After two months on the road I’m back near my gym and aching to restart my workouts. As soon as I get dejetlagged I’m hitting the iron. This is the first time (after I started building) that I’ve been away from the gym for this length of time.
Is there a good way to get back into shape? I lost 9 lbs while away. Do I throw myself back into an intense strength training program or do I need to go to simpler full body workouts for a period?
Any advice? I don’t want to injure myself on the way back…
I just had a 4 1/2 week break myself. I went right into some strength training, but did not train anywhere near my limit. I simply got myself back in the groove that first week. Second week in and I start rocking away.
I’d probably take a week to either to some full body, or even upper/lower split training, where you just ease yourself back into the swing of things. Get your groove back with the exercises and don’t push it too hard as you’re probably in for a world of hurt a couple days after each workout.
Yeah, I took some time off too (4 workouts in a month). The threshold for stimulating protein synthesis is through the floor right now, so take it easy for a few weeks. IN a month or so, you should be rocking again.
And don’t worry about the weight loss, I feel like my muscles exploded in the past 2 weeks (mostly water forsure)!
Just started training again after a 1 month break. Got it all at once; flu, throatinfection and bronchitis. When I started I went back on the program (WS) I was on before but cut the volume to 50% and the weights to 80% of what I did before the break.
Next week (2:nd) I’ll increase volume and intensity, how much depends on how I feel.
It’s no point pushing too hard and get so bloody sore you can’t train. (Not yet at least, give me a few more weeks…)
I have a lot of experience with returning after layoffs. 
For me, I have found I can’t do anywhere near what I’m capable of lifting during the workout, or else I will get extremely sore. The soreness is inconvenient in the rest of my life. Through trial and error, I have found the factor to reduce is volume. Loading doesn’t seem to matter. So I try to lift relatively heavy weight but stop before I feel I’ve done anything. And I plan each successive workout based on how I felt the day after the previous workout.
It won’t take that long to get back on track with your workouts and regain those 9 pounds.