Beannachd

Dear Expert:

If I build up my muscles through weight training and then stop working out, won’t all those muscles turn to flab?

Answer:

Not at all! Body fat and muscle are two separate tissues and cannot be converted into the other.

What actually happens when you stop exercising your muscles is a process called atrophy, whereby your muscles shrink in size from lack of use.

A leg cast causes atrophy by immobilizing leg muscles for a period of time. When the cast comes off, the leg muscles have shrunk from inactivity. Muscles do not turn into flabby fat.

Tags: generics, muscles, weight training