Across our lifting career, we are going to encounter setbacks in our training several times: illness, work travel, dog getting ill, cat refusing to eat, children who can't sleep - life gets in the way, and we are missing several days or even weeks of training.
Do not despair: it is a normal phenomenon to not be able to train consistently for 52 weeks a year. (Gentle reminder: this is not an excuse to skip sessions at will because - today - 'I simply can't be bothered to train.' Pick your poison wisely.)
What if, then, we are absent from strength training for an extended period of time?
'What do I do, coach, when I start back up again?'
This article shall provide you with some useful tips whenever you're restarting your training.
REPEAT YOUR LAST WORKOUT
If your absence from training is not too long - say a maximum of seven days - repeat the numbers of your previous workout. It may feel a bit rusty in your first session(s) back, but you should be able to push through your previous numbers at a steady pace.
RESET BY 10%
If your absence from training lasts anywhere between 7-14 days, reset your previous workout by 10%. Chances are you have detrained quite a bit in that period - so you need to take a good step back before you can take a step forward again.
RESET TO 80%
If your absence extends beyond two weeks and may cover an entire month or several months, reset your previous workout to around 80%. You are now likely to be significantly detrained from when you previously lifted - so you have to take several steps back before you can work your way up again. Sorry - no quick fixes!
DO TOP SETS
After a break, you cannot be entirely sure of what your body is capable of in your first session back. In this case, top sets come in handy.
For example, if your 5RM in the squat was 100kg before a two-week lay-off, tackle your first workout back as follows:
Set 1: 5x@70kg
Set 2: 5x@80kg
Set 3: 5x@90kg
You will definitely be able to push through the first two sets without any major problems. If, however, your bar speed starts to slow down quite a bit in set two at 80kg, repeat the same weight in set 3, instead of going up in weight again.
Top sets allow you to work up your first workout back instead of being frustrated by having to go down in weight in one of your sets.
STAY WITH 5 REPS
I strongly suggest you stay in the 5-rep range after a lay-off in your first few workouts. Your nervous system is not primed to do heavy triples, doubles, or even singles in your first sessions back. You simply won't have the strength to push through those low rep ranges and high numbers when coming back.
ADD EXTRA WARM-UP SETS
As your body is not as 'switched on' as before your lay-off, it is a shrewd idea to add an extra two or three warm-up sets to your workouts when resuming training. It can help address certain areas which might feel tight or even slightly weak, or just to give you an overall better idea of what you're going to be capable of on that day. Additional warm-up sets also help you to re-inforce movement patterns which may have escaped your memory a little while you were away.
REDUCE NUMBER OF SETS
You might want to think of cutting one set out of your normal workout routine to prevent excess soreness in the aftermath of your first sessions back. For example, if your regular workout protocol before your lay-off was 3 sets of 5, restart with 2 sets of 5 in your first workout back. This won't be neccessary after only a few days of missing training. However, it is certainly a good idea to do so when you've just come back after a 2-week break from stomach flu.
EAT ENOUGH DURING YOUR BREAK
If you are unable to train for a while, ensure that you consume sufficient calories and protein in order to maintain your muscle mass. Loss of muscle mass is a big giant bummer as it takes around twice the effort to build it up again. Needless to say, a loss of muscle mass always coincides with a loss of strength.
BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY
It is advisable to reset your training by an extra few more percent in your first sessions back than what you think you should reset it by. Your engine is not switched on when putting your footsteps back into the gym again. It does take time to get back into sixth gear. It is also important to note that if you are absent due to sickness or injury, you probably have to take more additional steps back when restarting training. Unusual amounts of body weight loss have to be accounted for, and it takes patience in such a situation to work yourself back up again gradually.
Remember: every lifter on this planet is going to have to reset his training several times across his career.
Be wise, be patient, and stay pro-active.
Do not, under any circumstances, get discouraged by having lost a certain amount of strength in a given period of time.
Gaining strength is a marathon, after all, and not a sprint by any means whatsoever.
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