How long did it take you?

[cactusflower]

So I'm curious ... for those of us who had our best bodies when we were in our early 20s or late teens, how long did it take you to get back to that or pretty damn close?



I'm currently working on this

[SP1966]

Depends on how far we have fallen! LOL

[chodan9]

I did not exercise back then so I have far surpassed it.
I am in the best shape of my life right now. I have no other time in my life that compares to it.

[ntrllftr]

Don't know. I've been in pretty good shape my whole life.
But, I'm in the best condition right now than I have ever been.

So I would have to say about 39 1/2 years.

.

[StressMonkey]

I started hitting the gym so that I wouldn't look like I did in my late teens/early 20's.

[cactusflower]

LOL ok.... then let me pose this question. Was there something you did back then (a sport, weights, whatever) that you left for many years then got back into? If so, how long did it take you to get back into it?
I.E. say you used to play hockey then you stopped for a long time but then got back into it...how long before you noticed you were playing at the same level?

[freebirdmac]

After 1.5 years I'm still trying to get back to how I looked, more or less, at 25. Need more muscle to get there. I had lost tons of it.

[SP1966]

LOL ok.... then let me pose this question. Was there something you did back then (a sport, weights, whatever) that you left for many years then got back into? If so, how long did it take you to get back into it?
I.E. say you used to play hockey then you stopped for a long time but then got back into it...how long before you noticed you were playing at the same level?

The Canadian brings up sports and surprise, surprise it's hockey!! LOL

Yes I played hockey from age five through the end of high school. I was then in the Marines for four years and lifting during my early twenties... then came marriage, then came baby, then came a long hours job, then I got fat!

[aneas]

I mostly quit working out when my kids we really young. Just off and on and then for a 1 year span totally quit. It took me about 6 months of hitting it hard to get back into the best shape of my life.

[Bando]

I am in the best shape of my life right now. I have no other time in my life that compares to it.

Same here and I wrestled, played lacrosse and lifted weights in HS.

[Do_Somethin]

The Canadian brings up sports and surprise, surprise it's hockey!! LOL

Eh?

[Beefcupcake]

I think I'm in the best shape of my life now because of weights. Even though I did track and field (100 meter sprints) from 3rd grade thru high school and about 6 years of martial arts (late 20s/early 30s), my body still didn't look as I wanted. I'm sure a lot of it was my diet (I was skinny fat) but weights changes your body composition like no other sport can.

[thruxton]

Don't know. I've been in pretty good shape my whole life.
But, I'm in the best condition right now than I have ever been

i see this type of thing said on this forum and it blows my mind. i was nearly superman in my 20's and now, well i set a dead lift PR yesterday but my body (overall) is half what it was then.

i suppose if i trained for it, the 1 mile or the marathon, for example, i could improve but i'm just like all those others we see retiring from sport; just can't compare to the kids. it's gone baby gone!

[dungeonmistress]

So I'm curious ... for those of us who had our best bodies when we were in our early 20s or late teens, how long did it take you to get back to that or pretty damn close?



I'm currently working on this

once i had it i tried not to let it go; been working out since about 1980. i'll be 52 in september. i guess i was at my most out of shape when i was pregnant and then for about 2 years after that.

[Biohazard74]

I weighed 180 and in great shape when i was 17 till the time i was about 29. Then an injury in an elbow made me go into a deep depression since i couldnt continue to work out and i gained 50 lbs atleast. i started riding bike about 4 months ago and started the gym again about a month agoand have lost 20 lbs so far and gained back 6 lbs of muscle. My goal is to be at the same weight i was before at 180 - 185

[aneas]

i see this type of thing said on this forum and it blows my mind. i was nearly superman in my 20's and now, well i set a dead lift PR yesterday but my body (overall) is half what it was then.

i suppose if i trained for it, the 1 mile or the marathon, for example, i could improve but i'm just like all those others we see retiring from sport; just can't compare to the kids. it's gone baby gone!

Except in Carls case its true. Look at him.

[gympunk]

I was a "bean-pole" until I started lifting & making gains @ around 22yo. I was 128 LBS out of HS, 137 LBS out of college. So, I'm at my best now!!

[plmb1]

I look better "and" I'm alot stronger now than I ever have been.........

[Iron Barbarian]

I think I am actually a lot better built now then when I was younger. I know what the hell I am doing now. Back when I was younger I ate pretty much everything and did only Chest and Arms all the time. I was cut up pretty good back then but now I have a lot more mass, do full body workouts, eat a healthy diet, cut up pretty good, and the girls at work call me a "Chick Magnet" so I must be doing something right. LOL

[cactusflower]

BIohazard, that's awesome! Good for you!

Yes, HOCKEY! Canada's favourite past time eh!

I know not everyone was in great shape in high school but the question was geared to those who were in great shape/had a great physique in H.S./University.

I think it's wonderful that so many people are in their best shape at this stage of life. YAY there is hope for me

[Old-Time-Lifter]

Well, I wish I could tell you how long it's taken to get back to my best shape ever........ but unlike so many, I'm still trying to get my build back to it's past glory.

If I could shed a few pounds I think my upper body is close (not there yet though) but my wheels and tush are far from their best. I used to be able to rely on my tush and chest to catch the ladies attention......

[Jill75]

I used to be very active back then doing swimming, badminton, aerobics, gym, etc. Now I'm trying to get back in shape. Hard to be a mom and getting in shape at the same time for me.

[snoack]

Depends on which shape from my 20's we're talking about-

lifting shape- passed that a while back

running shape- still not even close, probably get the distances back but never the speed.

[x-trainer ben]

Great answer snoak,

depends on the sport and how much time practicing. Last year i was stressed and lifted heavy to "get it out of my system" so i bulked up to silly levels for my height. Now i want my running "hybrid" build back as it is too much weight for my height. I would guess 2-6 months of intensive focused training. If i run every day, eat plants, and sleep 1-2 mths at 38.

[beancntr]

I was pretty much a thin bean pole with broad boney shoulders and long arms as a teenager and in early 20's. Then got married, had kids and went completely the other way for about 10 years and became a total fat a*s. Now at 38, I think I look and feel better than I ever have. Although I'm probably less secure and more obsessed about how I look and my fitness level now than I ever have been. Still have a long way to go to reach my goals.

[namtrag]

I am in better shape now than at the age of 20

[rpaul11]

Once I put my mind to it that I was going to succede, it took about 7-8 months of very strict diet and exercising no less thn 5 days per week to get myself into the shap i wanted to be in.

But it will be different for everybody based off of how far you need to go, what your final goal, and how strict you are with yourself.

[cactusflower]

Once I put my mind to it that I was going to succede, it took about 7-8 months of very strict diet and exercising no less thn 5 days per week to get myself into the shap i wanted to be in.

But it will be different for everybody based off of how far you need to go, what your final goal, and how strict you are with yourself.

Good answer!

Reasearch has shown that muscle memory does exist. I am curious how many of have experienced that and how quickly you bounced back.

[baretta]

I think I was in the best shape of my life when I was around 30. I was lifting and doing karate. Then I met my wife and got all twitterpated and quit everything after a while.

Still haven't got it back yet. I'm basing that mostly on the fact that back then I could bench 210 (not great, but not bad for a skinny 165 pounder). Since I started back lifting, I have not been able to break the 200 lb mark (grr). I think it's mostly a mental thing.

Ah, well... some day (I promise... )

[Xyphis]

I'm still working on it!

So, that means a bit over a year so far, and the progress is much slower now than at 20. My 20 years of stagnation in between has added HTN and DM to the mix. On the plus side, I have cut my meds down to just 2 (from 4) and through dieting and weightlifting (and a bit of cycling) I hope to be off even them.

Oh, and my wife thinks I look better