If I stop working out, will my muscles turn to fat?

Today I thought I'd share with you some answers to questions I am most commonly asked at the gym..

Q: If I stop working out, will my muscles turn to fat?

A: No. Fat is not muscle, and muscle is not fat, so muscle cannot turn into fat. You can lose muscle when you stop working out, and since muscle burns about 10 times more calories at rest than fat does, the less muscle you have, the fewer calories you are burning. Excess calories = weight gain, so even if you are eating the same amount of food (or less), it is likely you’ll notice an increase in your body fat when you stop working out regularly, but this doesn’t mean the muscle itself has turned to fat. But there’s no reason to panic, you can safely take three to four weeks off before losing any major muscle.


Q: I’m at the gym 6 or 7 days a week. I saw great results the first few months but now body has stopped changing, I’m actually gaining weight! I can’t possibly workout more - any suggestions?

A: Stop working out! You’ve reached a plateau in your current program – hitting a plateau is like the body’s equivalent of hitting the snooze button. When you continue you do the same workout for months on end, your body stops working so hard to perform it. Sometimes taking a week or two off from the gym is what your body needs to jumpstart your results. When you do head back to the gym, remember: the only way to bring about change is to change! Aim to switch up your program every 4-6 weeks.