Comments on: Getting Back Into Strength Training After a Layoff http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/ Build Muscle & Lose Fat Through Strength Training Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:24:18 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Mehdi http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2966 Mehdi Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:41:31 +0000 http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2966 You nearly manage 25kg for 5x5 on the Overhead Press Eddie? That's not bad. I couldn't manage 40kg for 5 reps when I got back from holiday, I'd normally do 55kg for 5 reps. You lost less strength than me Eddie. Take it slowly. You're not a total beginner anymore. You've been working out before leaving. Check the tips above. You did 50kg on the squat, build up from there, adding 2,5kg every workout. You'll go past the 65kg in no time. Same with the other exercises. If you can progress with 5kg, do it. If not: 2,5kg works too, it just takes more time. If you have the time, go for 2,5kg, it's less painful after your deload. And get your nutrition back on track Eddie. Very important. You nearly manage 25kg for 5×5 on the Overhead Press Eddie? That’s not bad. I couldn’t manage 40kg for 5 reps when I got back from holiday, I’d normally do 55kg for 5 reps. You lost less strength than me Eddie.

Take it slowly. You’re not a total beginner anymore. You’ve been working out before leaving. Check the tips above. You did 50kg on the squat, build up from there, adding 2,5kg every workout. You’ll go past the 65kg in no time. Same with the other exercises.

If you can progress with 5kg, do it. If not: 2,5kg works too, it just takes more time. If you have the time, go for 2,5kg, it’s less painful after your deload.

And get your nutrition back on track Eddie. Very important.

]]> By: eddie http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2955 eddie Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:12:34 +0000 http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2955 Ive just come back from my 22nd in zante of complete body abuse of lack of sleep far to much acahol and rubbish food for 2weeks. gym stats before: squat = 65kg overhead = 32.5kg deadlift =75kg benchpress = 45kg went to gym yesterday i couldn't even manage 25kg on overhead, 5x5 managed 50kg on sqat had to do 60kg on deadlift, bench press is tommorow. Im achaching all over! thats a pritty massive deload, is it going to take me just as long to get back ther as it did in the first place? Should i still go up by 2.5kg every workout? or should i go up 5kg till im back where i was? Ive just come back from my 22nd in zante of complete body abuse of lack of sleep far to much acahol and rubbish food for 2weeks.
gym stats before:
squat = 65kg
overhead = 32.5kg
deadlift =75kg
benchpress = 45kg

went to gym yesterday
i couldn’t even manage 25kg on overhead, 5×5
managed 50kg on sqat
had to do 60kg on deadlift, bench press is tommorow.
Im achaching all over!
thats a pritty massive deload, is it going to take me just as long to get back ther as it did in the first place?

Should i still go up by 2.5kg every workout? or should i go up 5kg till im back where i was?

]]> By: Mehdi http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2923 Mehdi Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:05:10 +0000 http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2923 Snapping hip syndrome is a groin injury. Inflammation of the psoas/piriformis/adductors. I've been struggling with this for about a year now. I was going to post about it. Snapping hip syndrome is a groin injury. Inflammation of the psoas/piriformis/adductors. I’ve been struggling with this for about a year now. I was going to post about it.

]]> By: MarkFu http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2922 MarkFu Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:56:34 +0000 http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2922 Snapping Hip Syndrome??? You mean SHS? I don't know what that is but the first injury came from crappy deadlift form where I slightly tweaked it. Then I ignored it and squatted heavy in the same workout and really messed it up. This is when I was pretty new at Crossfit. I injured the other side a month later, when I dropped the leash of my young and strong dog. When she wouldn't come when I called her, she went flying by me full speed with the leash trailing behind her. I stepped on it hard and she already was in full stride and I could hear the adductor make an odd noise followed by a sharp pain. Interestingly enough, Mark Rippetoe gave me a 14 day squat program that helped speed up the healing. Snapping Hip Syndrome??? You mean SHS? I don’t know what that is but the first injury came from crappy deadlift form where I slightly tweaked it. Then I ignored it and squatted heavy in the same workout and really messed it up. This is when I was pretty new at Crossfit. I injured the other side a month later, when I dropped the leash of my young and strong dog. When she wouldn’t come when I called her, she went flying by me full speed with the leash trailing behind her. I stepped on it hard and she already was in full stride and I could hear the adductor make an odd noise followed by a sharp pain. Interestingly enough, Mark Rippetoe gave me a 14 day squat program that helped speed up the healing.

]]> By: Mehdi http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2921 Mehdi Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:27:44 +0000 http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2921 What kind of groin injury MarkFu? Snapping hip syndrome? What kind of groin injury MarkFu? Snapping hip syndrome?

]]> By: MarkFu http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2918 MarkFu Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:53:16 +0000 http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2918 Excellent points Sperwer. I too, will take some time to deload for about a week a couple times a year. I will also, at the end of every 12 weeks or so, take a week where everything I do in training is at 50% weight or intensity. Over the last half of 2006 I found myself getting injuries I seldom or never had. While it was at first frustrating, it was also a learning opportunity and I adjusted my training accordingly. While injured, I took up the challenge of working around the the injury(s), which at one point were not one, but two groin injuries! Excellent points Sperwer. I too, will take some time to deload for about a week a couple times a year. I will also, at the end of every 12 weeks or so, take a week where everything I do in training is at 50% weight or intensity. Over the last half of 2006 I found myself getting injuries I seldom or never had. While it was at first frustrating, it was also a learning opportunity and I adjusted my training accordingly. While injured, I took up the challenge of working around the the injury(s), which at one point were not one, but two groin injuries!

]]> By: Mehdi http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2917 Mehdi Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:19:31 +0000 http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2917 Indeed. Good luck with the new approach Sperwer. Indeed. Good luck with the new approach Sperwer.

]]> By: Sperwer http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2916 Sperwer Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:41:11 +0000 http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2916 Thanks, I will; comparing singles will be a good way of assessing the accuracy of the other comparisons. Thanks, I will; comparing singles will be a good way of assessing the accuracy of the other comparisons.

]]> By: Sperwer http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2915 Sperwer Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:39:29 +0000 http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2915 I second what Mehdi says, subject to the caveat - which you may understand well Mark - that it gets geometrically harder to come back as you get older. Both strength and endurance degenerate more and more quickly, and the process picks up momentum the longer it goes on. I'm 56, and this is probably my fifth "comeback" (ahthetically-speaking; I've never lifted before) since my late teens. Each time has been (significantly) harder than the previous and, while I can smile about it now, the first three months or so of my current resurrrection - which started about a year ago - were really hell. Once I got going, though, I wouldn't take a break for anything because, like you Mark, I was quite apprehensive of rapidly getting too comfortable with the softer, easier way and then having to claw back the gains - assuming I got the motivation switched back on. Now, on the other hand, I'm scheduling regular recovery periods in my cycles - albeit generally no more than a deload week or a deload week and a single complete rest week - because doing so produces dramatic new gains on restart starting about a week into the new cycle after a week of re-acclimitization. I second what Mehdi says, subject to the caveat – which you may understand well Mark – that it gets geometrically harder to come back as you get older. Both strength and endurance degenerate more and more quickly, and the process picks up momentum the longer it goes on. I’m 56, and this is probably my fifth “comeback” (ahthetically-speaking; I’ve never lifted before) since my late teens. Each time has been (significantly) harder than the previous and, while I can smile about it now, the first three months or so of my current resurrrection – which started about a year ago – were really hell. Once I got going, though, I wouldn’t take a break for anything because, like you Mark, I was quite apprehensive of rapidly getting too comfortable with the softer, easier way and then having to claw back the gains – assuming I got the motivation switched back on. Now, on the other hand, I’m scheduling regular recovery periods in my cycles – albeit generally no more than a deload week or a deload week and a single complete rest week – because doing so produces dramatic new gains on restart starting about a week into the new cycle after a week of re-acclimitization.

]]> By: Mehdi http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2892 Mehdi Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:24:14 +0000 http://stronglifts.com/getting-back-into-strength-training-after-a-layoff/#comment-2892 I squatted for 3 years in the smith machine. Never really gave me problems. However I'd never advise it. As you'll experience: free weights are much harder (balance) than machines (a smith is a machine in my book), better results. I prefer that my body decides where the weight goes, rather than the machine forcing my body into certain movement patterns. Anyway. Sounds like you had a fun workout. Pretty much what I had too past week. I remember several years ago. I was watching eurosport. Thai-box competition. One guy received a punch in his face. Everything started to bleed & it was broken. The guy just laughed to the other guy & continued. I did a 20 rep power clean today with 70kg. It was pretty hard, and I was laughing now & then between the reps. It gives a kick when you feel you're being pushed beyond your current limits, especially endurance wise. Why don't you compare how your max single on the bench press increases doing 5x5 compared to your previous bench press approach? I squatted for 3 years in the smith machine. Never really gave me problems. However I’d never advise it. As you’ll experience: free weights are much harder (balance) than machines (a smith is a machine in my book), better results. I prefer that my body decides where the weight goes, rather than the machine forcing my body into certain movement patterns.

Anyway. Sounds like you had a fun workout. Pretty much what I had too past week. I remember several years ago. I was watching eurosport. Thai-box competition. One guy received a punch in his face. Everything started to bleed & it was broken. The guy just laughed to the other guy & continued. I did a 20 rep power clean today with 70kg. It was pretty hard, and I was laughing now & then between the reps. It gives a kick when you feel you’re being pushed beyond your current limits, especially endurance wise.

Why don’t you compare how your max single on the bench press increases doing 5×5 compared to your previous bench press approach?

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