What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Working Out for a Week (or More)
Headed into spring break or just life-ing a little harder than usual and worried about missing your workouts? In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what happens to your body when you take a week (or more) off from training. Spoiler alert: you're not losing all your progress—and in fact, the break might be exactly what your body needs.
I dive into muscle memory, why rest is part of the process, how often you should actually plan time off, and how to shift your mindset so you don’t spiral into guilt. Plus, I share what a deload week is and how you can use it to come back feeling stronger, not behind.
Whether you're on vacation, dealing with a crazy schedule, or just feeling off, this episode will help you embrace the pause and stay committed to your long-term goals.
What’s Discussed:
Why taking a week off won’t erase your progress
How long it really takes to lose muscle or strength
What muscle memory is and why it’s on your side
The power of planned rest and how often to take it
What a deload week is and how it supports long-term gains
Nutrition tips to help support your body during a break
If you loved this episode, you’ll also love Episode 413: The Importance of a Rest Day: Don’t Let Overexercising Ruin Your Progress
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Transcript:
00:00
Hey, hey, beautiful human, Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it. Let's go. Hello and welcome back to another bonus episode. I'm so glad that you're here Today.
00:35
We're going to be talking about something that I know is hitting home for a lot of you right now, especially with spring break happening, maybe just happened or it's about to happen Routines have, either are going to be flipped upside down or have been flipped upside down. So what actually happens to your body when you stop working out for a week? So many of you guys have messaged me, like in the past week, saying, julie, I have not moved my body in a week or a week and a half. I feel like I'm losing all of my progress and I get that spiral. I've been there. I mean, trust me, postpartum life, hello. But before you go down that shame and guilt rabbit hole, I want to kind of walk you through the truth because spoiler alert your progress is not going to disappear overnight or in one week or in a week and a half. Before I kind of break it down all for you, I want to share this review. It comes from my Dog Is my BFF. I love this too. My Dog Is my BFF as well. It comes from my Dog Is my BFF. I love this too. My Dog Is my BFF as well, and she gave a five-star view and said Amen, julie.
01:29
Finding Julie's workout app, podcast and social media has completely changed my life for the better. Not only did she reconnect my relationship with God, she is helping me become a better woman for the sake of my daughter. My daughter now has a mom who loves herself, respects herself, and I cannot wait to teach her everything I've learned from Julie. I'm so thankful for you. Oh, ps. Username pronounced Annie says hi. I love that so much. Annie says hi. Well, hi, annie. My dog is also my BFF and I'm so grateful that man. That is such an honor, the fact that you said that I helped you reconnect your relationship with God. In my opinion, that's the most important thing in life, and so I just I feel honored to be alongside of your journey and I'm also so incredibly grateful that your daughter now has a mom who loves herself and respects herself. Like, don't underestimate that. That is so, so amazing and the fact that you are putting in the work and your daughter is really going. Not only are you going to reap the benefits, but everybody around you, including your daughter. So so grateful for you. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in that review.
02:28
Okay, so let's get to a few key points that I kind of want to walk you through. Number one let's normalize the break. So if you've been working out consistently for weeks on end, taking a break from your workouts is not something to feel guilty about Like. I want you to hear this loud and clear Rest is not the enemy of progress. In fact, it's a part of the process. Let me say that again Rest is not the enemy of progress. It is, in fact, part of the process. I know that it's hard when you've been crushing it, when you've been finally consistent or when your brain equates rest to slipping up. But rest is a tool. It's not a failure. And if you are currently in a week off, maybe you're on a spring break or life just threw you a curve ball like, trust me when I say I'm in. That too, it's okay, you are not failing, you are not behind, you are human.
03:14
You have to remember number two also, that muscle memory is real. Like your body doesn't forget all the hard work that you've put in just because you took off a week or even two. In fact, it really does take about a month of complete, complete inactivity, which is very difficult to be in complete inactivity before you start to see noticeable losses in muscle size or strength and let that sink in like not one week, but a month, a month and a half, right One week off. You're actually more likely to come back stronger because your muscles haven't had time, like substantial amount of time, to recover, rebuild and reset. And if you've been consistent before the break, your body is primed to bounce back quickly, like that's the beauty of muscle memory. The more experience your body has with training, the faster it adapts and rebounds when you start again. So no, you're not going to lose all of your progress. Your gains are not that fragile and your body is so much more resilient than you think, and I just want to remind you of that. Like I think we don't give our bodies enough credit with how resilient they actually are with all the things that we go through. Our bodies are so incredibly resilient.
04:17
Number three what about your metabolism? Like, are you going to gain weight? Let's keep it real. Your metabolism does not crash after a week of rest Like. What might happen, though, is a shift in how your body feels, especially if you've been eating more indulgently, like you've been indulging in a sweet treat every night on vacation. Like, I get it. That's life. The beauty of that is that that is creating memories, and food is so, so important when it comes to creating memories. But, like we often do on vacation or during busy seasons, I feel guilty about that, and that does not mean that you've gained a ton of fat or you've ruined everything.
04:55
If you feel like you've gained weight, it's mostly just bloating or inflammation likely, but if you're worried, here's what I want you to focus on. I want you to focus on nutrition. If you feel a little off because you're not working out, supporting your body through food is one of the best ways to ease that guilt and fuel your comeback. Keep it simple Get in your protein, prioritize hydration. You don't need to restrict. Just give your body what it needs to recover well.
05:20
And number four rest might actually be exactly what you need. I want to challenge your mindset here, because what if this break isn't something to fear but something to be grateful for? What if your body has been asking for a pause and this is your chance to actually listen to it and honor it? I think so many of us push, push, push, push, push because we're scared of what will happen if we don't. But often a planned or even an unplanned rest period can be the thing that helps us come back Refresh, refocus and ready to crush it.
05:48
Your joints, your nervous system, your hormones they all benefit from intentional rest, and taking a week off Could be the very reason your next few workouts feel stronger than ever. And to get more technical with you, it's actually super healthy for you to take a full week off from resistance training, especially if you've been consistent for eight weeks straight Like. Think about this your body isn't just building muscle during your workouts, it's recovering, it's adapting, it's getting stronger during your rest. And so, when you're lifting consistently, your muscles, your joints, your connective tissue and even your nervous system are under constant stress, and that's not a bad thing. That's how you grow. But if you give yourself a real break, that stress can compound into fatigue, plateau and even injury, and so one of the smartest things that you can do is to build a deload week or complete a rest week every eight weeks.
06:37
Yes, a planned rest, like a deload week, is typically a planned period, usually about five to seven days, where you intentionally reduce the intensity, the volume or frequency of your workouts to give your body a break or a chance to recover without stopping movement. All of together and here's the magic when you take a week off after eight weeks of solid training, you usually come back feeling stronger, more energized, more motivated. You can break through those plateaus, it helps to prevent burnout and you really do allow your body to fully absorb the work that you've been putting in. So, instead of fearing a break, plan for it like celebrate it. Use it as fuel for your next phase of growth, because progress isn't just about what you do, it's also about when you pause. Let me say that again Progress isn't just about what you do, it's also about when you pause.
07:30
So what should you do when we take a week off? Here's what I currently recommend if you are on a break. Number one give yourself full permission to rest Not halfway, not guilty. Rest, full permission to take a break and enjoy the rest. Number two focus on fueling. Stay hydrated, hit your protein, support your body with what it needs, even when you're not working out consistently. Number three move your body gently if you feel called. This might be a walk on the beach, a stretch in your room, nothing at all. You don't owe anyone intensity right now. And last but not least, number four get excited for that comeback. You are not starting over, you are continuing. Let me say that again, you are not starting over, you are continuing and I promise that again, you are not starting over, you are continuing and I promise your strength, your stamina and your consistency. It's all still in you. And remember these two key points. Number one it takes about a month to six weeks to start actually losing real progress, especially if you've built up and you've been very consistent prior to that, not just that one week. Number two if you are super consistent with working out, it's actually healthy to take a week off or, at the very least, deload every eight weeks.
08:40
If this episode was the encouragement that you needed today, would you do me a favor and send it to a girlfriend who might be spiraling in guilt. Maybe you just had a conversation with a friend, a coworker, a sister. Please, please, please, share this with her. Let's remind her that she's not alone in this journey. And if you love this episode, I know you'll also love episode 413, the importance of a rest day. Don't let over-exercising ruin your progress.
09:03
If you haven't already, make sure that you hit that follow button so that you never miss an episode. I've got so much more goodness coming your way and until next time, let's get it. Let's go Embrace your real. I love you so dang much. I mean it. I'll talk to you in the next one.
09:27
All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world and I'm going to leave you with one last thought the most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real, because you're worth it. Bye.