This Blog post is in brought to you by Saltwater Strength (powered by Blended) and is a personal article written by strength coach Cody Blanchard.
My focus right now is rebuilding the habit of training consistently. My #1 priority is to be under the bar on a regular schedule so that I can rebuild my strength gradually over the coming weeks.
I’ll be training every 2-3 days, depending on my recovery between sessions. The majority of my training will consist of the squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press, along with a handful of accessory movements for muscular balance. I’ll be focusing most of my accessory work on my upper back and hamstrings, as those are weaknesses for me.
I’ll be sticking to RPE 5-6 for my first 2-3 weeks on all of my barbell movements. This may seem very light. However, my nervous system, joints, and soft tissue are not ready to handle maximal loads.
With an extended break from training, there will be a detraining effect. Since I know that my capacity is much lower than it was before the break, I’ve significantly reduced my volume and intensity. (My training frequency is the same as before the break because that aligns with my priority of rebuilding my training habit).
Starting this light also allows for a gradual linear increase in weight each session during this phase of training. Seeing my lifts increase consistently is beneficial for my confidence and training morale. It also means I won’t be excessively sore after workouts. A lot of muscle soreness could force me to miss training sessions or underperform during my workouts.
My advice to you is to be realistic with where your current level is and train based on that. In the long run, it’s better to be a little too conservative in your first few weeks back to training than it is to be too aggressive and risk an injury and further setback.
Start light and gradually increase weights over the next 4-6 weeks.* Avoid workouts that will cause excess muscle soreness. It reduces your ability to train more frequently, perform during your workouts, and it won’t speed up the process of regaining muscle or strength.
*This is assuming your break has been around 8-12 weeks. If your break has been longer, take more time to build back up.
