Being MIA from the gym for an extended period of time doesn’t mean everything you have been working for is lost. Depending on how long you were sitting on the sidelines you may be able to get back to 100% in as little as 4 weeks of solid training. Remember the key to making gains is hitting the gym and for your physique is consistency. If you get back in the gym and hit the weights hard and run your heart out on the treadmill your body returns to its prime much more quickly than if you had never attended the gym. This phenomenon is known as muscle-memory and it’s very similar to riding a bike in some ways, let me explain. Most if not all of us learned to ride a bike in our youth but I bet you haven’t ridden one in quite while at least not on the city streets. If you were to hop on a 10-speed today would you be learning to ride a bike from scratch? The answer is of course no you would pick it up very quickly and this is what happens to your body as you return to the gym and begin exercising again.
Many health professionals believe a break is good for the body however I recommend you never completely stop going to the gym weeks on end. A lapse in your training creates such an uphill battle when you have to return and for some it can be almost insurmountable since they were training so hard and diligently before their planned break. Instead of taking a complete break I always recommend going down to a minimum of 2 days a week of training this way you’re never too far away from returning to the gym full time. Remember that you want to avoid scenarios where you are taking one step forward and then one step back it will get you nowhere fast.
If you have been away from the gym for an extended period of time remember the key to rectifying the problem is jumping back in as quickly as possible! Your first session back will be the toughest so the sooner you get it put behind you the better. See you in the gym and remember to never stop exercising on a regular basis that way you won’t have to face the challenges associated with a restart. Get moving, and keep moving it’s just easier that way.
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