Learn how to properly engage in the training process if you have missed more than a month and have not visited the gym. A step-by-step technique from a bodybuilding guru. If you had a long break in classes, then you need to correctly build the training process. Your workout after the break should be a lot like that of a novice builder. This means that you need to use the minimum training volume while doing a lot of repetitions. It is also necessary to reduce the intensity of the training. As a result, you can avoid overtraining and injury.
Of course, your workouts after a break will largely depend on the length of the pause and the reason why you had to interrupt classes. If you've just been resting for several months, then you can safely start using your mass-gaining program, reducing your working weights by half. The number of repetitions in a set in such a situation should be in the range from 12 to 15. Then weekly increase you by five percent.
If the pause lasted more than six months or it was caused by an injury, then training after the break should be treated more carefully. To make it easier for you to make changes to your training program, it is worth understanding what changes in the body occur during the pause period.
The state of the body after a pause in classes
At this moment, your body is discharged, since physical activity has been absent for a long time. You should be aware that when there is no heavy load, the body tries as quickly as possible to get rid of all the excess calories in its opinion.
Not only the muscles, but all systems of the body: nervous, energetic, etc. are in a detrained state. Resuming training after a break will become a powerful stress for the body, which will inevitably lead to certain problems. The second characteristic state of the body after a pause in classes is an imbalance. This is due to the fact that all body systems have different periods of adaptation. The strength parameters will be the first to return to normal, since your neuromuscular connections are well developed and the muscles will be responsive to training. But this cannot be said about the ligamentous-articular apparatus, since their tissues are harder in comparison with the muscular ones and it will take more time for them to adapt. It is this imbalance that can cause injury.
How to organize your workouts after the break?
- Training intensity … This parameter is intended to determine the relative working weight used by the athlete in the classroom. You should use a low intensity and not work on failure. Again, after a pause, you should practice like a novice bodybuilder. If your training volume is excessive, the muscle tissue will be heavily exposed to lactic acid. This will negatively affect your progress. Try to avoid burning in the muscles so as not to slow down the growth of muscle tissue.
- Progress. You should approach this issue as carefully as possible after resuming training after a break. The first time after starting classes, you should deliberately limit your progress. The easiest way to do this is with periodization. As we already said, if the pause was not caused by an injury, then you should start the training with working weights of 50 percent of the previous ones. Then, for six or seven weeks, increase the load by five percent weekly. For the next six weeks, you should increase working weights by 2.5 percent weekly until you get to the previous loads. Perform all this time from 12 to 15 repetitions in a set. When you reach your previous working weights, you can increase the number of repetitions for a couple of months without changing the weight. Only then can you switch to the previous training regime that was used before the break.
- Functional training. It can be used by you as an alternative method of maintaining a balance of progress after returning to exercise. At the same time, it is worth noting that functional training is worth using for all builders, since with it you can create an excellent base on which you will then increase muscle volume. If you ignore functional training, you can quickly find yourself in a plateau state, and this will only slow down your overall progress. When using functional training after a break, it will take you about thirteen weeks to regain your previous condition. After this period of time, you can return to your usual workouts.
If you want to restore your previous shape as quickly as possible, then use today's tips. This will allow you to start progressing again within a couple of months after resuming training after a break.
How to train after a break, see this video:
