It all depends on two factors. The first is how often and for how long you trained before the break. Beginners and professional athletes lose shape faster than those who have trained 3-4 times every week for a year or more. The second factor is the length of the break. The loss of strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination does not occur evenly, but on an increasing basis: the longer you do not train, the more rapidly your condition deteriorates.
Strength training
3-4 weeks after you drop dumbbells and pull-ups, strength gains will continue. The fact is that strength is determined by the development of muscle fibers, and they retain their qualities for about a month. True, this is if you are healthy and skip workouts just because there are more important things to do. If the skipping exercise happens due to the flu or SARS, a noticeable loss of strength occurs after 2 weeks: the body uses many resources to fight infection.
Interesting data have recently been received by researchers in the United States and confirmed by their colleagues from Japan. It turns out that fitness enthusiasts and beginners maintain their strengths better and recover faster than professional athletes.
To run and jump
Jogging, walking, skiing are endurance training. They are aimed at the development of blood vessels in the muscle tissue, which lose fitness faster than the muscles.
The first signs of loss of stamina are felt after 7-10 days of idleness. That is why coaches do not recommend interrupting walks or jogging for more than 5 days. After a week, your stamina will drop by 3-5%! In 3 weeks the difference will be already 10%, and in 4 weeks - as much as 14%. In addition, there is evidence that taking antibiotics will worsen athletic performance by another 10-15%, regardless of the length of the break.
Return to duty
Returning to push-ups, dumbbells and kettlebells after a break, do not try to act according to the principle "yes, I just missed a month, now I will tighten up and return everything." Such attempts lead to injuries, since during the time of inactivity, coordination of movements also went wrong. Returning to habitual weights will take about the same amount of time as you messing around.
When it comes to endurance training, recovery to athletic level takes about twice as long as missed.
On a note
Missed up to 4 weeks? Start your strength training with the same exercises that you did before the break, but repeat them 5-15 times, not 10-20, as before. Shorten endurance workouts by 10-15 minutes. Jumps, swings, sprints can be returned to the program no earlier than after 3 weeks.
Missed 5-11 weeks? Lighten strength exercises by 20-50%. Shorten endurance training by 15 minutes and do this for 2 weeks (if you train twice a week, then 3 weeks). Over the next 2 weeks, return to your normal run length by adding 3-5 minutes per session.
Missed 3 months or more? Start your workouts from scratch. However, progress will go much faster than that of a true beginner, and this is good news!
Physical activity is necessary for every person, and if you have not visited the fitness room for a long time, it is advisable to take the right steps towards the recovery of the body. Wanting to resume physical form, to regain lost physical form and health, the question is probably of interest - how to get back to the fitness room after a long break? Here are the steps that professionals recommend to get great results.
Effect of a break on physical health
There are many reasons why regular workouts in the fitness room were interrupted: vacation, business trip, childbirth, illness, etc. One of the key factors is the length of the break. The recommendations of experienced experts will help to return the body to working condition, again to accustom oneself to physical activity.
Exercise and physical activity improve the functioning of internal organs, increase physical endurance and the body's resistance to infections. Oxygen uptake is impaired, which is also not recommended. At certain time intervals, the state of the body will be characterized by the following manifestations:
- The break was several weeks... The cardiovascular and respiratory systems work worse, while there is enough strength. Endurance indicators are still high
- 1 year... Cardio loads are 15% more difficult, and the strength parameters of your body will be reduced by half, and this is the minimum indicator
- Years have passed. We'll have to start from the very beginning. If you previously had good results and were in an appropriate physical condition, then recovery will be faster and more effective.
The new program is selected depending on the reason why you had to abandon the fitness room for a while. The break period also plays a big role in the formation of the training program. Below we will consider the correct actions for each case.
Video: DOCTOR / BODYBUILDER - how to train after rest.
2-3 weeks
Such gaps are often due to illness. Do not assume that a period of several weeks without training cost the body nothing, and you can immediately start intense activities. It is important to understand that most diseases, including bronchitis, colds or poisoning, lead to intoxication of the body. Other consequences include fluid loss, disruptions in water-salt metabolism. Muscles receive less oxygen and nutrients. As a result, the usual loads, jogging are more difficult.
What should I do?
After an illness, the body is weakened, and it takes a couple of weeks to restore the immune system. During the recovery period, you should lean on fruits, freshly squeezed juices, cook and drink homemade fruit drinks. Mineral water helps to normalize the water-salt balance. Start training only when you are fully recovered. Forget about high intensity exercise for the next two weeks. Also, you should not visit the sauna for the first time. Be attentive to your health, watch the body's response to physical activity!
2-6 months
Perhaps you changed your place of residence, moving to another city or area of the city, or you were injured and took a long time to recover. These reasons are most common with this non-fitness gap. You probably think you can run a few kilometers and do aerobics. In fact, already in the first weeks without training, muscle endurance decreases, strength is lost, while the indicators remain high. After injury, it is worth resorting to recovery exercises.
Exit
If the reason for the forced break was an injury, it is advisable to come up with a rehabilitation program. It will be better if a professional trainer or doctor is involved in the selection of the training program. If you have moved away from fitness for a while not because of an injury, begin to calmly exercise according to the usual program. The key word is calm. Do not work on a schedule, sticking to the previous intensity: run the same distances, but at a reduced speed. Exercise will need to be done with half the weight previously used.
Also listen to your body. If you feel tired - take a break and rest. Feeling completely out of shape? Walk on a treadmill for two weeks at a gradual pace. It often takes from a year to one and a half years to restore the body.
Helpful Hint: In case of a forced break, it is recommended to keep a couple of cardio and one physical training per week.
More than 1 year
Such a break is characteristic of the fair sex who have given birth to a child. Most likely, it took you 1 year to set aside time for training, resume physical activity. During pregnancy, many expectant mothers are engaged in water aerobics, gymnastics, in connection with which the question is often: "Why can't I train as before?"
How to proceed?
In fact, you will need to start over, since the prenatal workload is minimal and serves solely as a preparatory measure for childbirth. As a result, physical condition is lost, you have to start from scratch. It is recommended to start with fitness testing. Perhaps, during the course of pregnancy, there were malfunctions in your body, there were problems, and therefore it is advisable to consult a doctor. There is a likelihood of the impossibility of past loads and the usual schedule of physical exercises.
Start training in aerobics and light loads, thanks to which you will be able to lose weight and improve heart function. Often, with long breaks, the cardiac system suffers first of all, which is why you are not able to perform even 20 squats without shortness of breath. In the first weeks, walking on the treadmill is recommended - 2-3 sets of 20 minutes. Next, increase your walking time to 30 minutes, add stretching exercises.
Go to the gym after a month of retesting. After returning to normal loads, take care of the help of a personal trainer: the specialist will draw up a training program, point out the correct technique. Even having missed more than a year since the last workout, you will be able to regain your former shape and load yourself with physical exercises after 2-3 months.
If you do not have time to visit the fitness room several times a week, do the workout at home. Use strength training and stretching. You can adjust the cardio system exclusively in the gym. A walk with a baby carriage is considered useful, but remains a walk. Therefore, it is better to use a treadmill with which you can keep a certain pace.
Some years
For whatever reason, you have been forced to quit training. You think that returning to the pace and load is a trifling matter, but this is not the case. Of course, starting a fitness workout is easier for you than for someone who has never played sports at all. For several years, your body has lost the habit of physical activity. An exercise program designed for a young sports student is not suitable for a sedentary person who also has osteochondrosis or chronic bronchitis.
Your actions
Forget and past sporting achievements in sports. Muscle memory will certainly remember the exercises mastered earlier, which is clearly seen in the example of rollerblading and cycling. If you have had a significant break in your training regimen, start with your usual exercises. Take fitness testing, based on the results of which, choose the appropriate level of load.
Fill the training process with a lot of exercises, while the number of approaches will need to be reduced. In the case of strength training, 3 sets will be enough for the muscles to adapt to the loads. By pumping more muscles, you will be able to work out the entire muscular system faster. There should be one exercise per muscle group. Otherwise, there is a possibility of muscle overload, as a result of which the next workout will not be fruitful.
Low or high repetitions are undesirable. Also, professional athletes recommend leaving a margin for each approach. Do not exhaust yourself to the limit - you will not be able to achieve records, and your muscles are likely to hurt a lot. Beginning with your first workout, do basic exercises such as presses, squats, and deadlifts. After a long break, you will need to revise the exercise technique. Pay more attention to the warm-up before the training process.
In any case, after a long break between workouts, it is highly undesirable to overload the body with physical exercises. Significant loads will only harm in an effort to restore physical condition. Create a workout schedule with an experienced trainer and doctor.
Due to various circumstances, people are forced to take long breaks from sports training. This is not a weekly break, but a lack of physical activity for several months or more.
After a long break, many try to return to the gym as soon as possible and continue training in the same mode.
However, such actions cause injuries and other consequences that only complicate the recovery of physical fitness.
What happens to the body when you take a long break between classes in the gym
With a long break between workouts, a number of processes are triggered in the body that must be taken into account when returning to further exercises. The endurance and strength that a person has acquired is being lost at a catastrophic rate.
For example, 14 days after you stop exercising, your overall strength scores decrease by 40%. For this reason, the person becomes unable to take on the level of stress that he could easily perform before the break.
To maintain vital functions, the body constantly conserves and conserves energy from food. During sports activities, a person accumulates muscle mass, which is subsequently the main source of energy expenditure. The body of a person who has not been involved in sports for a long time cuts down the amount of energy resources consumed by the muscles. In this regard, there is a gradual decrease in endurance, muscle mass, strength.
The physical condition of the athlete after a long pause is more reminiscent of what he had before training. After class, he will experience pain and muscle aches, like the first time. The only difference is that the previously trained person knows how to do this or that exercise.
Be sure to see:
Detailed home weight training program
Where to start classes if you haven't exercised for a long time
The first rule that an athlete should remember after a long absence of exertion is a gradual and systematic return to the previous level, despite the desire to quickly achieve the previous results.
There are a few basic rules to consider before returning to the sport:
- Organize classes at intervals of 2 times a week. The body is not yet ready for a greater level of stress. This schedule is followed for the first 2 months after the pause. Before embarking on more intense workouts, you should consult your doctor or fitness instructor.
- Each program begins with a short warm-up to prepare the muscles for further work. During a break in sports, the ligaments and joints lose elasticity, so warming them up before going to the gym is mandatory.
- Perform exercises that work out individual muscle groups with the same intensity. You can not concentrate on pumping any one area of the body. The ideal training option in the first days after the break is 1 set for the muscles of the back, chest, legs, biceps and triceps. To avoid "wear and tear" of the body, it is necessary to reserve strength in reserve, even if there is the physical ability to do more exercises or approaches.
Coming back after a long break is also a great opportunity to revisit your previous training program. Previously, it was impossible to change the technique of performing some complexes, since this would mean a decrease in the load on the body.
After the break, you will have to start the program with the simplest exercises, so you can master new exercises. However, one more rule should be remembered - an experienced instructor should come up with a training scheme after a long pause.
Shape restoration program
Let's take a closer look at the training program for 3 weeks.
First week with two lessons:
- Squats with weights (dumbbells, barbells, sandbags, water bottles) - 10 times in 3 sets.
- Bench press in the supine position - 10 times in 3 sets.
- Extension of the legs on a special simulator - 10 times in 2 sets.
- Raising the knees to the chest in a hanging position - 15 times in 2 sets.
Second week with two workouts:
- Squats with dumbbells - 10 times in 3 reps.
- Pull-ups on a horizontal bar or a crossbar - 5 times in 3 repetitions.
- Raising the simulator with the toes of the legs - 12 times in 2 repetitions.
- Lifting the body while lying on the floor - 15 times in 2 repetitions.
Third week with two lessons:
- Press with a narrow grip - 10 times in 3 reps.
- Working out the biceps on the block - 10 times in 2 repetitions.
- Barbell Curl - 10 times in 3 reps.
- Lifting the body on an incline bench - 15 times in 2 repetitions.
Before each workout, do a warm-up, such as a 5-minute walk on an elliptical trainer and other exercises aimed at warming up the muscles. On average, the duration of the warm-up is 10-15 minutes.
Important! Between each approach, rest for 1-2 minutes. The break should also be taken before different types of exercises.
It takes about half of the break time to recover. For example, if the pause was 1 year, then it will take 6 months to return to the previous physical form. With a well-designed complex, it will be possible to quickly and safely make up for lost time.
I think with each of you for some reason was forced to do break in the training process... For example, on vacation, and also for a reason trauma or illness. But sooner or later, you need to return to training. Almost every athlete after a break strives to get to his previous strength indicators too quickly, which ends overtraining or injury. The question is how to do it right?
What happens to the body after a break
Regardless of the reasons, if the break lasted more than two weeks, you need to know what happens to your body during this time. In the absence of a load, his work changes, and these changes must be taken into account when resuming training. Sadly, the force is waning at a catastrophic rate.
The level of loss of strength varies from person to person, but on average it is 40% after just two weeks. Not only do the maximum indicators in some movements fall, the overall level of strength decreases. Therefore, when you return to the gym, you are much weaker than before, and you cannot train at the same intensity as before the break. Recovery is much slower and muscle pain lasts longer.
In many ways, your physical condition is very similar to when you first started exercising. The main difference is that you know what to do and how to do it. Even so, some people are taking much broader steps than when they first came to the hall. If your core exercises were high before the break, you are very anxious to get to them faster. For example, someone who has bench pressed 160 kg for a whole year will be very upset to learn that after a break he can only cope with 150 kg. He simply cannot put up with it and rushes into training like crazy, doing too much. He will overtrain but will be adamant. Finally, the pain in the shoulder will cause him to stop pressing for another two weeks, and the result will drop to 130 kg.
Our body is a balanced, well-coordinated mechanism that constantly strives to save energy to maintain vital functions. Through training, we develop muscle mass, which means that it is muscle tissue that becomes the most energy-consuming organ of our body. During a break in classes, the body tends to cut back on the amount energy consumed by the muscles. Decreases gradually endurance of our body, then muscle mass begins to decrease due to lack of energy, at the last stage the level of power potential begins to decrease.
Many are sure that a great loss of shape can only be comprehended by those who have irresponsibly approached training, ate improperly, and the like. But in fact, even a competently trained bodybuilder who responsibly approached the issue of nutrition can lose, on average, 40-60% of those physical qualities that he could acquire through training during a break. Of course, in about 2-3 months, a bodybuilder can return to its previous shape, but this will only happen at a young age. For a 40-year-old athlete, getting back into shape will be a much more difficult and sometimes unattainable task.
Neuromuscular memory
Neuromuscular memory allows the body to restore the body's stamina. Gradually, the body begins to produce such an amount of ATP, which previously allowed it to train for a long time and achieve good results in sports. Together with this, the body, as it were, awakens from hibernation and begins to produce an increased amount of energy, all its processes are accelerated, even the number of capillaries increases in order to improve the blood supply to muscle tissues.
Since now muscle tissue receives plenty of energy and oxygen, recovery mechanisms gradually come into play. After a while, the previously existing muscle mass is restored completely.
conclusions
- Taking a break from training can be very helpful if you plan your return carefully. Otherwise, you can make your life very difficult.
- When you return to the gym, your body is not ready for hard work as much as it was before the break. Slow progress allows him to change and adapt. You must restore your regimen and diet before your results start to rise.
- Thanks to the break, you have a reserve of energy when you return to the gym. However, it is unwise to immediately "dive" headlong into training. Start with a beginner program or something similar. Be patient and reasonable, constantly remember to move forward slowly. If you stick to this approach, especially during the first - most important - week, you will begin to smoothly progress towards the highest levels of fitness.
- Never be afraid to take a break from your workout. Consider your body as fireproof capital that you have temporarily frozen in your bank account. Of course, at first you will lose some percentage of your savings, but by returning the capital to circulation, you will restore it completely.
- If you already have the opportunity to return to training, do not hesitate and come back. Of course, it is best to find yourself a professional trainer who will help you return to work competently and restore your previous shape in a short time.
Workout program after the break
Course number 1. This is how you need to train for the first 2 weeks. Workouts follow each other every other day.
| Exercises | Sets | Repetitions |
| Tuesday | ||
| Bench press | 4 | 10 |
| Pull of the block for the head | 4 | 10 |
| Seated dumbbell press | 4 | 10 |
| Standing Chin Row | 3 | 10 |
| Bench press with a narrow grip | 3 | 10 |
| Seated biceps curl | 3 | 10 |
| Thursday | ||
| Squats | 4 | 12 |
| Deadlift on straight legs | 4 | 12 |
| Hanging leg raises | 4 | 25 |
| Incline Bench Raises | 4 | Max. |
| Hyperextension | 4 | 15 |
Course number 2. This split system is designed for 3-4 weeks.
| Exercises | Sets | Repetitions |
| Monday | ||
| Incline Bench Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| Breeding dumbbells lying | 4 | 8-10 |
| Bench press standing | 4 | 10 |
| Standing dumbbell sideways | 3 | 10 |
| Shrugs | 3 | 10 |
| Extension of arms on the block | 4 | 10 |
| Push-ups (for triceps) | 3 | 10 |
| Wednesday | ||
| Pull-ups | 4 | 8-12 |
| Bent-over barbell row | 3 | 8-10 |
| Barbell Biceps Curl | 4 | 8-10 |
| Seated biceps curls | 3 | 10 |
| Flexion at the wrists (for the forearms) | 3 | 12 |
| Rotation torso lifts | 4 | Max. |
| Leg raises | 4 | Max. |
| Friday | ||
| Squats | 4 | 10-12 |
| Leg curls | 4 | 10 |
| Lunges | 3 | 15 |
| Calf Raises | 4 | 10 |
| Seated Calf Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
Each person will have their own reasons why they abandon the gym for a period of time. But in any case, remember - you need to come back and recover. If you approach this issue correctly, everything will work out.
Zozhnik recovery principles
- Adjust your daily routine: system of nutrition, training, rest and work. Start your morning with a glass of water, and after 10-15 minutes - a hearty breakfast. Stay hydrated throughout the day. Eat small meals at least six times a day, and try to include more fiber, vegetables, and steamed lean foods.
- Eliminate extremes. Do not make sudden changes in diet, exercise, and daily routine. If you are constantly overeating, then do not abruptly switch to a series of fasting days. So there is a risk of breaking down. In training, adhere to the same principle - everything should be in moderation. Start by putting together a light version of the program for the first adaptation week. This will help your body gradually enter the training process. The length of your break from classes plays a big role in making the plan.
- Start thinking positively to establish a psychological background.
After a long rest from physical exertion, muscles, joints and ligaments lose their usual trained tone. Therefore, the first workout after a break is a great stress for the body. And, therefore, you need to thoroughly prepare for it.
Start
We act in two directions:
- psychological (tune in internally for the upcoming lesson, find suitable motivation)
- physical (prepare or order a competent training program).
It is important that the process of entering the training process is gradual.
It is important that the process of entering the training process is gradual.
Recovery time
For each person, this process develops in its own way and depends on many factors. But in general, if you have not trained for 2-3 weeks (you were on vacation, a business trip, on holidays), you can regain your former physical shape with two lightweight workouts for all muscle groups.
If you abandoned fitness for six months or more, then you will have to work longer: 1-2 months (six months of inactivity) and about six months (in case of a year of inactivity). Working weights when resuming training will be several times less.
If you still have not regained shape after two months of training, then you should correct the program or change the coach.
In many ways, the recovery training program is similar to the training of the "beginners".
Recovery training rules
- Perform all exercises for 12-15 repetitions for three sets.
- Work on all muscle groups each session (one exercise for each).
- Follow the exercise technique.
- Do not exercise to muscle failure (painful).
- Start with the lowest weights (or your own body weight).
- Load the body gradually - do not exercise to the limit of your abilities.
- Do only basic exercises for now: squats, deadlifts and presses. The rest (isolation and functional training) is after recovery.
- Make yourself a new training program taking into account the mistakes and shortcomings of the old one.
- For the recovery period, try not to lean on sports nutrition: BCAA, gainers, protein, pre-workout complex, carnitine, and more.
- Remember that any workout necessarily begins with a warm-up and ends with a cool-down.
- In spite of everything, go to your goal, be strong and persistent, acquire new beautiful forms and love life.
Never give up. Remember, it's easier for you than for those who are just starting their fitness path.
A high-quality recovery program for you will be prepared by our award-winning trainers, call:
Taking care of you, VICTORY Sport.