Two steps forward, One step back, Two steps forward. I often say to clients, regression can be one of the best tools to progression. All too often we look at regression as being a negative. But why? Regression can be a great way to rebuild foundations. Often when training at or near peak performance, at some time we will have a failure. Loss of tension, a failed lift or a breakdown of a link in our movement chain. This means we need to come backwards, rebuild the foundations and then look to once again go forward. The same principles apply after time off, an injury or a reduction in training volume or intensity. At the time of writing, the world is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people have been forced to make changes in the way they have been training. In most instances this has been no contact with a physical gym or coach, training from home, training with much lighter weights or bodyweight, or a complete stop in training altogether.
A number of factors will play into a return to normal training, eagerness to train again, a lack of experience, frequency of training, and ego. All of these things have the ability to cause injury and may not facilitate a structured return to training. A good strength/ performance program is well thought out, structured, and follows careful planning and consideration. Most likely your program (If you follow a structured program, from good coaches) during your time away from the gym saw an increase in volume (increased sets/ reps) and a reduction in weight. Hopefully it incorporated some tempo (paused reps), which keeps tendons and muscles healthy and strong. On the flip side of this however, it might mean that for many lifters, they were forced to lift much lighter loads than they usually do in the gym. Most likely, for the vast majority, the intensity of your conditioning saw a decrease during this time as well.
As we return to the gym, we need to be very conscious of all of these factors and rebuild in a structured and well thought out manner. Leave the ego at the door. If you have not picked up a barbell in two months, YOU WILL NOT, lift the same as you did before. Your body and nervous system are not conditioned to moving the same weight at the same intensity as you were previously doing. While you might be excited to get in and move every bumper plate in the gym, now is not the time to do that. In fact it may be detrimental. The first, and the biggest concern is injury. If you try to move your old weights, you will most likely injure yourself. If you do manage to move the weight without injury you will pull up so sore from training that you will disrupt the frequency of your planned sessions. DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), contrary to many peoples belief, is not necessarily a good indicator that you’ve had a good session. Instead it means you’ve exposed yourself to a stimulus you have not been exposed to before or in a very long time.
Structure your return to training, with guidance from a suitable coach if required, in a way that rebuilds your strength and performance gains without undue soreness, over reaching or injury. As a small guideline for a beginner or intermediate athlete, think about dropping your primary lifts to 50 or 60 percent of 1RM. Focus on perfect technique and re-establishing the building blocks of these lifts. Keep the volume (Reps) a little bit higher than a normal strength block (Think 7-8 Reps as opposed to 3-5). This will start to reintroduce stimulus to the body and to iron out any mobility issues or loss of tension. If required this is where we can use a series of regression for progression. Using all the tools available to us, think box squats, tempo squats, goblet or safety bar squats, trap bar or RDLs in place of deadlifts, just to name a few. These are all great ways to reintroduce load and all of these lifts may have their place for different lifters/ athletes. A good coach will be able to give you guidance in relation to this.
Reduce weight through your accessory exercises, and again focus on perfect technique rather than lifting heavy weights. Regression can be key here. Reducing weight is a regression. Opting for a split squat rather than an RFE/ Bulgarian split squat is a regression. A hollow hold rather than a hollow rock is a regression. Choosing to use these ‘regressed’ movements shows a level of maturity and understanding of what your body is capable and also not capable of. A good indicator as to whether you should be using a regressed or different movement is if you have a break down of technique, loss of tension or an early failed set during any one of your working sets.
When it comes to conditioning, it is likely that you may have lost some level of your maximum output. This may be especially true of machines such as bikes, rowers and ski erg. One session is not going to make you fit again, so don’t over extend yourself immediately. Look to train in vicinity of 60 percent of your maximum output and look to build consistently from there. If you overdo it is likely you will be sore, potentially over reach, placing stress on the body and nervous system and not have the ability to properly recover in order to train again.
The key to progression is to control the position/ posture and the weight at all times. Once you are satisfied that you are in control and there are no power leakages, its time to progress. This may be an increase in weight at the same, or a different rep range. It may be a more advanced version of a lift, or it may be the same lift, but driving the barbell with more intensity or more velocity. Weight increases should be carefully thought out percentages of maximal load. For instance a 5 – 7.5 percent increase for a beginner or intermediate lifter may be a good guideline (Remembering you are starting at 50 – 60 percent of 1RM). For someone with a previous 1RM Back squat of 100kg (220lb), starting at 60 percent (60kg), utilising a 5kg increase session to session would be a very safe and smart progression. This would put them back at maximal loads within a 4 week period of returning to the gym if they were squatting two times weekly (4-6 weeks if less frequency). For advanced lifters, increases may be entirely based off physical feedback from session to session and an understanding of how the load is moving and being controlled in the session. Coaches will be able to provide realistic increases and guidance with these numbers also.
Accessory work and conditioning should be treated in much the same fashion. Start with a regressed movement and/ or load and build over a number of weeks and frequent sessions. Progress in line with your compound lifts and the bodies feedback in relation to recovery. There is no shortcut when talking about reintroducing maximal or near maximal loads. The body and nervous system require progressive (gradual) overload in order to adapt to the new stress being placed upon them. Rushing or taking shortcuts is liable to give less than satisfactory results or injury and this will further hinder your return to training. Find a coach who is qualified to guide you in your return and who takes due care with the programming they prescribe to you. Leave your ego at the door. Take a structured approach to lifting and remember take one step back in order to drive two steps forward.
(The numbers/ data used in this blog are for representational purposes only. For some lifters this may be realistic, however each individuals progression will be based on a large number of factors. Use a qualified coach to assist you back into your training).
Author Jai Hoffman