5 Training Tips to Consider After Lockdown

Lockdown may seem to be dragging, but the end of isolation and masks will come! Gyms will reopen and people will be back to doing bicep curls in the squat rack in no time.

HOWEVER,

There are a few things you should consider before jumping back into the gym with a your stringer vest and headband...

1. Be patient. You might have had a long time off training, or you might just be getting the motivation to start! Both are massive reasons why you should be training your body, not your ego. That PB bench and strict curl (because chest and arms is the only thing we want to do... right?) can wait! Going too hard too quickly a good way of training if you want to burn out, injure yourself and be overall disappointed with your training.

2. If you were going hard before lockdown, you CANNOT pick up exactly where you left off. Unless you had a full set of gym equipment at your disposal through lockdown (lucky you), do not think you can just jump straight back in to your programme. Plan for lower volume and weight, again - be patient.

3. If you DID train all the way through lockdown, consider changing up the exercises! Like me, some people had access to mainly free weights throughout lockdown and have put a lot of load through the axial part of our skeleton. Stabilising muscles will also be smoked! To counter this, try switching up with machines. For example - machine press instead of bench, hack squat instead of barbell squat, Pec Dec Flyes instead of dumbell flyes, etc. This will take a massive stress of the body and stop micro injuries that can build up over time, as long as you perform your exercises with correct technique. Doing new stuff is also cool and fun!

4. Focus on exercise execution rather than pushing heavy. Slow and steady wins the race! Being in control of your movements will not only lead to a reduced risk of injury, but also more muscle and strength gain due to time under tension.

5. Enjoy yourself and do what works for you! Just because everyone will jump back on the fitness wagon (which is great), don’t think you need to hit the gym 7 days a week. Progress is more than possible with just 1 or 2 sessions a week and proper recovery and nutrition. You don’t have to go for 3 hours at a time either. Have fun in your workouts, enjoy getting stronger and fitter and do exercises that you enjoy doing - not what the gym bros say you NEED to do.

Bonus tip! Get a coach. Hint hint.