A vacation , illness , injury or just time off . We all have situations in our life where we don't train in the gym for a week or two , maybe three . But how do you jump back into your routine without missing a beat ? Let's talk about getting back to lifting and why starting where you left off might just be your best strategy . Welcome to the Whits and Weights podcast . I'm your host , phillip Pape , and this twice a week podcast is dedicated to helping you achieve physical self mastery by getting stronger , optimizing your nutrition and upgrading your body composition . We'll uncover science-backed strategies for movement , metabolism , muscle and mindset , with a skeptical eye on the fitness industry , so you can look and feel your absolute best . Let's dive right in .
Speaker 1This is the last quick Whits of 2023 and many of you are preparing for the holiday season , for Christmas , for New Year's . Many of you might be taking a week or two off from your training , which is totally okay . Sometimes we need a break , and that's great this time of year , whether it's a much needed vacation or break for the holidays , recovering from an illness , stepping away from your routine is totally normal . But the big question I get all the time is what do I do when I get back ? How do I return to strength training , especially if I'm following a program where I'm using progressive overload and something has been going up every session or every week ? What do I do when I come back ? Have I lost all my strength and gains ? Here's my take , and it's very straightforward Know , after a week or two , you haven't lost your strength or gains . When you get back to the gym , start with the last weight you were lifting . Just assume you're going to be able to lift that weight because , remember , normally you would be going up in some way . I'm simply asking you to repeat the last session and test the fact that you've maintained your strength . You might think , but won't that be too hard , or shouldn't I ease back into it ? Well , I agree .
Speaker 1It's essential always to listen to your body . We don't want to underestimate your body's ability to come right back to adapt . We also don't want to use that as an excuse . Your muscles do have memory , right Neuromuscular adaptation . A week or two off is not going to dramatically reduce your strength , because that's where the strength comes from , and in fact , sometimes a short break and I've experienced this myself can be beneficial . You get this chance to fully recover , to get rid of all the fatigue and come back even stronger . And so I suggest you test that lift and if it feels like you could actually go heavier and push to your next written or planned weight or set and rep scheme , do it . Just go for it Right now .
Speaker 1If you were out due to being sick , if you were ill , if you're still not feeling 100% , you know , be sensible , right , assess how you feel , if you're still recovering , then you might scale .
Speaker 1Like , if you're going back a little earlier than you thought you would , but you're still a little bit under the weather and you want to give it a shot and kind of give you a boost to your immune system , yeah , jump in , and maybe you do have to scale it back by , say , 10% .
Speaker 1But if you're healthy , if you just took a break , trust in your training that you've done so far , that you're going to be able to jump in and continue pushing that progressive overload , all right , it might feel a little tough , but I think you'll be surprised at how quickly your body re-adaps . Remember , consistency is always the thing , it's the key when it comes to strength training and by jumping back in at your last weight , you're maintaining that consistency , you're keeping those muscles engaged and you're staying on that progression with your goals . Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Wits and Weights . If you found value in today's episode and know someone else who's looking to level up their wits or weights , please take a moment to share this episode with them and make sure to hit the follow button in your podcast platform right now to catch the next episode . Until then , stay strong .