The DO’s and DON'TS to Returning to the Gym After Quarantine
Even if you’ve been doing home workouts with bands and some dumbbells, chances are your body is NOT used to heavier loads, especially when done with barbells or kettle-bells.
It’s going to feel really good being in the gym. No, like, really good.
Your endorphins will be sky high and you’ll be eager to get back to your heavy compound lifts. You’ll most likely feel amazing those first few days back.
Which makes it even more important to remember to take it slow. Yes, you may be physically feeling great and mentally ready to rock, but it's super important to resist the urge to go balls to the wall due to the natural adrenaline rush you're experiencing.
Keep in mind that the main goal in the first few weeks back at the gym should be to train just enough to improve your muscular endurance, technique, and to PREPARE your body for heavier and more intense loads in the upcoming weeks. NOT do it all within the first few days.
Why?
Let’s be real, it would REALLY suck if you sustained an injury your first week back at the gym after waiting all this time to get back from quarantine. Keep in mind that you’re ALREADY going to be super prone to muscular damage when you return to the gym which is even more of a reason why you should consider sticking to the smallest (yet effective) “dose” of exercise when starting out.
Here I share things you SHOULD and SHOULDN’T consider the first week back at the gym.
You SHOULD
Be foam rolling for at least 5-10 minutes before your session.
You should NOT
Skip the warm up because you’re short on time. These first few weeks back are CRUCIAL. You need to take the time to warm up properly before your workout- even if it means cutting the actual “work” down in order to get that warm up in. This is the time to train smarter- not harder.
You SHOULD
Use 50-70% your max weight.
You should not
Try to pick up where you left off. You are literally asking for an injury by doing this. Do yourself a solid and check your ego at the door before you throw out your back trying to be tommy tough nuts on day one.
You SHOULD
Consider starting with two sets instead of three.
You should not
Overload your nervous system by doing so much volume. Not right now. Remember, you have time to build your endurance back up. Don’t rush the process and wear yourself down. When it comes to volume, slow and steady wins the race.
You SHOULD
Utilize your rest periods between sets.
You should not
Challenge yourself by skipping rest between sets. Again, your body and muscles need the recovery time right now. Take it.
You SHOULD
Stay hydrated!
You should not
Go to the gym hungover. Risk of injury goes up substantially when we’re training hungover. Add that on top of the already high risk of injury? You’re asking for trouble. Limit drinking night to a day when you aren’t training the next day.
You SHOULD
Prioritize pre/post workout nutrition and recovery.
You should not
Train fasted, right now. Give it about a month of being back at the gym full time before you start training fasted again, if that’s your thing! You want to give your body the chance to fully recover after these first few workouts.
Fasting might hinder recovery or quality of training session in the gym. Give your body the benefit of the doubt to perform most optimally right now and more importantly, to avoid injury.
You SHOULD
Implement a 10-20 minute dynamic warm up before you touch a weight.
You should not
Rely solely on static stretching for a warm up or worse, skip your warm up.
You SHOULD
Warm up to your first working set!
You should not
Load up the barbell without slowly adding weight each set to work up to your first “working set”.
You SHOULD
Practice patience and check your ego at the door.
You should not
Shit on yourself for losing strength, endurance and/or muscle mass. If you did, it’s OK! You did not have access to any gyms for months and were completely thrown off your routine. As a result, your body adapted. You can always build your strength, endurance, and speed up again. And I promise it will all come back relatively quickly - don’t worry. Slow and steady wins the race.
