Walking Off The Fat Without Lifting?

[Michael Loucas]

All tissue adapts to the mechanical environment in which it functions. The various tissues adapt at different rates depending on their histological constraints, but everything adapts.

Does that explain why when someone gets strong by gaining 50+ lbs of bodyweight, drops it all and they are stronger at that weight when they were previously? In other words, the the muscle was lost faster than the bone density and tendon/ligament strength so they still have it when they're back at their old weight.

Or is it that the neural adaptation is still there? Or maybe both?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Does that explain why when someone gets strong by gaining 50+ lbs of bodyweight, drops it all and they are stronger at that weight when they were previously? In other words, the the muscle was lost faster than the bone density and tendon/ligament strength so they still have it when they're back at their old weight.

Or is it that the neural adaptation is still there? Or maybe both?

A situation like this would involve both architectural changes in the muscle tissue, neural adaptation, and some body recomposition even back at the previous bodyweight.