Stuck in Reverse

We've all heard the phrase 'use it or lose it' but what does it mean when it comes to your training?

Basically if we don't use a training system we will lose the effects of said training system. Your muscles and systems hypertrophy with use and atrophy with dis-use. This detraining can happen relatively quickly, it can be felt within 2 or 3 weeks. Research indicates that muscular endurance (our muscles ability to not only work for a long period of time but resist, withstand and recover from injury and fatigue) deteriorates more rapidly that strength. In the context of strength, our neuromuscular components are the first to go, this means your ability to generate force or power. Your actual muscle size takes slightly longer to deteriorate if training ceases. One factor reversibility doesn't apply to is our coordination and skill acquisition; it's like riding a bike, once you have learned you never forget!

Reversibility is important to consider when programming. Often programmes focus on training a different system in each 'block', but if we consider the principle of reversibility this can in fact, be detrimental to achieving our overall goals. For example, if our goals are 'general fitness' and we chose to focus on one aspect of 'general fitness', such as strength for a 4-6 week block and then moved on to endurance or cardiovascular fitness 4-6 weeks, we would lose any strength gains we developed in those first 4-6 weeks. Therefore it is important to adapt your programme to ensure all components are being met; this doesn't mean there can't be one main focus, it just means we shouldn't completely forget the other bits!

Another example of where we would see this principle of reversibility at play would be where we take a long break from training. Rest days and rest periods are important but if we take a substantially longer break any adaptations we previously made will be lost. Some examples of where we might take longer periods off training would be through injury, through an off season in our sport or perhaps we only exercise when the weather is nice: Cycling, running or even walking to walk. In order to overcome reversibility effects we must encourage some activity during our time away from training to maintain, or even just minimise the loss of our musculoskeletal and cardiovascular adaptations. Furthermore, if we have had a break, we must be mindful of the effects of reversibility when we come back to training: we will not be where we were before the break so take it easy! At this stage we will be more prone to injury and fatigue so we must consider progressive programming to account for this.

Have you had breaks from your training? What were the reasons for these? How did you get back to it?