if you strted lifting early are you stronger for it

[samurai69]

Starting weights young..........do you maintain more strength than someone that has only been taining for a shorter time who is really big


(i know that sounds like a uk-m type forum question, but its ment to be serious)


I started training with weights from the age of 15, back in the late 70's (so lifting on and off for 30 years) now over the last couple of years my training has seen both extremes (high weight regular training and sporadic bits with big breaks)

Now i still maintain a fair amount of size and shape (considering), but more importantly the strength, i can have a massive break and go back to deadlifting and shruging well over 150kg and after a week training i am easily back up to nearly 200kg

cookie has been training for years too, and maintains a size to strength ratio far higher than the average person.


some of the old guys i know that lifted early in their lifes and perhaps still train a little bit all maintain size and ashape and are all well above average in strength


Is this all down to the way we trained back in those days, or the fact that we trained more or less continually ( people since then that i know trained, say from 90s on do not seem to maintain strength or size as well) is it down to the equipment...............more modern machines now against the weights and more rudamentry equipment of the past (universal machines and free weights)