I don't like this idea that strength and muscle just disappears if you stop training. If you've built this over a long period of time then many of the gains will be with you long term, regardless of what you then do. Some muscle will disappear over time, but if you are giving your body adequate nutrition, then it isn't all that expensive to maintain, and your loses should be minimal.
In my view, what you see fall off relatively quickly when you stop training for an extended period is the skill element of strength. Just as sportsmen get rusty, and often perform horribly during preseason, so too will dedicated weightlifters find that their technique and efficiency with heavier weights suffer after a layoff.
Your strength should be relatively unaffected (though undoubtedly not where it would be after a peaking cycle).
In my view, what you see fall off relatively quickly when you stop training for an extended period is the skill element of strength. Just as sportsmen get rusty, and often perform horribly during preseason, so too will dedicated weightlifters find that their technique and efficiency with heavier weights suffer after a layoff.
Your strength should be relatively unaffected (though undoubtedly not where it would be after a peaking cycle).