After being on leave for almost a month, I remember how this used to be a question I would obsess over. I’d try and find solutions and reasonings that would make sense to me, and if it didn’t, I’d try and find another answer that validated my very thinking and I’m glad it didn’t. I’d have thoughts like: Will I lose my progress? Am I losing muscle? Will I forget about my technique work? Did I forget how to squat!?
After many of my years on vacation, I’ve come to realize with time and experience that the answer is maybe some, but not completely. It also depends on your fitness level before going on a hiatus. If you’re just beginning, gains may be quicker to decline. If a long-time exerciser or athlete, strength gains can be retained for longer (months, even).
You have to look at this as a whole: how much of your life has been spent exercising versus being sedentary? For example, in my life I’ve been physically active for most of my life, taking exercise seriously from high school, to general strength training, to competitive training, and so on. 3 weeks or so out of those years wouldn’t make a dent in the accumulated strength I’ve created.
If you’ve been sedentary most of your life, only picking up exercise and consistent for less than 3 months, 3 weeks may show some decline in strength gains and progress. To put it in perspective, 3 months is ~12 weeks. Take 12 weeks – 3 weeks off. That’s 9/12 weeks of training (which is 75% of that time being consistently training). Take that value, and compare it to the number of weeks in your life being sedentary. I hope that helps bring about realistic expectations!
What’s important to know about this time is to invest in rest.
Invest in Rest
Rest is your best weapon, hands down. After getting at it in the gym, at work, with family – rest is what will reset you until the next feat. Take that accumulated rebuilt energy, fresh body, fresher mindset as an advantage! You might even perform better when you return.
Just don’t go trash your diet or get into old or bad habits. It’ll just take you further away from where you want to be. Be smart about this time and envision yourself being the person you want to be. What does that look like for you?
Making Fitness a Lifestyle
Okay so you don’t just stop going to the gym because you reached a goal. These goals must be maintained if you want results to stick around! Fitness is a lifelong journey, hence why it should be a part of your life, not something you just temporarily do. That’s why you still see fit people in the gym. They don’t just go, “Well, that’s it! I got to my goal. I don’t have to workout the rest of my life now!”.
No. Nor is that the right mindset going in.
The Takeaway
Remember that you have the power. You’ve got the power for change, especially the change you want to be and see for yourself. Not every step will be forward, but meaningful results require some kind of sacrifice. Sacrifice doesn’t mean suffering. It can mean you give up an hour of TV shows to go to bed early. Opting for an apple for lunch on Monday over an apple turnover, knowing you’ll get to enjoy a treat on Saturday.
Change must come with change. Eventually the change becomes part of your life, something you just do. This is what makes a challenge a lasting change.
MAW BARBELL CLUB 
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