After months of closures, gyms around the country are slowly resuming operations.
There are plenty of people discussing all the ways to protect yourself from COVID-19 when you return to the gym. I’m not going to talk about that today, as those policies will come directly from your gym or local government.
Each person also has their own unique circumstances with work, family, and finances as well as their own personal risk tolerance, all of which could affect their decision about when to return to the gym.
Instead of digging into these issues, I want to discuss another crucial element of staying safe when you go back to the gym. It’s hard to overstate just how important this consideration is to protect yourself.
Be cautious to avoid injuries.
You are not the same trainee that you were back in early March.
If you don’t take your time easing back into full weight room workouts, you are setting yourself up for pain and injuries.
Even if you’ve been crushing your home training, your body is not in specific shape for the gym.
There is a big difference between squatting with a band or kettlebell and squatting with a barbell.
Same idea applies to other exercises. If the only pressing movements you’ve done for three months are various types of pushups, your body is no longer fully adapted for barbell – or even dumbbell – bench pressing.
Now, this doesn’t mean you’re totally out of shape if you’ve been training without access to real weights. I have clients that lost weight, built lean muscle, and are moving better than ever thanks to their quarantine workouts. You may even feel stronger and fitter than you did before the gym closed.
However, the specific stressors placed on your ligaments, tendons, and joints are different with different training tools.
Barbells in particular are not very joint-friendly and a lot less forgiving of form errors. Placing too much load and stress on delicate connective tissues before they’re ready is a great way to hurt yourself.
Getting hurt now only means more time away from the gym. Nobody wants that!
The absolute worst thing you can do when you go back to the gym is try and jump right back in to the exact workouts you were using before quarantine.
What to do instead
- Start with shorter workouts. Your work capacity for lifting weights is likely reduced. I recommend 30 minute workouts for at least the first two weeks. You can always fill in extra time with cardio or non-lifting activities.
- Prioritize recovery. Get plenty of sleep, eat primarily nutrient-rich foods, drink lots of water, and go for easy walks on your off days. You can also experiment with bodywork, contrast showers, and other recovery tools.
- Use less weight. No matter what exercise you perform, start with lighter weights than you think you can handle.
- Be cautious about barbell training. I actually recommend avoiding barbells for the first 2-4 weeks. Focus on dumbbells, kettlebells, cables, and machines. Then, once you’re back in the swing of things, you can add barbell movements back into the mix.
- Consider starting a new training program. Hiring an experienced coach or trainer to guide you through this process can take a lot of pressure off your shoulders.
- Be nice to yourself. You will likely feel pretty weak and out of shape the first time you return to the weight room. Don’t let this get you down. If you stayed active during quarantine, your gym strength and endurance will return pretty rapidly. If you were totally sedentary for the last three months, this process will probably take a little longer.
One last note – expect to be very sore when you first get back into lifting weights. In my experience, people feel the most intense soreness when they return to lifting weights after a long period away or do exercises they haven’t done in a while.
This is another reason to take it easy with lighter loads and shorter workouts until you re-acclimate to the gym.
Do you have questions or concerns about how to safely resume your gym routine? Apply for my online training program and I can provide customized plans, support, and advice to help you navigate this transition.