It’s not unusual for even the most dedicated lifters to take some time off. A week of not picking up heavy objects can actually be a good thing, because it provides more time to completely recover from intense weight training. What happens when you stay away from the gym for an extended period is the subject of a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.

After analyzing 103 different scientific papers on physical capacity after the conclusion of a resistance training program, researchers determined that all aspects of strength performance suffer, but the effect is greater in older subjects as well as people who were relatively inactive before the program began.

True Strength Moment: It makes sense that the longer you stay away from the weight room the weaker you become. It’s also logical to assume that people who train regularly over the course of many years will remain stronger during a period of inactivity than those who are new to the iron jungle.