In this week's podcast, Episode 116 - Returning to the Gym, we discussed the
programming considerations for getting back to training after a layoff. In this post, I would like to summarise some of the key guidelines worth considering.
Firstly, there are two primary goals as you plan your training at this time:
1) Minimise risk of injury and/or excessive soreness.
2) Potentiate your return to previous levels of fitness/strength/muscle mass.
Therefore, what we want to be able to do is start conservatively with training and gradually build the programme up over the first few weeks. Here are some simple rules of thumb to make that happen:
1) Reduce your volume (total sets) to 60-70% of your pre-lockdown volume.
2) Reduce your effort / relative intensity per set to ~ 2-4 reps in reserve (RIR) on all sets.
3) When choosing exercises that challenge muscles in their lengthened position (e.g. RDL, Seated Leg Curl, DB Chest Fly, DB Pullover, etc.), be a little more conservative with both volume and intensity.
4) Over a 4 week training block, add sets to each workout with the intent of building back to your previous level of training volume.
5) Spread your training volume per muscle / movement across 2-3 sessions, rather than doing a single "leg day" or "chest day" in which you perform all of your weekly sets.
These are some simply rules of thumb, but there is a lot more that we discuss in the podcast. So, if you'd like to hear these points elaborated on with more nuances for different situations, be sure to check out the podcast.
Until next time, keep it 2ez...
