Question for weight lifters & ppl into muscle

krawhitham

My current stats: 31 y/o Female, 5'4", 160 lbs, bf% unknown (working on getting that done)

For 3-4 years at ages 18-21 I lifted heavy. I gained about 7 lbs of muscle. I weighed 125-128 lbs. IF I remember correctly, I was 18% bf at age 19 (Per my University where I was tested) I was also a runner and continued running throughout my adulthood.

I maintained this weight (125-130 lbs) and fitness until I was about 28 years old. From 28-31 I had a pretty horrible job that had no work-life balance, and while I was doing light cardio, I didn't touch a weight. I slowly and steadily gained 44 lbs over the course of about 40 months.

During these 40 months I was walking daily, doing Bikram yoga whenever I could, and running and riding my bike on the weekends when I could. I had a healthy diet, but clearly I was eating more than I was burning with activity.

My question is: How much muscle could I have lost? Between 18-28 years old I was extremely active and thin, and then just for 40 months it really all went to hell with this job. I know there is "normal" muscle loss with age, but did I do more damage by basically becoming obese in a really short amount of time?

I ask because my dad says at my age, it's highly unlikely I lost any of that muscle built in my early 20's and that I should be able to get back into that shape pretty quickly. And, not that this proves anything but at my weight I can do a pull up, and ALMOST two full pull ups, so I do still have quite a bit of strength even though I'm easily 30 lbs overweight and visibly out of shape.

Anyone have any experience getting BACK into shape after being amazingly physically fit? Did you lose muscle? Or did you just have to burn off all that pesky fat to get that great muscle definition hiding underneath it?

Thank you for any input :flowerforyou:

lisalsd1

All I can say is that I'm 34, 5'3, currently about 125lbs. I started strength-training almost exactly 1 year ago. I had been just doing cardio prior to that (for years).

I was able to do 1 very weak chin-up when I first started strength-training. One year later, I did 16 and 6 pull-ups this week.

You're probably at a better starting point strength-wise than I was, b/c I had no prior experience. The only advantage that I had was that I was doing a ridiculous amount of cardio...and had gotten down to an 8 and a half minute mile.

3dogsrunning

To be completely honest, I have no idea how much you may have lost or if you even did. Certainly not as much as if you were undereating for a long time. I really wouldn't worry about it. You probably at least maintained a fair amount, plus once your return to weights your body tends to respond well after a long layoff - it's one of the exceptions to "you can't build muscle in a deficit" things. That said, there will be a limit to how much you can put on under this circumstance but all in all I wouldn't worry.

I was in a similar situation. I have no idea what my muscle mass used to be or how much I may or may not have lost. I started back lifting and in a deficit and was quite pleased with my results. I competed in a figure competition. I was not really in the running for placing or anything but I was still happy with the results. Pics in profile. I'd put myself in the burned off category.


TL;dr - I wouldn't worry too much.

dlionsmane

It's hard to say how much if any. I am no expert but I have some experience, I was a (non competitive) body builder when I was in that same age range. I am now 46. I think that it helps with increasing your lean body mass and therefore you have a better starting point. I definitely see improvements in my lifts and body quicker than I thought I would and maybe quicker than if I had never lifted before.

The best thing you can do is start now, it doesn't really matter how much you may have lost, how about not losing anymore?

Good luck.

krawhitham

Thanks all! I appreciate your comments. I think you all (and my dad) are probably right in that I most likely didn't lose much muscle mass. It's incredibly relieving!