I've just had 11 days off from the gym
Read time: 5 minutes
I've been writing weekly emails since 2020, maybe 2021, and one of the most common pieces of feedback I receive is how much people love my honesty.
I'm not on here to sell you some BS fake news on how to live a healthy life. I never lie to you about how I'm doing or what I'm doing, so you need to see what a healthy life can look like, because far too many coaches and influencers try to paint the perfect picture of what a healthy lifestyle is.
Last week I'd say I drank more beers than I had in the rest of the year combined. I ate mostly BBQ food and potato chips, and whatever else I could find in the villa, which was certainly not a piece of fruit or veg. On top of that, besides the occasional set of push-ups, I didn't hit the gym and work out for 9 days.
I got back to Ireland on Sunday night, and man, was I exhausted! Waking up this morning, I felt all bloated and not as energetic, but do you know what?
The world didn't end, and my health didn't collapse; I'd do it all again in a heartbeat!
Because I went to the gym and smashed a great workout. I walked 12k steps. I slept for 8 hours last night. I hit my protein target and ate well today.
Oh... and I had a magic mushroom on Saturday and had the most wonderful time 😆
And on the topic of getting back into the gym, that's exactly what I'm chatting about this week, so let's get stuck into it...
Everyone takes a break from the gym. Holidays, illness, work, kids, or a week where life simply got in the way.
The break itself does surprisingly little damage. The first week back is where things tend to go wrong. Some people walk in, load the bar with last month's numbers, and spend the next 5 days walking down the stairs sideways. I've been that person more times than I can count, and I can count past 100 😜
Others ease back in so cautiously that they never quite get going again. Both mistakes come from the same place, but nobody ever tells you how to come back.
You know how to train and bust your ass in the gym, and you've probably been doing it for a while, but coming back after time off needs a slightly different approach, and most people just wing it.
I go through this with every client who's had a break, and having just come back from 11 days off myself, it's all very fresh in my mind.
So these are the 8 things I'd want you to know before your first session back.
One quick note before we start ⤵
If you took a break because you were ill, give yourself even more time to build back up. If it was an injury, get it looked at before you start loading it again. And please make sure you know the difference between normal muscle soreness and actual pain. If it's sharp or in the joint, stop that exercise immediately.
Time for number one.
1. It’s been longer than you think
Most people count their break from their last gym visit. Instead, count it from the last time you did that specific session.
Let's say you train upper body every Monday. You miss one Monday, then come back the Monday after. You’ve only missed one gym visit, but your upper body has now gone 2 full weeks without being trained. Stretch that across a 10- to 14-day break, and some muscle groups might have gone close to 3 weeks untouched.
So plan your first sessions around that number, not the one on the calendar. It'll help save you from some unexpected DOMS!
2. Don't wait for Monday
Breaks have a habit of growing.
You get back from holiday on a Thursday, decide there's no point starting until Monday, and then Monday gets busy. Suddenly 11 days off has become 3 weeks.
Go back the first day you realistically can, even if the session is short. Same rule I gave you in the nutrition system newsletter. You start again at the next opportunity, not the next clean week 🗓️
3. Warm up for longer
Add a few extra minutes to your usual warm-up. When I came back from my own break, I added an extra 5 minutes and spent it all on mobility work.
Why? Because my body was stiff as hell!
Your joints and muscles have had a quiet couple of weeks, so giving them a bit longer to loosen up costs you almost nothing, and it makes the first few sets feel a lot better.
4. Drop the weight and the number of sets
The natural instinct on your first session back is to pick up exactly where you left off. Same weights, same sets, same reps, and to be fair to you, you could probably get pretty close.
A large 2013 review pulled together 103 studies on what happens to people's strength when they stop lifting. The drop in maximum strength only became significant from around the third week off (1).
So the reason to pull back on how much you're lifting is how it impacts your recovery.
Those first couple of sessions will leave you sorer than normal, and it'll take longer to bounce back. Knock the weights back a bit and drop the odd set here and there.
You're still training hard, but you're just making sure you can train again in a day or two.
5. Save supersets and failure for later
If it's been more than a couple of weeks, avoid strenuous supersets on the big lifts.
For BIG compound movements like squats, deadlifts, bench press, and rows, do them as straight sets for your first few sessions. Pairing up smaller exercises like biceps and triceps is fine, as they're pretty straightforward.
The same goes for pushing sets to failure. Keep 1 to 2 reps in the tank. You'll tire quicker than usual anyway, so you don't need to go to failure to get a decent session out of yourself.
And going to failure can add a day or two to your recovery. In your first week back, when you're already going to be sorer than usual, that's a day or two you can't really afford.
6. Stick to what you know
Your first week back is NOT the time for the new exercise you saw on Instagram.
Stick to sessions you've done before, with exercises you understand and can do well.
Save the new stuff for when you're back in a rhythm. Your body has enough to deal with already 😅
7. Focus on your recovery
You'll probably be sorer than usual after those first couple of sessions, which is completely normal. Don't let it stop you from going back for session two. Recovery is where your first week back is won or lost ⤵
Protein. My clients aim for 1.5 to 2 g per kg of bodyweight a day, and it matters even more this week.
Water. Plenty of it. 3L is always a good target.
Sleep. The most underrated recovery tool going, and it's free. 7-8 hrs of quality sleep.
Walk. Active recovery helps speed up the recovery process.
8. Don't judge yourself on week one
You might not feel like your usual self in there.
The weights will feel heavier. The rest periods shorter. The walk back to the car feels like an extra 100m.
It's all normal stuff we all go through.
Your cardio fitness tends to drop quicker than your strength during a short break, largely because the amount of blood your body is pumping around drops (2). The good news is it comes back quickly once you're training again.
So give it a few sessions, and you'll be flying. A couple of weeks off didn't undo months of training, and one awkward week back won't either!
Right, that's us done. I hope you've found that helpful.
If you've ever got any questions or want some advice on anything you've read today, all you need to do is hit the reply button.
Have a cracking week.
All the best,
Mark ✌️
Oh, and one more thing before I go. In the next couple of weeks, I'm opening up individual testing spots for my new health app. I'll be sharing details soon on how you can sign up, so keep your eyes peeled 👀
