How to get back to training after a break?

Have you ever felt like you’re behind on your workouts? Maybe you missed a day or two. You were gone for a whole week or more. Maybe you got sick or went on vacation. Either way, you’re not sure how to get back into training. The thought of missing a workout can be daunting.

This is completely understandable, considering how much we hear about the progressive overload principle. I wrote about it in my previous post on the 5 Training Principles . A lot of people talk about consistency and measuring results. Coaches say you need to track your progress each week to see progress. If you’re not increasing your reps or adding weight, you’re not going to make progress.

There is only one “but…”

The reality is very different. Life gets in the way of most people. If you consistently miss a workout, or even a week of training, then you are in the majority of society. If someone has not missed a workout due to illness, travel, or meeting friends, let them cast the first stone. This message of unwavering consistency as the only way to improve fitness can be overwhelming.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting that the concepts of progression and progressive overload are not important. Quite the opposite, they are very important, and I write about that here. Our bodies are highly evolved organisms with a mission. That mission is to find homeostasis, or a tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium.

In other words, our bodies fight change. Both positive and negative change. This is why we can’t ruin our performance overnight by gorging on pizza, but it is also why we can’t build strength without progressive overload. The question is, what do you need more of in your life?

So when does progressive overload fail? When as a concept it prevents you from realizing that not training this Friday or this week won’t actually get you back to zero. Don’t let the trend of constantly making progress paralyze you into making bad decisions when it comes to returning to training.

The right thing to do is get back in the gym and just get the work done without complaining or blaming the downtime.

Do this to get back in shape quickly

When returning to training after a break, it is crucial to focus on the stage you are currently at. A big mistake is to try to quickly “catch up” on weights and progression.

Absolutely do not focus on these things:

How much you lifted last time and what exercise you did last time. Despite people saying that if you don’t increase the load you won’t get stronger.

• Where did you stop in your progression and how do you get back to it. Despite people saying that if you don’t increase the number of reps or sets you won’t build muscle.

• Did you give it 110%. Despite people saying that if you don’t train to your max you’re wasting your time.

• Jeśli wciąż myślisz, że po przerwie od treningów wrócisz do sposobu wykonywania treningu tak jak to robiłeś wcześniej to możesz się rozczarować. Ponadto, taki sposób myślenia może wydłużyć Twój czas powrotu do wcześniejszych obciążeń.

Attempting to continue where you left off may result in:

• Feeling discouraged because you weren’t able to lift the same weights
• Feeling exhausted and overworked, trying to do too much in the first few days after returning
• Risk yourself for injury because you want to go back to the way things were
• Muscle soreness and soreness, which means that subsequent workouts aren’t as effective, and you have to take an extra day or two of rest

Step by step

When getting back on track, our goal is to accumulate “small wins.” If you’ve already asked yourself how to get back into training, you can use 3 principles in your training:

1. Warm up properly – Make this the most important part of your time in the gym. This will help you get moving and mentally prepared for your workout. Remember, we are using this time to improve blood flow, work on range of motion and stability, and ultimately make your workouts more effective and injury-free.
2. Quality of movement first – Your only goal when returning to training after a break is to move with purpose and quality. Technique and form should be the most important thing. No junk reps and nothing so difficult that it interferes with your technique.
3. Prioritize strength training – I often see people take some time off and decide to go to a gym, bootcamp, or start with cardio before returning to strength training. Lifting weights and strength training should always be a priority when you return. We want to wake up the nervous system and signal to our muscles that we are back to work. First, focus on the quality and technique of the movement, and then on the weight, which should be on a scale of 7/10. This will ensure safety and also stimulate our nervous system and muscles. This strategy will give you quick and fruitful results.

If you stick to the above principles, you will soon start to achieve the results of your previous training sessions. This is the final step. After a few days or weeks of prioritizing warm-ups, good quality and technique during strength exercises, you will feel like you did before the break. Now you can go back to gradually increasing the loads according to the training principles.

Back to the diet

If you read carefully what I wrote above, you will quickly understand that returning to a diet is a very similar process to returning to training. The goal is not to immediately and radically change your diet. Instead, you need to focus on “small wins”.

Let’s say you’ve been on a week-long trip with friends, where there was no shortage of alcohol and fast food. You’ve come home, had a good night’s sleep, and want to get back to your eating plan. It may be difficult at first, so I recommend you use the following #backinthegame process:

• Day 1-2: Prioritize protein and include protein portions in every meal
• Day 2-3: Limit your intake of processed foods. Eat at least one serving of vegetables and one serving of fruit.
• Day 3-5: Write down what you eat and count how many calories you consume on a typical day.
• Day 5-7: Plan a detailed meal plan with proper calorie intake and macronutrient distribution

A month of diet and training dereliction may mean that it will take a bit longer to get back on track. The longer the break, the longer the road back. However, gradually introducing habits and dietary “fixes” will give you the confidence that it is doable and you will quickly get back on track.

Summary

So, how do you get back into training? Consistency isn’t measured in days, weeks, or even months. It’s measured in years. A good training program like TFS Enduro is designed to let you jump in and out of at any time. Plus, if you follow the “return to training” principles above, you’ll be building your health and fitness in no time.

Don’t worry too much about everyday mistakes and departures from routine. They happen to all of us. Me too. Focus on the simple things, don’t overcomplicate things, and don’t start too hard. Listen to your body, and you’ll get back on track.