Rip the Band-Aid
It’s that time of the year again…
September.
Typically the month that many of us get back to our fitness routine … potentially after a little break or time off.
I just got back from a family trip that was jam packed with travel in Sothern California.
No complaints cuz it was fun… but I barely had time to squeeze in a workout even if I wanted to (although I did manage a 5k run after a hefty dose of procrastination)
Cuz the less we do, the less we wanna do… am I right?
Anyhow, I’m back home and of course, my training routine was one of the first things I wanted to get back into.
Sort of.
Ripping the Band-aid
One of the toughest parts about taking time off is starting back up again.
Cuz you know it’s likely gonna suck.
At least it does for me.
I know I’ll feel “weaker”, likely more winded and generally struggle more than I did the weeks prior to my hiatus.
So, yesterday, when I trained in my basement, my thoughts were many! Some of which were “this is so hard” and “just get through it Lisa” to “rip the Band-aid and you’ll be fine!”
So how exactly do you get back to training… without feeling discouraged, beat up or frustrated.
Here’s how I adjust my training when I get started back up again…
Lighter Loads: I generally decrease my weights. I don’t even an attempt to lift as heavy since I know that will only cause far too much soreness that will potentially hold me back (when my goal is to move forward).
Fewer Sets: I may only do 2 sets instead of 3. This decrease in volume allows my body to re-adapt to the movement pattern without as much intensity. Scaling back here means less fatigue which again works in my favor in this “re-introduction” week.
Longer Rest Periods: Here too I allow my body more rest between sets so my body is able to perform better after each set of work. Also because my heart rate tends to be higher during a working set since my cardio capacity decreases if I don’t train. So more rest means more time for my heart rate to return to baseline.
Decrease my RPE: Rate of perceived exertion is my gauge on how much effort and intensity I’m pushing in a given set. When I typically try to hit around an 8 on 10, my goal the first week back is closer to a 5 or 6. Definitely conserving my energy… so I can continue to train the rest of the week.
The first week back from training requires a different mindset… one that has the wisdom to know that pulling back the band-aid isn’t always fun but doesn’t have to be, nor should be painful!
There is absolutely no need to go “hard” the first week back after a few weeks off. In fact, it can lead to DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) that can keep you from training the rest of the week.
Definitely not the goal here!
Also, I try to pay extra attention to sleep coupled with dialed in nutrition to make the return to gym life that much better as well since recovery can potentially take a little longer than usual.
So that’s it… getting back to training doesn’t have to suck!
Scale back for a week and give your body time to re-adjust as needed.
Understand also that the longer the hiatus (2 weeks vs 2 months), the longer the “re-introduction” period. In my case, I was away for less than 2 weeks, so one week will be enough to get me back up and running. But if I had a longer hiatus, I’d definitely need more time to get my muscles re-adapted to training.
Hope these tips help you if you are getting back to training too!
Coach Lisa 💪❤
