What to do if you come to the gym after a long break

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

If you decide to quickly recover your form after a long break, there is a risk of injury and forgetting about training for a long time. Find out how to gradually regain your shape and where to start at the gym if you haven't been there for a long time.

So, you missed gym classes for a long time, and finally you are back and you want to quickly regain your former shape. It is tempting to start from where you last stopped, that is, resume your usual loads.

Do not give in to the temptation: after a long absence, serious stress can result in injuries or such fatigue and muscle pain that you will not force yourself to come to the gym again.

Here's what Lyle McDonald, the author of the blog, has to say about returning to the gym:

Start to regain your previous shape slowly. Gradual recovery gives the body the time it needs to adapt to training. At this time, connective tissues are strengthened and the working potential of the body is restored.

And here are more detailed recommendations for those who want to regain their shape and not get injured.

Moderate expectations

First of all, moderate your expectations - you will not be able to practice as well and efficiently as before the forced break.

The less you expect, the less frustrating it will be when you can't lift your usual weight or choke on the treadmill. And the less frustrating, the more likely you are to come to the gym again.

Determine your recovery period

The recovery period depends on how much you missed. If you haven't checked into the gym for 5-7 days, the loss of muscle mass will be negligible. But if you haven't walked for about two weeks, the recovery period will be much longer.

In general, you can set a rule for yourself in case of a long absence:

The recovery period should be twice as long as no training.

That is, if the absence lasted for two weeks, you will gradually restore the usual intensity of training during the month.

Practice as if you are a beginner

So that this does not upset you too much, remember: your progress will be much more noticeable, and your progress will be faster than that of real beginners.

Reduce the intensity

Raise 50-60% of what you could before the break. Increase the intensity of your workouts gradually so that you do not experience severe muscle pain.

Don't do the whole program

Choose a few exercises (ideally a set of squats, deadlifts, and presses) and do only one set in the first week.

After injury

Give your body plenty of time to recover before starting training after an injury. How do you know when you're ready to return? Coach Lyle MacDonald says:

Wait until you are confident that the injury has passed. And then wait another week.

Lyle recommends doing one set of each exercise, which allows you to gently and painlessly repair damaged muscles.

For example, if your shoulders hurt, do one set of bench press. Next time, try one set of shoulder presses and see how it feels if it's worth continuing or it's too early.

With such a system, you will know which exercises and how many sets can exacerbate the injury, and you can tailor your workouts so as not to harm yourself.

Follow these guidelines and remember: recovering from a long absence from the gym is a marathon, not a sprint.