How long to get muscle mass back after years off?
I was a competitive athlete in high school and we lifted frequently and I got quite big. While at school I stopped rowing and haven’t lifted as much. I started lifting again and began making gains quickly, how long until I’m back in similar shape (size/strength)? Have any of you been in similar positions?
Ex-rower here so I completely get where you're coming from. No easy answer since it depends on a lot of factors e.g. intensity, the type of shape you were in before vs how much you declined/let yourself go, diet is much more impactful now vs when you were younger, etc.
Thanks! Great to meet another ex-rower. I'd love to get back into it after school.
It's hard! Never fully appreciated what a time dedication it was and location matters a lot, although for finance almost all the major hubs are coastal so it works out on that end at least.
Months to a year maybe. Happens faster than you think.
I made the best/ fastest gains in my life when I thought I had more or less hit my natty limit, got off track for a while so I thought I'd never make gains again. Just worked out consistently thinking I wouldn't progress, but just trained hard, consistently and methodologically for the heck of it and focused on the process. Did that for several months until people started saying, hey how tf did you get EVEN bigger, and I was like 'Wot' and measured myself up and realized I had put on half an inch to all major muscle groups. Stacked up my powerlifting total too
Adopt a growth mindset/ process-based mindset instead of a goals-based mindset. Become a more Stoic lifter
Great advice, thank you! Love the Stoic readings.
Haha thanks! I got it from Matt Vena, an IPF powerlifter on youtube. Ties in with my lifting journey and also Stoic principles that I work to incorporate into my life and work as well
I’d go with a personal trainer for a month or two to work on good foundations and work at a slower pace. Like the others above me said, get there slowly but lift to be healthy.
People who used to workout a lot in the past have a much easier time building muscle even after year-long hiatuses from the gym. So, I'd say you'll need like 5-6 months before achieving a comparable level as to where you were before. But, as the other comments suggested, be more mindful about your diet this time around since the years to take their toll :)
thank god for muscle memory
One set to failure
Similarly lifted a lot throughout high school / college, gave it up the first few years of banking & PE, and picked it back up the last year or two. Took me ~6 months to get back to 80% of my peak, then the grind to get back to the peak has taken much longer / still not there yet another 6-12 months later. In fairness I'm lifting 2-3x a week now, whereas in high school and college I was lifting ~5x per week, but the marginal gains are naturally harder.
This is an old ass thread, but you'll be surprised how fast you can get back on the horse if you had a solid base in your youth. I've dealt with injuries and have had to take almost entire years off before, only to bounce back rather quickly by dialing in training and diet.
And then of course if that doesn't work, there are other options...
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