I am fortunate to have a pretty decent home gym. I have been enjoying not having to commute (one-hour plus each way) to work during this quarantine—and will be forced to continue teaching remotely through December. I have made progress over these months and hope to be in my best shape in decades by the time I return to the classroom. For many, however, exercise has not been a priority while the gyms have been closed. (Note: I will not say that gym closures have been a valid reason for not exercising. The lack of gym access has, however, been a challenging constraint.) The good news is that the gyms are starting to reopen.
As gyms reopen, consider that fitness has likely been lost. The tendency will be to be over-optimistic and over-assertive in our exercise plan. This will likely lead to extreme soreness and, potentially, injury. At the very least, exercisers will be disappointed in what they can (or cannot) do. Be patient. Fitness cannot be (re)built in a day.
Have a plan for progress. You can and (hopefully) will get back to where you were before the shutdown in due time. Expect to have to back up before going forward.
If you are dissatisfied with your post-quarantine physique, set some goals and act on them. Don’t expect quick results. Don’t fall for the “30-day transformation” bullsh**. Expect months to get (back) to where you want to be. You may not have the “beach body” you want this summer. Be patient and expect to have it next summer. Remember, sustainable weight (i.e., fat) loss usually occurs at a rate of 1-2 lbs per week. Muscle is gained at an even slower rate.
If you didn’t adjust your diet during the quarantine (which is really why you gained body fat—if you), then take the steps now. Just getting back into a regular exercise routine is going to have a positive effect. To facilitate fat loss, you must be hypocaloric. Increased activity will require more calories, so don’t be overly aggressive with the calorie restriction—adjust your intake down in small increments (e.g., 100 kcal/day) until you attain a comfortable rate of fat loss. Use the mirror, instead of the scale, as a better indicator of progress.
Lifting weights? (You should.) Start lighter than you think you should. Focus on technique (more so than you probably did before) and less on the numbers. Add volume (e.g., sets) before focusing on adding intensity (e.g., weight). Spend a bit more time, initially, with warm-up set and shift to more working sets as the body adjusts to exercising again. Another option might be to go back to a beginner program, such as StrongLifts 5×5 or Starting Strength 3×5, at a very light starting weight and progress accordingly. (These programs add weight rather quickly, so the initial progress will be encouraging.)
Young athletes will be starting back to sports very soon. As coaches, realize that most kids are going to be more out-of-shape than usual at the start of practices. Don’t think you can start where you normally might or “whip them into shape”. Take time to focus on conditioning. Be patient and start slow. Brutal conditioning activities at the start of the season will be demotivating, as well as increase the rate of injuries. Championships are going to be won this fall by the coaches who are patient and understand the principle of progressive overload.
Don’t let your athlete wait to start getting in-shape for the upcoming season. They don’t need a gym to start conditioning, but they do need to be active. Don’t delay.
Two months of inactivity is not going to be reversed in a couple weeks at the gym. Plan for the long-haul and start with the tortoise’s speed. Have a backup plan in place in the case that the gyms shut down again. The path to fitness starts today. No more excuses. Time for execution. Slow and steady. Commitment and consistency.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!