Resuming Training After 6 Months

[GreenMachineX]

After covid, maybe some long covid, b12 deficiency, insomnia, and an impaled hand, I'm hoping to be back training next month. I've never taken a layoff of 6 months before and when I trained for a couple weeks back in January, it was garbage...so weak and deconditioned. When I was training consistently, I was doing:
Day 1 Upper Push
Day 2 Upper Pull with Squats
Off
Day 1 Upper Push
Day 2 Upper Pull with Deads
Off
Off

2 exercises per body part, 3-4 sets to just about failure on last set.

Obviously, can't jump straight back into that...don't want rhabdo or anything. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

[match]

Glad you're looking to get back to training!

What are your goals? How frequently can you train? What sort of equipment do you have access to? What's worked in the past for you? What types of exercise (cardio, resistance, sports) do you prefer/enjoy the most?

I think if you answer those questions you can get advice that's better tailored to you and a plan that you'll be much more likely to stick with.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Glad you're looking to get back to training!

What are your goals? How frequently can you train? What sort of equipment do you have access to? What's worked in the past for you? What types of exercise (cardio, resistance, sports) do you prefer/enjoy the most?

I think if you answer those questions you can get advice that's better tailored to you and a plan that you'll be much more likely to stick with.

Eventually I'll go back to what I was doing, strong focus on weight training and either LISS cardio or sprints. I have access to everything; it's just the "working back into it" part I'm no good at.

 

[match]

Sounds to me like you have every opportunity and enough experience in the gym to be able to make (or find) a program.

You said that in January that "it was garbage" (because you were weak and deconditioned)... Obviously I don't know you, but I have read some of your posts in other threads about the health issues you've been dealing with due to various nutrient deficiences, and I can only imagine how the things you are dealing with have affected your mentality toward training and life in general.

So my advice here would be: get very strict with yourself on your plan. 3 steps:

1. Decide how many days you're going to train.
2. Don't skip a day.
3. Track your progress and let your training evolve over time.

The hardest part is step 2. I personally adhere to step 2 and it's the one thing that sets me apart from pretty much everyone else I know in my personal life. I take adherance to my workout schedule very seriously. It doesn't mean that I don't have rest days, but those rest days are built into my plan (I don't lift on Wed or Sun). It also doesn't mean that I workout through injuries (if I'm hurt, I will either modify, replace, or skip any exercises that might cause further injury), but I still workout.

A few months back I heard the saying that Dedication is greater than Motivation, and that is my mantra in the gym (my garage). It doesn't matter how I feel, if I feel weak or deconditioned or tired or bleh, I still do my workout.

Don't give yourself an excuse, because the human body wants you to be a lazy slob, and parts of your brain will want to go along with your body's plan. You gotta take control of your flesh, make sure your frontal lobe is in control of the gameplan, and get the work done.

You'll change your life and, as you do, you will not only reap the benefits but you'll inspire others to do the same. Hopefully that motivates you enough to keep you going, but even on the days it doesn't, just remember:

Dedication > Motivation

 

[GreenMachineX]

Figured I'd update this since yesterday was my first workout. This is all I did:

Squats: bodyweight x 8, BW+45 x 8, BW+65 x 5
Bench Press: bar x 8, 65 x 8
Cable Row: 2 sets of 40 x 8

I can't believe how sore my legs are from a top set of 5 with 65 pounds on my back. The weights were pretty easy, but awkward, until the last set and felt like my legs were cramping, so I stopped at 5 reps instead of 8, but i wasn't really near failure i don't think. Still, ridiculous how deconditioned I've gotten.

Then, only got an hour or 2 of sleep either due to the workout or increasing b12/folate doses.

 

[match]

Alright, it's a start and better than nothing!

Anything on tap for today, aside from a well deserved nap?

 

[GreenMachineX]

Alright, it's a start and better than nothing!

Anything on tap for today, aside from a well deserved nap?

Nah, just a few short walks throughout the day. Probably won't get back in the gym until next week. Can't afford any more sleepless nights this week.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Well, worked out yesterday but scaled it back even more then that previous workout from 2 weeks ago. Much less sore, so I should be able to workout Friday so that's good. Plan is as follows:

Day 1
Bench
Row
Squat
Lateral Raise

Day 2
Deadlift
Shoulder Press
Pulldown or Assisted Pullup
Curls

I'll do each of these workouts once per week for 2 weeks, 2 sets per exercise, and work up to 3 sets and 3 workouts per week over the next month.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Finally did the day 2 workout. My last deadlift session 6 months ago was 475 for 1. Yesterday, I did 4 singles at 65 pounds, and my back/lats are crazy sore. I don't get how it felt like nothing yesterday, and today I'm wrecked. Like I said before, the last time I took a lengthy time off, I jumped in harder than this and it wasn't like this.