How do you restart your training back in the gym?

2020 has been a disruptive year to say the least.

It has, in one fell swoop, derailed entire industries, steadfast institutions and sent the global economy into disarray

So if your health and fitness goals have taken a bit of a backseat thus far? Don’t be so hard on yourself- there’s a bigger picture at play here

At the time of writing, we're two weeks away from gyms reopening in the UK (including the very exciting relaunch of our Personal Training Studio in Milton Keynes). Which means there’s a lot of people squeezing themselves into lycra leggings, brushing the dust off their gym bag, and beginning their fitness journey once more

​The thing is though? Where do you start?

There is a right, and a wrong way to approach this, after the global “reset” button has been hit, and everyone's gym loyalty cards have been stamp-less for months

In this blog? We’ll make sure you’re equipped to chose the former- rather than ending up over (or under)-doing it, and being frustratingly in no better shape in 3 months time

(oh, and a side note in case this fabulous write up transcends generations and you’re reading this in 2042. I’m hoping it wasn’t another plague that’s stopped you from training, however the tips to restart training remain the same regardless of whether it’s been government restrictions limiting your access to the gym, or any number of other "life-things" that momentarily shafted your fitness aspirations) 

Step One: Plan Your GYM Schedule Realistically

Planning is the fun part, right? Putting aside time each week to complete 10 spin classes, sunrise yoga every weekday and a further 5 weight sessions?

Yes, the planning involves all of the envisioning of the compliments you’ll get for your commitment, and that overwhelming feeling of accomplishment you'll feel whilst sliding into that pair of jeans that’s been eluding you since 2015

Planning also however, is that part that requires the least amount of physical effort. Therefore it’s easy (especially if you’re far removed from the memory of just how hard training can be), to expect a little more from your future self than the effort that future self will be willing to put in

The big, non-sexy word of the game is “adherence”. The fanciest plans mean nothing if you aren’t going to stick with them. 

This is one of the processes we go through with our Clients in our Personal Training Studio in Milton Keynes...

Think of your lifestyle like a scale. On the one end you’ve got a version of you that sits on the sofa eating big macs & Oreos all day and averages 27 steps purely due to bathroom breaks

On the other end, you’ve got the version of you that trains 30 hours a week, and consumes only foods that's been meticulously measured to hit an precise macro split at the exact right time of the day

Either end is pretty miserable

Looking at where you realistically are right now, and moving yourself along say, 10-20%, by adding in 2 or 3 training sessions a week? Is a much more realistic start than trying to stick to the schedule of an olympic athlete when you’re also trying to work a full time job and be more than a vague presence for your family

Schedule the hours you’ll be able to commit to, place those times in your calendar and treat them as though they’re doctors appointments you can’t get out of, and then go from there

Step Two: Ease Into It

When I was 21 years old and living in a small town about 3 hours south of Perth in Western Australia, I put my back out deadlifting

It wasn’t the heaviest weight I’d ever lifted, in fact, far from it

I set up just as I usually did, worked up in weight set to set, and everything actually felt alright. Until the next day, where I had to wake up at 5.30am to go and work in the vineyard we were assigned to in order to get granted our second year visa (they were very different times)

That day, and the following 5, were not fun

And were made worse by the fact our role was paid by the vine (meaning we got say, 10 cents for every single one we chopped & cleared).

I didn’t earn too much money that week.

You see what I may have failed to mention, or in fact think about in my young, 21 year old egotistical mind- was that for 3 months leading up to that deadlift? I’d been drinking copious amounts of questionable fluorescent alcohol out of buckets and making poor life choices in South East Asia on a daily basis 

I hadn’t even thought of deadlifting for over 90 days when I then decided to saunter over and lift a weight that I’d have scoffed at... back when I was training 5 times a week, getting good amounts of sleep, calories and protein, and wasn’t hydrating exclusively with beverages that had a minimum of 5% alcohol content

Whilst there’s a good chance your time away from the gym hasn’t been as health-neglecting as mine was, the fact still remains 

Trying to go back in and lift with the same intensity you left off with will, at best results in you getting insanely sore, discouraged, and negatively impact your ability to recovery and get into a solid training routine

and at worst cause an injury that means you have another 90-odd days off training

(This is true still if you've never had that training routine to start with- yes the Rocks instagram is inspirational, but for day one? You really don't need to be the "hardest working in the room". Just getting into the room is a victory)

Generally speaking, you’ll want to hit a muscle group somewhere around or above 10 times over the course of a training week (split over 2-4 workouts)

and you’ll want to get within 1-4 reps shy of failure on those lifts 

when you’re restarting (or starting for the first time)? Cut those numbers in half. Aim to hit maybe 5 total working sets a week, and leave 4-6 reps in the tank for your first 7 days back

slowly increasing volume and intensity (more working sets, fewer reps in reserve by the end of the working set) week to week, until you’re at a high intensity after 3-6 weeks

It might feel like you’re taking it too easy on yourself but remember, 3-6 weeks in the context of your training lifetime is nothing. And tackling the introduction to training in a non-meathead manner this way? Sets you up to avoid injuries, improve week to week and month to month, and actually get a return in terms of physique improvements, rather than just physique pain

Step Three: Anticipate hiccups

This process will not always be perfect

In fact I’m writing this having missed one of my workouts last week due to spending Saturday putting down some new flooring in the brand new Small Group coaching Studio

But does skipping that one session mean I throw in the towel entirely and give up training?

Of course not. Even the best laid plans, with a realistic schedule and an intent to ease into training can be set off course if you’ve suddenly had a work deadline thrust upon you, or a kid that’s home from school sick and needs looking after

The issue with looking at social media-athletes for inspiration is the misconception that you too should be 100% committed to the "#fitnesslife" all day every day too. 

But the fact is? It’s highly unlikely training is your job

Let’s say you plan for 3 sessions per week, and you stick with it religiously for 3 months solid. That’s 36 training sessions.

Then in week 13 your families coming over to stay, and you can only get into the gym twice

It frustrates you, as you’ve built some solid momentum, and it feels like you’re going to lose it all.

That one missed session carries over to the next, then the next, because hey, “why bother” right? You’ve already lost the progress you’ve made

Except you haven’t.

Giving up at that stage will mean you’ll have hit 38 sessions over a 12 month window. However if you shrug it off and continue on the plan from Monday? And accept that maybe you’ll have to have 2 weeks off entirely when you’re on holiday, and maybe have a few weeks where you only get in once a week when deadlines at work at tight

You’ll hit maybe, 110/156 sessions for the year

Who, between the guy that got 36 sessions, and the one that got 110, do you think will be getting more compliments this time next year? Who do you think will be the one shopping for new work trousers as his have become too snug, and who will be the one that isn’t shying away from the camera on holiday?

100% consistency is a myth that few people in the real world achieve. Being forgiving to yourself will pay far greater dividends over your lifetime of training (which, if you listen to point one and two? Will be for a very long time)

In Conclusion

Too many people see taking their fitness & health seriously as a “all or nothing” pursuit. They look at fitness models on the ‘gram, flaunting their 24/7 training and tupperware lifestyle and think if that’s not their reality then they’ve failed

The truth is training, and making smart nutrition choices (that don’t ban pizza or beer) can be a part of your life, rather than all of it

And it’s that approach that allows for the longest term health transformations, and starts by taking onboard the 3 steps of restarting (or starting for first time) your journey above

And if you work on live in or around Milton Keynes, and want to take the guesswork out of restarting (or just plain starting) a long term relationship with your health and fitness?

Just hit this link and apply for a free trial session, so you've got your fitness plan covered for April 12th

By May 1st, you'll be very glad that you did.