5 Tips for Building a Workout Routine Post-Lockdown
Gyms are finally back open and we couldn’t be happier! For many, this means access to heavier and more varied weights, resistance and cardio machines and generally a bit more space to move around in.
Now that equipment, or lack thereof, is no longer an issue, the next step is to ensure you’re making the most of this with a workout routine built to maximise results. After all, there is a science behind training that we can use to our advantage.
Core Collective‘s Head of Fitness and Fresh Fitness Food Ambassador, Joe Corrie, is on hand to give you his 5 top tips for getting back into the swing of gym-based exercise in the most effective manner.
Tip 1: Take it slow
Go in with adjusted expectations, put the feelers out and just have some fun with it. Use the first couple of weeks to focus on good form and technique, slowly building the load and intensity. The last thing we want is to be forced into another month or more off but this time due to injury. Know with good consistency your numbers will be back to where they were and beyond in no time.
Tip 2: Apply progressive overload
This is the foundation of any good strength training program and involves continually increasing the demands put on the musculoskeletal system. Progressive Overload isn’t just limited to weight training and can also be applied to cardiovascular-fitness programs, creating physiological changes that affect aerobic metabolism and the cardiorespiratory system. The takeaway message is a nice lead on from “take it slow” as you want to look to gradually increase the demands put on the body whether that be by adding more weight, increasing volume with higher sets/reps rather than go all out one week and then crashing the next. Look for those incremental gains week on week.
Tip 3: Fuel Yourself
I know us fitness folk sound like nagging grannys with our “Nutrition is King” talk but it really is. At the most fundamental level nutrition is important because it provides a source of energy required to perform an activity (low calories = low energy = poor performance = poor results). Our training sessions are the catalyst for change; we put our body under physical stresses in order to prompt it to adapt in a specific way based on the type of training it is exposed to so we need to ensure we have enough energy to hit the levels required. This being said it is during rest and recovery where the true adaptations take place, we need to ensure we are consuming adequate protein which aids the repairing of muscle tissue and enough calories in order for the remodelling and adaptation to take place. Not sure where to start? Book in a call with a Fresh Fitness Food nutritionist and they can guide you in the right direction.
Tip 4: Follow a plan
Any movement is great but if you’re wanting to get the most out of your training time then following a plan is a must. Rather than aimlessly wandering into the gym and floating from whatever tickles your fancy at the time to whichever machine catches your eye next, following a plan will ensure you go into your session with a focus, you are efficient with your time, and hit the volume/intensity required to promote change. In addition, a good plan will also prevent you from going in and hitting the same/similar movements day in day out at the same high intensities week in week out. We’ll all be haunted by the monstrous number of burpees during lockdown for some time to come I’m sure. Your plan should focus on varying movement patterns from day to day allowing some muscle groups to recover whilst others work and get you working in a range of intensities covering all bases in terms of energy systems both of which will prevent injuries and any risk of burnout/overtraining. Attending a top studio “Core, Cough, Collective” will ensure your back is covered.
Tip 5: Get a coach
Having an experienced coach take care of your training program can be invaluable, taking much of the guesswork away. They can be your brain ensuring all of the above factors are taken care of so you can turn up and put all of your energy into the application. They will be an impartial view who can spot any signs of overtraining and modify the plan to accommodate your recovery needs as well as your specific training requirements. You can head to my website to sign up for 1-2-1 training, online coaching or training plans and I’ll happily help you on your way to your goals.
Implement some or all of these five tips and you can trust you’ll make the most of the newfound freedom. Happy lifting team!
Fresh Fitness Food provides personalised meal plans delivered straight to your door, ensuring not only that you have the nutrients you need to manage your stress levels, but also that you have the time usually spent shopping, cooking and washing up, to engage in your favourite stress-reducing activity. To discuss which nutrition plan is right for you, book a call with our in-house nutrition team here.
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