water, and get plenty of rest. You will not lose much muscle at all. Don't get me wrong you won't have a good amount of blood flow and look pumped, if anything you will have some fat gain which can easily be lost when you start training again. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TEST ENANTHATE because that is what you will be doing if you take it without training.

 

[JLA]

I have what appears to be a minor, albeit nagging, pulled rotator cuff. I can do all my lifts, I just tend to feel a bit of an ache around my shoulder that's more than normal.

Anyone have experience w/taking up to 6 weeks off from gym? Some are telling me I should take off for this long. I've been told by experienced lifters that there's a "muscle memory" involved that gets you back quickly to where you were previously. Anyone w/a rotator cuff pull experience feel 6 weeks is a long time for just a "pull"? Any thoughts or experiences w/this would be great.

Also, I have access to Testosterone Enanthate - would this help to preserve muscle mass?

Unfortunately, it depends on a few things:
-genetics
-body fat / calorie intake
-how you lift and built the muscle originally (IMO)

If you carry higher bodyfat and lift heavy along with having a bigger frame, your chances for keeping muscle during a layoff are better IMO. Also, if you are way over your "natural limit" you will have a hard time.

Need a bit more info on where you are at in your cycle, if you're on all year, stuff like that. If you are at the beginning or end, I'd stop taking any AAS and go for your off time. If in the middle of a long cycle, I might consider staying on and doing things to speed up healing like high-rep rotator cuff work with very light resistance, heating pad, etc. If it is infact a muscle in the rotator cuff, it should heal fast and the test will help. If it is actually connective tissue, that's a tough call.

Good luck man.

And actually, if you run long cycles, have plenty of Test E, it should help you maintain muscle. If you were taking a lot, I'd cut back though.

You really never know.. The good thing is that even the connective tissue there has relatively good blood flow (compared to the top of your shin or something like that). I'm all for heating pads...if you don't have one, definitely worth it.

Also, while rehabbing (and also in the future while training) make sure to focus on working your shoulders as evenly as possible from every different angle. (Top strongman told me this one time - he said he used to have some imbalances but doing this made them go away.)

 

[2DIEZEL]

Yull loose some pump maybe look a little flabier but it will come back within a few weeks of training. The biggest part is the mental aspect of not training yull think you look like shit. But you can still do some cardio and work lower body like legs and ab work.

 

[BigJohnD]

Im kinda goin thru the same thing... Might be a pull, torn ligament or rotator cuff injury... I was told going to see a chiro is a an option, and even if you dont have insurance, its around $40 for a walk in... Have i done this yet. No. But i have stopped lifting, im just going to give it two weeks at a clip and see how my shoulder heals. L-Glutamine, ib-prof, hot and cold compress, stuff like that will help... I was about to do a cycle myself, but if i cant smash weights, its pointless... I F'n hate not working out... You might loose a lil muscle, but your shoulder and health is more important imo. So in the meantime for me its -
Cardio Cardio Cardio... GL =)

 

[JLA]

A lot of options really, and none of them are really too bad. Just kind of depends on what type of injury and how serious. First thing I'd check is range of motion and pain associated with that. If you are able to move around in all directions without a great deal of pain, you may not be too far off from healing up...

If you don't have complete ROM, then it's probably best to put all else on hold and get it diagnosed correctly. The trade off is maybe weeks off verses a lifetime of having a fucked up shoulder.

It's been about a week or so....how's it doing?