How to return to the gym after a long break. Training after a long break

Physical activity is necessary for every person, and if you for a long time If you haven’t visited the gym, it is advisable to take the right steps towards restoring your body. Wanting to renew physical fitness, to regain lost physical shape and health, you are probably interested in the question - how to return to the gym after long break? Next, we will talk about the measures recommended by professionals to obtain excellent results.

Impact of a break on physical health

There are many reasons why regular workouts in the fitness room were interrupted: vacation, business trip, birth of a child, illness, etc. One of the key circumstances is the duration of the break. Recommendations from experienced experts will help you return your body to working condition and get used to physical activity again.

Training and physical activity improve the functioning of internal organs, increase physical endurance and the body's resistance to infections. Oxygen absorption deteriorates, which is also not recommended. At certain time intervals, the state of the body will be characterized by the following manifestations:

  1. The break was several weeks. Cardiovascular and respiratory system They work worse, while they have enough strength. Endurance levels are still high
  2. 1 year. Cardio exercises will be 15% more difficult, and the strength parameters of your body will be reduced by half, and this is the minimum indicator
  3. Years have passed. We'll have to start from the very beginning. If you previously had good results and were in appropriate physical condition, then recovery will be faster and more effective.

The new program is selected depending on the reason why you had to give up the fitness room for a while. The duration of the break is also of great importance when creating a training program. Below we will consider the correct actions for each case.

Video: DOCTOR / BODYBUILDER - how to train after rest.

2-3 weeks

Such gaps often occur due to illness. Don’t assume that a period of several weeks without training has cost your body nothing, and you can immediately begin intense exercise. It is important to understand that most diseases, including bronchitis, colds or poisoning, lead to intoxication of the body. Other consequences include loss of fluid and disruption of water-salt metabolism. Muscles receive less oxygen and nutrients. As a result, the usual loads and jogging are more difficult.

What to do?

After an illness, the body is weakened, and it takes a couple of weeks to restore the immune system. During the recovery period, you should indulge in fruits, freshly squeezed juices, prepare and drink homemade fruit drinks. Normalize water-salt balance Mineral water helps. Start training only when you are fully recovered. Forget about high intensity loads in the next two weeks. Also, you should not visit the sauna for the first time. Be attentive to your health, monitor your body’s reaction to physical activity!

2-6 months

Perhaps you changed your place of residence, moving to another city or district of the city, or you were injured and took a long time to recover. These reasons are most common during such a period without fitness. You probably think that you can run a few kilometers and do aerobics. In fact, already in the first weeks without training it decreases muscular endurance, strength is lost, while the indicators remain high. After an injury, it is worth resorting to rehabilitation exercises.

Exit

If the reason for the forced break was an injury, it is advisable to come up with a rehabilitation program. It will be better if you include in the selection of a training program professional trainer or a doctor. If you have been away from fitness for some time not because of an injury, start calmly training according to your usual program. The key word is calm. You should not work according to a schedule, maintaining the same intensity: run the same distances, but at a reduced speed. The exercises will need to be done with half the weight used previously.

Also listen to your body. If you feel tired, take a break and rest. Feeling completely out of shape? Walk on a treadmill for two weeks, gradually increasing the pace. It often takes from a year to a year and a half to restore the body.

Helpful advice: during a forced break, it is recommended to save a couple of cardio and one physical training in Week.

More than 1 year

Such a break is typical for representatives of the fair sex who have given birth to a child. You most likely needed 1 year to set aside time for training and resume physical activity. During pregnancy, many expectant mothers engage in water aerobics and gymnastics, which is why the question often arises: “Why can’t I train like before?”

How to proceed?

In fact, you will need to start working again, since prenatal stress is minimal and serves solely as a preparatory measure for childbirth. As a result, physical condition is lost, and you have to start from scratch. It is recommended to start with fitness testing. It is possible that during pregnancy your body experienced disruptions or problems, and therefore it is advisable to consult a doctor. There is a possibility that the previous loads and the usual schedule of physical exercises will be impossible.

Start aerobic training and light exercise, thanks to which you will be able to reduce overweight, improve the functioning of the heart. Often, during long breaks, the cardiovascular system suffers first, which is why you are not able to perform even 20 squats without shortness of breath. In the first weeks, it is recommended to walk on a treadmill - 2-3 sets of 20 minutes each. Next, increase the duration of your walk to 30 minutes and add stretching exercises.

Go to Gym after a month after retesting. After returning to normal activities, get help personal trainer: the specialist will draw up a training program, indicate correct technique. Even if you've missed more than a year since your last workout, you will be able to get back into shape and push yourself physical exercise after 2-3 months.

If you don't have time to go to the gym several times a week, exercise at home. Try strength training and stretching. The cardiovascular system can only be adjusted in gym. Walking with a stroller is considered useful, but remains a walk. Therefore, it is better to use a treadmill, with which you can maintain a certain pace.

Some years

For some reason you were forced to quit training. You think that returning to the pace and load is a piece of cake, but this is not so. Of course, it is easier for you to start fitness training than for someone who has never exercised at all. Over the course of several years, your body has become unaccustomed to physical activity. An exercise program designed for a young athletic student is not suitable for a person who leads a sedentary lifestyle and also has osteochondrosis or chronic bronchitis.

Your actions

Forget the past too sporting achievements in the field of sports. Muscle memory will definitely remember previously mastered exercises, which is clearly visible in the example of rollerblading and cycling. If there has been a significant break in your training regime in your life, start with your usual exercises. Take a fitness test and, based on the results, choose the appropriate level of exercise.

Fill the training process with a large number of exercises, while the number of approaches will need to be reduced. In case of strength exercises 3 approaches will be enough for the muscles to adapt to the load. Pumping more muscles, you will be able to work out the entire muscular system faster. There should be one exercise for each muscle group. IN otherwise there is a possibility of muscle overload, as a result of which the next workout will not be fruitful.

A small or large number of repetitions is undesirable. Also professional athletes It is recommended to leave a reserve for each approach. You shouldn’t exhaust yourself to the limit - you won’t be able to achieve records, and your muscles will most likely become very sore. Starting with your first workout, perform basic exercises, which include presses, squats, and deadlifts. After a long break, you will need to reconsider the exercise technique. Pay more attention to the warm-up before training process.

In any case, after a long break between workouts, it is highly undesirable to overload the body with physical exercise. Significant loads will only do harm in an effort to restore physical condition. Create a workout schedule with experienced trainer and a doctor.

I think that each of you, for some reason, was forced to do break in the training process. For example, during vacation, as well as for reasons injuries or illness. But sooner or later you need to return to training. After a break, almost every athlete strives to get to his previous strength indicators too quickly, which ends overtraining or injuries. The question is how to do this correctly?

What happens to the body after a break

Regardless of the reasons, if the break lasted more than two weeks, you need to know what is happening to your body during this time. When there is no load, his work changes, and these changes must be taken into account when resuming training. As sad as it may be, power is decreasing at a catastrophic rate.

The level of strength loss different people different, but on average it is 40% after two weeks. Not only do maximum performance in some movements drop, but the overall level of strength decreases. Therefore, you return to the gym much weaker than before, and cannot train with the same intensity as before the break. Recovery is much slower and muscle pain lasts longer.

In many ways, your physical condition is very similar to when you first started training. The main difference is that you know what to do and how to do it. But even so, some people do much more long steps than when they first came to the hall. If your main lift scores were quite high before the break, you are very concerned about how to get there faster. For example, someone who has been bench pressing 160kg for a whole year will be very upset to find out that after a break he can only bench press 150kg. He simply cannot accept this and rushes into training like crazy, doing too much. He will overtrain, but he will be adamant. Finally, shoulder pain will force him to stop pressing for another two weeks, and the result will drop to 130 kg.

Our body is a balanced, well-coordinated mechanism that constantly strives to save energy to maintain vital functions. Through training we develop muscle mass, which means exactly muscle becomes the most energy-consuming organ of our body. During a break from exercise, the body tends to reduce the amount energy consumed by the muscles. Gradually decreases endurance our body, then muscle mass begins to decrease due to lack of energy, at the last stage the level of strength potential begins to decrease.

Many are sure that a great loss of shape can only happen to those who were irresponsible in their training, ate the wrong way, and the like. But in fact, even a competently trained bodybuilder who took a responsible approach to the issue of nutrition can lose on average 40-60% of those during a year's break. physical qualities which I was able to acquire thanks to training. Of course, in about 2-3 months, a bodybuilder can return to his previous shape, but this will only happen at a young age. For a 40-year-old athlete, getting back into shape will be a much more difficult and sometimes unattainable task.

Neuromuscular memory

Nervously- muscle memory allows the body to restore the body's endurance. Gradually, the body begins to produce the amount of ATP that previously allowed it to train for a long time and achieve good results In sports. At the same time, the body seems to awaken from hibernation and begins to produce an increased amount of energy, all its processes are accelerated, even the number of capillaries increases to improve blood supply to muscle tissue.

Since the muscle tissue now receives plenty of energy and oxygen, recovery mechanisms gradually come into play. After some time, the previously existing muscle mass is completely restored.

conclusions

  • Taking time off from training can be very beneficial if you plan your return carefully. Otherwise, you may make life very difficult for yourself.
  • When you return to the gym, your body is not ready for hard work to the same extent as before the break. Slow progress allows him to change and adapt. You have to get your routine and diet back on track before your results start to improve.
  • Thanks to the break, you have a reserve of energy when you return to the gym. However, it is unwise to dive headfirst into training. Start with the beginner program or something similar. Be patient and reasonable, and always remember to move forward slowly. If you stick to this approach, especially in the first - most important - week, you will begin to smoothly move towards the highest levels of fitness
  • Never be afraid to take a break from training. Consider your body as fireproof capital that you have temporarily frozen in your bank account. Of course, at first you will lose some percentage of your savings, but by returning your capital to circulation, you will restore it completely
  • If you already have the opportunity to return to training, do not hesitate and return. Of course, it is best to find yourself a professional trainer who will help you competently return to work and short terms restore your previous shape

Training program after the break

Course No. 1. This is how you need to train for the first 2 weeks. The workouts follow each other every other day.

Exercises Sets Repetitions
Tuesday
Bench press 4 10
Head Pull 4 10
Seated dumbbell press 4 10
Standing barbell row to the chin 3 10
Close grip bench press 3 10
Seated biceps curl 3 10
Thursday
Squats 4 12
Deadlift on straight legs 4 12
Hanging leg raises 4 25
Incline sit-ups 4 Max.
Hyperextension 4 15

Course No. 2. This split system is designed for 3-4 weeks.

Exercises Sets Repetitions
Monday
Incline Bench Press 4 8-12
Lying dumbbell flyes 4 8-10
Standing barbell press 4 10
Standing dumbbell lateral raises 3 10
Shrugs 3 10
Extension of arms on a block 4 10
Push-ups (triceps) 3 10
Wednesday
Pull-ups 4 8-12
Bent-over barbell row 3 8-10
Barbell curl 4 8-10
Seated biceps curls 3 10
Wrist curls (for forearms) 3 12
Raises with rotation 4 Max.
Leg raises 4 Max.
Friday
Squats 4 10-12
Leg Curls 4 10
Lunges 3 15
Calf raises 4 10
Seated calf raise 3 10-12

After long break. Now, in order not to break down and quit this idea, you need a plan that will help you adapt physically and psychologically!

Walter Thompson, an exercise physiologist at the University of Georgia, studied what happens to the body during a break and what to expect when you decide to start exercising again. Good news is that in any case you will be able to return to your previous level and become stronger, faster and more resilient. The main thing is to do it correctly to avoid injury.

Stopping training or using loads that are not capable of maintaining the achieved level leads to deadaptation - a process that is the opposite of adaptation.

Deadaptation is the body’s remarkable ability to use released resources in other body systems. That is, resources are taken from where they are no longer used, to where the building material is most needed.

How did the break affect your fitness?

There are no formulas that would allow you to calculate exactly how much you have lost and how long it will take you to recover, but there are studies based on which you can at least estimate the general picture.

  • If your break was several weeks, your respiratory and cardiovascular systems will lose a few points, while your strength will remain unchanged.
  • If the break was a year, but before that you were in good physical shape, cardio exercise will be 15% more difficult for you, power characteristics will fall by at least half.
  • If your break was measured in years, most likely you will have to start from scratch. But you will make progress faster than people who did not exercise at all.

Your new workout plan will depend on why you quit and what happened to your body during that time.

If you had to stop due to injury, you must be sure that you have fully recovered. Therefore, you must definitely visit a doctor. A physical therapist will be able to tell you about the overall health of your muscles, point out imbalances and identify weaknesses.

If the break was taken due to a new family or a busy work schedule (you devoted all your time to a new project), you need to understand how you can find time for proper sleep and nutrition so that psychological and physical problems do not arise in the future.

Recovery speed

If your break was only a few weeks (holidays or vacation), just a couple of light workouts will be enough to recover and you will be back in shape.

But what if you haven’t worked out for a year or more? If you've been going to the gym, Thompson recommends starting with half or a third of the weight you were lifting a year ago, and after a few weeks, try your standard pounds. Recovery usually takes 1–2 months.

As for sports that require endurance (cycling, triathlon, etc.), the intensity will also have to be reduced. In this case, Thompson advises starting with long walks, then moving on to interval running with walking breaks or jogging at a very low pace. The distance in this case does not matter.

If after two months you have not returned to your previous form, then you need to reconsider training program, and even better - find good coach, who will compile it for you, based on your physical condition and capabilities.

What to do if you have to take a break again

Things happen in life, and we cannot guarantee that we will never take such a long break again. The main rule is not to give up physical activity fully. Let it be walks or light workouts for 10-15 minutes a day, but they must be in your schedule!

Fortunately, you can now find a huge amount short workouts, both strength and interval. And if you can arrange such mini-trainings for yourself, then it will be much easier for you to return to your previous physical shape. And psychological adaptation will be easier than if you completely give up sports.

By training at 25–30% of your previous levels, you can maintain your shape for two to three months.

On average, the adaptation time after reduced physical activity (you left and did not have the opportunity to train fully) is 2 weeks.


Many athletes know how difficult it is to return to sports, especially if the break was quite long. Having left the sport for several weeks, and sometimes even months, we can no longer imagine how to start all over again. The body reacts with furious resistance to the load, creaks and groans, so after the first trip to the gym we decide that it was abandoned, if not of our own free will, then quite reasonably.

Because of this, many people lose their shape, which is fraught with unpleasant consequences in the future. So is training after a break justified, is it worth thinking about it at all and how to get back on track? These and related issues will be discussed in our current article.

The reasons for a break in classes can be very different. A deterrent may be a previous injury or surgery, a trip on vacation or travel, a move to another place of residence, and much more. However, the results are usually the same if the break is more than two weeks. What happens to the body when you give up sports, and why can’t you start training in the same mode as before?

After just fourteen days, the athlete loses about forty percent of his previous strength and endurance. At the same time, almost all indicators fall. That is, even the most resilient and powerful athlete returns to the gym after a break much weaker, again unprepared. In this case, muscle pain usually becomes stronger and goes away more slowly, and recovery processes are inhibited.

What happens when you don't exercise


Human organism - a complex system, which diligently saves energy reserves to maintain basic physiological functions. By actively training, we build muscle mass. That is, it becomes the main “consumer” of energy. When training is suspended for some reason, the body reduces the supply of energy resources to the muscles. This leads first to a decrease in the level of endurance, and then strength decreases. After this, even the tissues themselves begin to decrease in size - the body gets rid of excessive energy consumption for their maintenance.

Some argue that catastrophic loss of shape up to 45-65% of the former muscle mass, can only comprehend those who exercised incorrectly, ate an unbalanced diet and did not lead healthy image life. However, such indicators can await even an experienced bodybuilder, subject to a one-year break from training. In this case, it will take at least two, and sometimes three months to regain its former strength. But why do you need such a long period of recovery and why can it be delayed even more with age?

Why adaptation is needed

The body has neuromuscular memory, which allows those who have previously engaged in sports to recover faster. After the start of training, the body begins to produce adenosine triphosphate (Adenosine triphosphate, ATP) in the same quantities as during previous active training. The body seems to awaken, remembers all past achievements, blood supply to the muscles improves. But this process does not happen instantly; it takes some time.

If possible, it is better not to take long breaks from training. However, a properly planned return to the cohort of athletes will allow the body to make new round in its development. The main thing is not to overload it so that it does not occur. The slow process of returning to the training process will allow all body systems to adapt gradually, get used to the loads, “realize” them, take them for granted.

  • If there is a break in training for a couple of weeks, only the “breathing” will suffer and the cardiovascular system. At the same time, endurance and strength, if we are not talking about injury, will most likely remain in the same positions.
  • If the break in training lasted a year, but you are an experienced athlete with good training in the past, then strength will drop by 45-50 percent, and endurance by 15-25%.
  • When the break between the last workout and the new one has already been several years, or even worse, dozens, then you will have to start from absolute zero. However, you shouldn’t be too upset, because you will be able to reach new milestones faster than those who have never played sports before.

What your workout in the gym will be like after a long break largely depends on the reasons for which you quit the sport. For example, if this happened due to an injury, then you need to make sure that the body has fully recovered. In any case, it is worth starting to plan future activities. If you cannot organically fit training into your busy schedule, then soon it will become more of a boring chore for you, interfering with your life and work. This should not be allowed, because sport should bring satisfaction, and for this it is better to join the process gradually and meaningfully.

Basic rules for returning: where to start training after a long break


Getting ready to get back to normal sports loads, it doesn’t hurt to prepare thoroughly. For example, make sure that all injuries are healed and obstacles to exercise are eliminated. To do this, it won’t hurt to go to the doctor so that he can conduct the necessary tests, studies and analyses. This is the only way to be completely sure that you can put in some effort in the gym. But these are not all the rules that you will have to strictly follow when trying to regain your previous shape.

Warm-up and cool-down: the basics

It is necessary to take into account that your ligaments have lost their elasticity during the forced or voluntary break in classes. The joints are not as mobile and the muscles are not as strong. All this needs to be understood, especially in the first weeks of classes. Special attention It is worth paying attention to stretching exercises that will bring the ligaments and joints back to normal.

During training, the body is constantly under stress, especially if it is unprepared. Therefore, it is very important to perform a number of exercises for the so-called. Various toxins are released that the body must eliminate in order to fully recover. This will at the same time prevent the harmful effects of lactic acid and pain from microtrauma in the muscles, which is collectively called sore throat.

Graduality is paramount

You can’t rush back to the training regimen you practiced before the break. This will not only be wrong, but even dangerous to health. If you previously trained four to five times a week, you will have to reduce your training to two or three at first. If this is difficult, you can start with walking, cycling and other things in “light” mode.

You also need to increase the load and weight during training not suddenly, but gradually. Please note that if earlier you easily lifted 160 kilograms in the bench press, then after two weeks of forced calm, it is better to start with 150, and a month later, even more so with 130.

Exercise technique


This is a very important question, because with the wrong technique, you can cause damage to the body. more harm than good. Returning to the gym a year later, it’s not at all surprising to forget how to perform this or that movement. Therefore, you need to make an effort, remember the basics with which you once started, and also discard the tricks previously used to make the task easier. After all, for a prepared person, they can be acceptable, but for those who have not gone to the gym for a long time, they can be dangerous.

If nothing useful comes to mind at all, but it happens in different ways, then there is an easier method to remember the correct technique. To do this you just need to select and . An experienced specialist will develop the right plan and a training program, taking into account individual characteristics and wishes. Starting with a coach, even one who considered himself an experienced athlete, is quite normal. There is nothing shameful about this, there are only advantages, except for the cost of paying for his labor. But this is a secondary issue, indirectly related to sports.

Performing basic exercises

Athletes who have been practicing for a long time “sin” by leaving behind. But this is the wrong approach, because this is the basis that keeps your body in shape. After returning to the gym, all these movements (squats, deadlift, bench press, push-ups, sprints) must be included in the program. This will trigger the necessary processes in the body, allowing it to return to normal faster, training more muscles.

Don't rush into sports nutrition


Due to the forced break in training, athletes stop at the same time, which is absolutely true. Without physical activity, it will not bring anything good, although with it it can provide much more significant results. After a break, it is better to abandon the use of such drugs, and even more so, the achievements of pharmacology.

At first, it is better to provide yourself with a good training schedule, intensity of training, quality rest and balanced proper nutrition. Just one and a half to two months will be enough for the body to completely get into the rhythm and get used to the loads and routine. Then you can think again about sports nutrition, proteins and other “troubles”.

Work on all muscle groups

During the break, the tissues completely wean themselves from stress. Therefore, immediately launching a massive “attack” on everything at once would be wrong. It is enough to work out each individual muscle with one exercise, if possible - the best solution. If you load the same muscles with numerous different exercises, then the sore throat will simply not let you sleep at night.

Average number of repetitions

The working range for a beginner is 6-12 repetitions of the same exercise in one approach. This should be followed by those who have returned to exercise after a long period of relaxation. If you reduce this number to 2-6, then it will not give you anything, and if you increase it to 10-20, then you can overdo it. The body is going through a recovery process, this must be remembered, so try to stick to the average, which will be the most effective.

More exercises, fewer reps


Another sensible one, very helpful advice. The main task of the athlete after a break and return to training is to quickly, as painlessly as possible, restore his former form. At the same time, it is necessary for each muscle of the body to “remember” its work, strength, and endurance.” To achieve this, it doesn't hurt to provide variety. Remember, it is better to do ten exercises of two sets than two exercises of ten sets.

Minimum weights and not working to failure

Don't tear your tendons using maximum weights as before the break. This will only bring unbearable pain, possible damage to ligaments and joints, and muscle tears. Be smart and cut your quota in half to start. For three, or better yet four weeks, you need to continue to work in this gentle mode. This will allow your body to get used to it, because you won’t be able to take your previous records in stride; you’ll have to come to terms with it by devoting time to work.

Mood for new achievements

Many people do not understand how important positive thinking, as it is commonly called today, is. Previously, this was considered a good attitude, the will to win, the desire to fight, to reach the top. However, there is no big difference, the main thing here is not to go to training, as if to hard labor, because it is necessary or someone likes it.

Only armed with your own enthusiasm, good mood With self-confidence, you can achieve new heights. Set yourself achievable goals and slowly but surely move towards them. The reality of their implementation, the proximity and tangible results will bring much more satisfaction and will give strength to move on.

Training program after a long break


In order to comfortably return to the training environment, it doesn’t hurt to create a program that will guide you further. To do this, it won’t hurt to first figure out which movements will be the most suitable to start with.

Best exercises

  • Leg press and leg extension in the simulator.
  • Squats.
  • Push ups.
  • Pull-ups.
  • Side crunches.
  • Leg abduction and abduction in the simulator.
  • Deadlift.
  • Horizontal thrust.
  • Sprint, run.
  • Jumping rope.
  • Stretching exercises.
  • Lunges are simple and with modifications.
  • Calf raises.
  • Crunches with bent knees.
  • Press.
  • Hyperextension.

Approximate strength program for a guy or girl for a week


Monday: anterior deltoid and pectoral muscles

  • Bench press - 2-4 sets (6-12 reps).
  • Arnold press - 2-4 sets.
  • Angled dumbbell press - 1-2 sets (10-15 reps).
  • Lifting dumbbells in front of you for 2-4 approaches.
  • Hanging leg raises - 1-3 approaches.
  • Hyperextension - 2-4 approaches.

Wednesday: deltoids and back

  • Bent-over barbell rows - 2-4 sets (6-12 reps).
  • Traction upper block- 2-4 approaches.
  • Dumbbell rows - 2-4 sets.
  • Barbell row to the chin - 2-4 approaches.
  • Bench barbell row - 24 sets.
  • Hyperextension - 2-4 sets (15 repetitions).

Friday: thighs, legs and chest

  • Romanian deadlift - 2-4 sets (12 reps).
  • Weighted squats (barbell) - 2-4 sets (15 reps).
  • Leg press - 2-4 sets.
  • Dips - 24 sets.
  • Pullover - 2-4 approaches.
  • Cable crunches - 2-4 sets (20 reps).

Mode and frequency

Experienced trainers say that the recovery process after a long break will be equal to exactly half of this time of inactivity. That is, if you haven’t “carried iron” for two weeks, then in just seven days you’ll get in shape. But if you haven’t made any effort for six months, then you’ll have to be patient and slowly recover for three months.

As already mentioned, you need to return to the gym gradually. Therefore, two or three classes a week will be quite enough. Alternatively, if you are very out of shape, you can replace the preparatory workouts with cardio exercises for 25-45 minutes every other day or two.

It won’t hurt to start your strength training with a light jog; even a few laps around the gym will do. It would be nice to jump. It is optimal to do one or two approaches at a time, while increasing the variety of the movements themselves. The number of movements in the approach will have to be adjusted experimentally so that it is not at the “limit of possibilities”, but the load is actually felt.

Unfortunately, we are not always able to exercise regularly - work, study, family and a number of others. important issues often leave their mark on the regularity of visiting the hall. It is clear that you need to strive for more competent planning and not skip training, but what to do if a break in training has already occurred and it has become quite long? I will talk about this in our article today.

Where to begin?

First of all, with the understanding that all your past results are in the past and there is no point in trying to repeat them in today's conditions. Of course, muscle memory will make itself felt and with subsequent regular training you will quickly catch up, but this will not happen immediately. Therefore, first of all, you need to abstract from past results and start working out as if you came to the gym for the first time. This is a very important rule that almost no one ever follows. Meanwhile, it is precisely this that significantly reduces the time it takes to return to your usual physical form.

Principles of training after a long break

  • Deep warm-up. Before starting the main workout, spend 20-30 minutes warming up the main muscle groups and the cardiovascular system. Using light aerobic exercise is also great. This will bring the body into a state of readiness, increase the effectiveness of training and significantly reduce the risk of injury.
  • Training all muscles. After a long pause in training, it is optimal to use programs for everything muscle groups, For example, . It's not as heavy as the usual ones strength programs However, it allows you to quickly bring the muscles into working condition. Use circuit training for 1-2 weeks.
  • Training without failure. Classic bodybuilding training involves training to failure, but after a long break this technique should be eliminated for a while. The fact is that neither muscles, nor cardio, nor nervous system are not ready to give their all and demonstrate their maximum potential, and therefore failure training can become too stressful for the body, which will significantly slow down the time it takes to reach its usual shape.
  • Refusal sports nutrition and pharma. During the first time (2-4 weeks) of training after a long pause, the intake of sports nutrition and pharmaceuticals must be completely eliminated, since there is no point in this. And although training during this period may be difficult for you, this difficulty is relative, since the muscles and nervous system do not work at full strength.
  • At the core – basic exercises . Try to use mainly basic exercises with free and. Don't use too much isolation or training equipment. This will allow you to quickly get back into shape and significantly increase the effectiveness of your training.
  • Don't get overwhelmed. In the first 1-2 weeks, try to use minimal weights and a small amount of exercise. Otherwise, severe damage muscle fibers and, as a result, muscle pain will not allow you to work normally in your next workout.

How to quickly expect results?

How quickly you return to your previous form depends on the length of your break (the longer you haven't exercised, the longer it will take to recover and get into shape) and on the regularity and correctness of subsequent training. As a rule, it takes half the time to get into optimal shape and work with the usual weights than the duration of the break. That is, if you haven’t worked out for a month, then you will need at least 2 weeks to reach your usual level. It is clear that everything depends on the individual characteristics of the body, age, lifestyle and a number of other factors, but these numbers can be used as a guide.