NO.1 KEY TO YIELDING RESULTS WHEN GYM LOCKDOWNS END
When resuming your journey in the gym for strength and performance the number one factor in obtaining results is 'consistency'. Especially if you have a plan written out for you by a coach!
A person who commits to 2 days training per week and completes every session will yield greater results than a person who commits to 4 days per week and only makes 2 of those sessions each week. Even though they are both attending the same amount of sessions each week.
Let me explain...
A training program is generally written in blocks of 4-8 weeks depending on your goal, date to the start of pre-season, injury, etc. So first you’ll need to commit to a duration of a number of weeks. For the sake of this article lets use 8 weeks for a hypertrophy program. Secondly, a hypertrophy program can be written with a frequency of 2-5 sessions each week and obviously the more sessions you can do the more gains you will achieve but only IF you are consistent!
If you tell your coach you want to train 2 days per week, he/she will likely write a program specifically designed to cover everything over those two days. For example day 1 might be a lower body program and day 2 an upper body program or alternatively two full body days. There are a few methods in program design that a coach can take and a good coach will figure out the best approach with the information provided.
However, if you tell your coach you want to train 4 days, he/she will likely write a program specifically designed to cover all required exercises and muscle groups in those 4 days. It may be two lower body days and two upper body days or certain push/ pull days, etc... However, if you miss two of those days there is a very high chance that the muscles designed to be trained on those missed days are not covered in the days you are there. If you are not training those muscles then you likely creating imbalances that could increase your risk of injury which could then hinder your progress.
The no. 1 factor to achieving results
in the gym is consistency
Not being consistent with the goals you set for training can also have an impact on your mental wellbeing. Imagine you set a goal to commit to 4 sessions per week over the 8 week program block and only end up completing 2 sessions each week. How does it make you feel at the end of the week that you missed two sessions? How does it make you feel at the end of the 8 week block that you missed 16 out of 32 sessions?
Unsatisfied? disappointed? Like a failure?
Now imagine you set a goal to commit to 2 sessions per week over the 8 week program block and completed all sessions. How does it make you feel that at the end of each week you completed both sessions? How does it make you feel that at the end of the 8 week block you completed all 16 sessions? How does it make you feel on some weeks that you had spare time and got in a bonus session?
Satisfied? Successful? Like you’re on fire?
In both examples the same amount of sessions were completed, but because each example had set a different goal the outcomes from a mental perspective were different. So it pays both physically and mentally to be realistic with how many days you can truely be consistent in the gym.
My advice when you return to the gym after the lockdown ends, is to take into account your work, family and especially social life; and be realistic with how many days you can commit to training. Then have a plan written out for you to be consistent! I know! I know! Most of you are feeling like sh*t after not being in the gym for so long. Being locked down and eating crap. Drinking alcohol to help with the stress of work, kids, anxiety, etc. Now all you want to do is train 5 days a week! Believe me, I know. I’m in the same situation as many of you.
However, also trust me when I tell you that there is a very high chance you will burn out both physically and mentally after a few weeks of trying for 5 days a week. You will end up taking a few steps back and starting again or worse you’ll give up on the gym. In my 10 years of coaching I’ve seen it happen many times!
By no means am I advising you NOT to train 5 days. If you believe you can be consistent with that then go for it. I am simply advising that when you return to gym you be realistic with your goals and how many days you can be consistent.
