Unfortunately, taking a hiatus from your iron paradise will result in some lost gains if you’re the type of lifter who lives for vintage Ronnie Coleman videos and the thud of a loaded bar on the deadlift platform. You can—and should—work out at home to maintain as much muscle as you can, but bands and the odd dumbbell or kettlebell won’t replicate the big lifts.
By now, many gyms around the U.S. are slowly reopening, and we’re willing to guess that the first thing most people want to do the second they return to theirs is get back to lifting heavy. But unless you want to get hurt and spend even more time out of commission, don’t try to pick up right where you left off.
“We see a tremendous amount of injuries in people that take time off from the gym—could be as short as two weeks—and go back to the gym thinking that they’ve maintained their strength and put on the same weights, do the same repetitions, and ultimately overtax the muscle and cause strains or tears,” says John Gallucci, CEO of JAG-ONE Physical Therapy, medical coordinator for Major League Soccer, and sports medicine consultant.
If you’re thinking that those silly injuries aren’t for those who have spent years dedicated to the gym, think again. Unless you’re Captain America, your body works the same way everyone else’s does.
“The phenomenon of getting out of shape or deconditioned creates changes in a person’s physiology as a result of inactivity,” says Prentiss Rhodes, NASM-CPT, CES, PES. “This eventually decreases their work capacity.”
No matter who you are or how long you’ve been lifting, your body will have changed at least a little bit over the course of this quarantine, and you’ll have to adjust your training accordingly.
Keep reading to find out where to start and how to work back into your normal routine without getting hurt.
We’re sorry to have to tell you this, but you have to take it slow across the board when you get back into the gym.
How slow, exactly? Well, that depends. If you typically work out at least three or four times a week and have only been out of the gym for about two weeks, Gallucci recommends decreasing both the sets and reps in your normal workouts by 50 percent during your first week back.
“The rationale is to bring back the appropriate body mechanics or biomechanics to make sure that you can handle your routine with full range of motion so you don’t hurt the joints, and you don’t hurt the muscles,” Gallucci explains.
If you’re feeling great at 50 percent, you can go ahead and try your workouts at 75 percent sets and reps during your second week back. With any luck, you’ll be back at full strength by week three, not a torn labrum in sight.
Lifters who have been out for longer—say, six or more weeks while gyms are closed during a global pandemic—need to take it even slower. Gallucci suggests taking it down to 25 percent of your normal sets and reps for that first week back, really focusing on range of motion, comfort, biomechanics, and not hurting joints or muscles.
After that, the same guidelines apply. If 25 percent is comfortable, move to 50 percent, and so on.
We’ll admit that lifting a quarter of what you typically would doesn’t sound fun, but think of it this way: The worst that can happen when you start light is a less intense workout. The worst that can happen if you start off too heavy is a serious injury. Which would you prefer?
If you’re newer to the gym and now found yourself stuck at home, you’re particularly susceptible to losing strength, according to Rhodes.
“The novice athlete may experience anywhere from a 1 to 3 percent strength loss per day following approximately 3 weeks of inactivity,” he says. “A longer layoff may bring a more pronounced decrease in strength.”
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Pay Close Attention to Form During Your Warmups
Warming up is a major key to staying injury-free, whether or not you’ve been doing your usual training. Everyone’s different, but the easiest way to make sure you’re warmed up is to get a light sweat going before you start your main workout.
After spending time away from the iron, make sure you go above and beyond a warmup to make sure your range of motion is good and your muscles are ready to go.
“I always think it’s important after your warmup once you’re sweating to go through true range of motion before adding any weight, especially returning back to the gym,“ Gallucci says.
Whether you’re a novice who isn’t sure what perfect form looks like or an advanced lifter, here are a few form references for the main lifts:
Another way you can help yourself out is by making sure you maintain your core strength while you’re stuck at home. There are countless core moves you can do anywhere without weight, and a strong core can help you maintain good form throughout those compound lifts.
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Remember, You’re Also Out of Cardio Shape
Cardio is one form of fitness you actually can improve on in the midst of gym closures, but if you’ve been out of the gym because of an injury or just haven’t kept up with it, you’ll need to start slow on that front, too.
“In the first week, decrease your mileage to 50 percent and maybe increase your time per mile. And the same goes for cyclists and swimmers,” Gallucci says. “Endurance athletes recover quicker, so ultimately they can start to get back to their normal activities in week two, as long as they have nothing else holding them back.”
Again, your body has probably gone through changes that you have to take into account and accommodate, including your resting heart rate and VO2 max.
“Resting heart rate may increase by five to 15 beats per minute before it plateaus due to inactivity,” Rhodes says. “This largely depends on the individual, but resting heart rates between 60-100 beats per minute are within the normal range for adults.”
The bottom line is even if you normally just run a few miles on the treadmill while you’re at the gym, you can’t expect to jump right back in on top of strength training.
“If you were running 30 minutes a day and lifting an hour and a half a day and you’re going from zero to a hundred, you’re setting yourself up to end up coming for physical therapy,” Gallucci warns.
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Be Wary of These Commonly Injured Muscles
Every gym rat is different, and advanced lifters or bodybuilders in particular often throw their own spin on exercises and workouts, but it’s safe to say that most think alike more often than not. If you do chest every Monday, you know what we mean.
With that in mind, it makes sense that some injuries are more common than others, and there are a few that Gallucci sees fairly often in people who went too hard too soon.
“Because of the lack of endurance, flexibility and strength, we usually see pectoralis major tears, which is your chest. We’ll see biceps tendon tears, hamstring tears, and low-back strains when people go back and don’t make accommodations for their time off,” he says.
Unsurprisingly, the root of these injuries is often overestimating strength in the big three—squats or leg presses, deadlifts, and bench presses.
Trying to go too heavy on the bench can end in a pec tear; leg presses and squats can lead to a torn hamstring; and low back strains can happen through bad mechanics on squats or deadlifts. As far as biceps tears, overloading on curls is a main culprit.
When it comes down to it, there are plenty of ways to get hurt in the gym, but easing back into it and being careful will help you avoid it.
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Get the Rest of Your Life Back to Normal, Too
Whether you’ve been quarantining or nursing an injury, you’re in a situation where morale probably isn’t at an all-time high. As you’re able to get back into your lifting regimen, it’s important to remember that you also have to get the rest of your wellness routine back in check.
Gallucci stresses the importance of proper hydration, a normal sleep schedule, good nutrition, and flexibility. “All of these factors go into straining a muscle,” he says. “So working back to your appropriate nutrition plans, making sure you’re hydrated for activity, making sure you’re warmed up for the activity, and making sure you’re getting a normal sleep pattern back is important.”
During a gym hiatus, keeping the rest of your schedule normal is easier said than done. But if you focus on maintaining the healthy habits that are within your control in the meantime, you’ll be all the more prepared to get back to lifting—gradually and safely, of course.
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Safety Tips for Going Back Post-Pandemic
If the coronavirus pandemic was the reason for your absence at the squat rack, getting back to the gym may sound scary. During these uncertain times, it’s important to follow CDC guidelines and take your safety into your own hands no matter what measures your gym is taking to keep members safe.
We tapped Dr. Kiah Connolly, MD, health director at Trifecta Nutrition, for some basic tips to stay healthy if you fear that your iron paradise has become an iron petri dish.
“From what we know to date about the coronavirus, it is mainly spread from person to person,” Connolly says, “So, when going to the gym—or any other public location—it’s currently recommended to maintain at least a six-foot distance between other people to best protect yourself from getting the virus and from potentially giving it to other people.”
This means not working out with a partner as closely as you would’ve pre-pandemic, taking it upon yourself to create distance between yourself and other gym patrons, and steering clear of high traffic areas, including showers and locker rooms, when you can. So shower at home, and bring your own water bottle instead of using public water fountains.
“The virus may also be spread by touching surfaces, especially if these surfaces had recently been touched by someone with the virus,” she adds. “It will therefore also be important to wipe down any equipment you are touching before and after using it with a disinfectant.”
Everyone should always wipe down equipment before and after using it, but now’s the time to be extra diligent about it. And although it sounds like a lot to use a new wipe every time, Connolly warns that reusing disposable cleaning wipes can reduce their effectiveness or even contribute to the spread of infection.
And you already know this one, but please wash your hands frequently. By now, you know the drill: soap, hot water, 20 seconds. If you’re mid-workout and not next to a sink, the CDC’s recommendation is hand sanitizer that’s at least 60 percent alcohol.
If this sounds like a lot to consider, that’s because it is. But the more seriously you take gym hygiene, the less likely your gym will be the epicenter of the next outbreak.
