Come back after a long lay off?

HuskyMusky

Veteran member
Nov 29, 2011
1,321
172
IL
Was curious if any of y'all out there.... use to be in shape... and then after years/decades made a come back.... and finally got back to where you were years earlier....or at least back to in shape or in great shape...?


I'm probably a tad hard on myself, but being a former athlete, hs/college, then took about 15 years off, before getting back in shape...

it's been about 2 years, and while I'm in much better shape than I was 2 years ago, I'm still not the athlete I use to be, not that I fully expect my older body to do what I did at 22 etc...


Just curious if any others have similar experiences...and how long the comeback took?
How long was the lay off? how long was the come back?



I am in it for the long haul at this point, so not too concerned, I'll get there... "Progress, not Perfection"

Plus I'm focused on sports and having fun, not just living at the gym and doing everything 100 just to look great.

I think it's just going to take me longer than I wish to get back to where I'd like to be. Longer recoveries these days too.
 

Timr245

Very Active Member
Jul 21, 2016
586
400
Northcentral PA
I took about 3 years off of everything at one point due to a 70+ hr/wk workload. I still put in similar hours but my job duties are all mental/paper work stresses now compared to then. I managed to pack on an extra 25lbs (on a 5'6" frame) over those 3 years of working like an idiot, living out of suitcases, eating convenience store lunches & dining out every night. I finally switched things up a little and said "WHOA" what the hell just happened here. It took me about 4 months of rigorous training to get back into decent shape. Wasn't quite where I was when I was 22 either but not too far from it. I was 31 at that time, I've improved little by little each year since then and now am pretty much in the same condition I was when I was 20-21. Key, in my opinion, set manageable goals and achieve them 1 by 1, it'll all come together.
 

LCH

Very Active Member
Jun 28, 2015
774
246
Southern Indiana
I'm down about 55 pounds since last summer. Probably 15-20 more pounds and I'll be where I want. The weight never kept me from doing anything I wanted, it just made it a lot slower and unenjoyable.

The hard part is keeping the weight off. It takes just a tiny bit of complacency and next thing you know you're back where you started.
 

dan maule

Very Active Member
Jan 3, 2015
987
1,210
Upper Michigan
I was in the same situation as you, played all the sports basketball, baseball, football took about 15 years off. My friend at work kept bugging me to come and work out at lunch but I always worked through lunch. I always seen myself as 18 years old until the day I took him up on the offer and tried to bench press. I am still to embarrassed to admit the results but I started working out with my friend everyday after that. When we did the Insanity program I was in the best shape I had been in since High School. It took about a year and half to get in good enough shape that I felt like I could keep up on the basketball floor with my teenage boys. I don't do the Insanity anymore because it was pretty hard on my joints but I try to keep up my self awareness not to fall back to the state I was in.
 

go_deep

Veteran member
Nov 30, 2014
2,650
1,982
Wyoming
Personally I think getting into a health eating habit is a priority. Miss a week or two of exercise for whatever reason you don't lose any ground.
 

mallardsx2

Veteran member
Jul 8, 2015
3,811
3,011
I am no weight trainer. More cardio here.

This is my advice for anyone looking to loose weight:

-Dont eat after 4:00PM
-Start drinking nothing but water.
-Stay off the couch and stay on your feet.
-Break into a full out sweat and make yourself out of breath at least once a day

Do these 4 things and you will loose a ton of weight.

Watch any fat person....they often eat late in the day, drink sugary drinks, and do a lot of sitting all day long.
 

Timr245

Very Active Member
Jul 21, 2016
586
400
Northcentral PA
I am no weight trainer. More cardio here.

This is my advice for anyone looking to loose weight:

-Dont eat after 4:00PM
-Start drinking nothing but water.
-Stay off the couch and stay on your feet.
-Break into a full out sweat and make yourself out of breath at least once a day

Do these 4 things and you will loose a ton of weight.

Watch any fat person....they often eat late in the day, drink sugary drinks, and do a lot of sitting all day long.
Agree totally with this! One exception here...intermittent fasting will allow you to eat at any hour of the day given you do not exceed an 8hr “feeding window” meaning you consume all of your calories in 8 hrs and absolutly 0 the other 16 of the day. Besides weight loss, IF has numerous proven health benefits that make it worth adjusting to. I myself eat from 10-6 daily & typically exercise hard in a fasted state.
 

HuskyMusky

Veteran member
Nov 29, 2011
1,321
172
IL
I am no weight trainer. More cardio here.

This is my advice for anyone looking to loose weight:

-Dont eat after 4:00PM
-Start drinking nothing but water.
-Stay off the couch and stay on your feet.
-Break into a full out sweat and make yourself out of breath at least once a day

Do these 4 things and you will loose a ton of weight.

Watch any fat person....they often eat late in the day, drink sugary drinks, and do a lot of sitting all day long.

Curious what cardio you do? Running? Anything? Distance? Sprints? Hikes?
 

mallardsx2

Veteran member
Jul 8, 2015
3,811
3,011
Curious what cardio you do? Running? Anything? Distance? Sprints? Hikes?
I get into a pair of sweatpants and hooded sweatshirt (Sometimes 2). I like to do a fast walk (~4MPH) on an extreme inclined treadmill until my clothing is soaked and I am out of breath and my legs are burning....Then I sit there and drink my water.

Running hurts my knees. I jog sometimes but never for an extended period of time. If you are overweight I feel that running is one of the worst things you can do. Its really hard on your joints.

Just break the sweat and fell the burn.

Trust me you'll get there.

Dont get hung up on the distance. That will come later.

I do the mile/mile/50/50/50 in preparation for a trip.
1 Mile Jog
1 Mile Bike Ride
50 sit ups
50 push ups
50 pull ups
This is my "Final solution" for the weeks before a trip. It works well if you can grind it out. 50 pull ups in a day isn't easy BTW but it really helps build the upper body. A pear shaped boxing bag for 5 minutes might be just as effective...guarantee this will make your arms burn...

I should mention that I am not a protein/energy drink guy either. I dont trust those chemicals and concoctions those Mt opps people put in their stuff or anyone else for that matter...Nothing against anyone who uses it, I just dont personally.

I'm a straight water guy. With a splash of beer for a reward from time to time.

Even though I am not overweight, I do find myself out of shape at times and feel the "layoff". When that happens I get a gallon of water and I hit the mountains for a hike hunting hogs. As I like to say, I get a good burn going. lol

I commend anyone who recognizes they are out of shape and want to do something about it. Its a hard pill to swallow and own up to. Good for you!