Howdy Freak ! Hope you are doing fine in this COVID 19 situation. You must be aware that most of the gyms are going to open in the near months. Few have already opened. So lets get started with our “Returning To Gym Post Lockdown” Blog Article !
This blog post is for those gym freaks who wants to join gym as a new member or to resume their workout sessions after this lockdown. Here, you will get 8 very vital tips which you should definitely follow after returning to gym this post lockdown.
Before starting I want to give you a piece of important advice.
NOTE : If you already have a small gym setup at your home or few equipment’s which you can use on your daily basis to keep yourself fit then ” DO NOT go to gym “. We all know how worse the situation has become outside. Therefore, I will suggest you not to move out of your house until and unless – you don’t have any mediums or equipment’s in your home to keep yourself fit, make sure your gym is properly sanitized and everyone is maintaining social distancing, ensure a full hygienic setup is being maintained in your gym. Remember – To stay healthy is the biggest blessing in this COVID-19 situation.
Be wise to choose your path.
Table of Contents
1. REPETITIONS, SETS, WEIGHTS
If you are a complete beginner then you can follow my Complete Beginners Guide. It will help you tremendously to get started with your gym.
If you were on hold for few months due to lockdown then you should follow this tip very properly. Reduce your weight to 60 %. If you used to lift a dumbbell of 20 kgs before, lift a dumbbell of 12 kgs or 10 kgs. Your body loses the capacity to lift the previous weights due to time gap.
But don’t worry. After a couple of weeks you will be able to lift heavy again. No need to cut down your repetitions and sets. For couple of days you can reduce your repetition by one or two reps but its completely upto you.
Regarding lifting weight be serious because lifting heavy like before will bring muscle cramp, bone dislocations and heavy injuries. Specially with the exercise of squats, dead-lifts, chest press. Keep it light !
2. BODY WARM UP – STRETCHING
Your body has been in a hold period for a long time. So it is very important to mobilize your body before beginning your workout session.
Do a minimum of 20 minutes active stretching. Cover stretching exercises for all your body parts before beginning your workout. Also, once you feel your muscles are heated and warmed up properly then only begin with your session.
This is not only for those who are resuming their gym after lockdown but also to every gym enthusiast. Warming up your muscles properly will improve your blood circulation and bring a better pump in your muscles. It will prevent you from cramps, muscle injuries, tissue ruptures and dislocation of joints.
Including few sprints, push ups, yoga and joint exercises can be a good idea to opt for before beginning your hardcore training.
3. BODY HYDRATION
This tip should be your top priority. Don’t let your body go in dehydrated phase. During initial time you will feel more fatigue, thirsty and tiredness. This happens due to a long gap which your body has adapted during lockdown.
Make sure to drink 500 ml to 700 ml of water during your whole workout session ( 60 minutes to 90 minutes). Have small sips between every sets to avoid extra tiredness.
You can also mix a amount of BCAA’S or EAA’S in your regular water during your workout sessions. This will keep you hydrated as well as promote muscle recovery rate.
Do not have a heavy meal atleast before 90 minutes of your workout session. This will keep you free from stomach bloating and energize you properly.
NOTE : Avoid using the public water dispenser in gym. Carry your own water bottle and sippers. This will help you to maintain your hygiene in this pandemic phase.
4. REST DURATION / RESTING PERIOD
Remember “Rome wasn’t built in a day“. Same is the case with your body.
Don’t get stressed out to bring your body back in the shape which you left before COVID situation. You just need couple of months to get back in the shape again.
Increase your resting period between your exercises ( + 15 seconds than usual ). If you feel fatigue and tiredness you can increase your rest duration between your sets as well ( + 10 seconds than usual ). Your body will need time to adapt to your previous workout routine. For couple of weeks keep relaxing often during your workout sessions. If you are confused about rest period you can refer to my Beginners Guide To Gym.
Give yourself time to grow again. Maintaining a strenuous routine will bring more fatigues and will make your muscles flaccid in your body.
5. DO NOT OVER-TRAIN
As I have said earlier “Give yourself time” to develop again. If you feel 10 reps are enough for you for a particular set keep it to 10. No need to force yourself to 12 or extra reps.
If you are getting completely exhausted with 3 exercises for a particular part – limit it to 3 only. No need to extend your workout and increase the number of exercises.
If previously you used to perform 4 exercises for a particular part it does not signifies that now also you will be able to perform the same. Your body was in resting period for so many months. Getting back to previous form will take a minimum of 4 weeks.
Your body is a smart machine. It knows how to handle the situation. When your body is sending you struggling signals than better not to struggle.
In next few weeks once you will be back on your previous track you can again start maintaining your repetitions and sets as before.
6. GET AWARE OF YOUR CAPACITY
If you want to avoid severe injury then you should follow this tip attentively.
If you are a Complete Beginner then its fine with you to lift weights with your own convenience. But if you are resuming your gym session after COVID lockdown then you should be extra careful regarding your weight selection.
Don’t bring your ego forward to lift extra weight than your capacity. You will regain your old strength after a couple of weeks of hard workout. But in the meantime if you suffer from another injury then recovery period will extend longer.
Lift minimum weight according to your own convenience. Do not force yourself to lift extra. Your body will need time to adapt to previous scene. Lifting extra weight will cause injuries, tissue rupture, joint issues and disc dis-movement.
So be mature enough to know your capacity and lift according to that.
7. MEAL PLAN / SLEEP PATTERN
These two factors are for everyone. No matter whether you started going to gym, already a member or resuming your workout session after lockdown. Having a healthy clean balanced meal is something which you can not afford to divert with.
Your body structure will depend 60 % on the diet plan you are taking. Rest 40 % includes your workout.
For your better recovery rate, strength regain factor, endurance, stamina you need to have a good diet plan. Have an adequate amount of protein, fats, carbohydrates, essential oils in your meal so as to boost your strength and metabolism rate.
Regarding your sleep pattern make sure to have a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every night. 7 to 8 hours of deep sleep will help you to get faster recovery and process your body properly. The major muscle building process happens during your sleep cycle. Cutting of the hours from your sleep cycle will delay the muscle gain result and decrease your recovery rate.
Specially, if you are among those who is resuming the gym after lockdown then you should definitely consider to improve your meal plan and sleep cycle.
8. MASK / SOCIAL DISTANCING
As I have said earlier if you already have a small gym setup at your home or few equipment’s which you can use on your daily basis to keep yourself fit then ” DO NOT go to gym “. You need to follow strict rules to deal with COVID 19.
But in case if you are planning to opt for gym carry your own hand sanitizer spray or liquid bottle every time. Preferably keep your belongings away from others.
Wearing mask every-time during workout can be a bit frustrating. This will increase your body temperature, make you breathe uncomfortably and hence increase the rate of heart. But considering the outer situation and safety practices prefer to wear it most of the time in gym.
Maintain the practice of social distancing. Do not get too close to anyone in gym. Tell your gym owner to sanitize the equipment’s everyday and keep a health check on every enrolled members before they come to gym.
These were the guidelines which you should definitely follow once you return back to your gym after COVID-19 lockdown. Stay Safe !
Like This Post ? Thank Me By Sharing It ! 💖
More From My Blog’s Corner :
COVID 19 Lifestyle Tips, Beginners Guide To Gym, Ways To Reduce Fat, BCAA’S / EAA’S, Chest Workouts, Bicep Workouts
More From Other Blog’s Corner ( Top Fitness Blogs ) :
fitnessista, bornfitness, lovesweatfitness, travelstrong, nerdfitness, 12minuteathlete, gymtalk, yogadork, theleangreenbean, blackgirlsrun, fitbottomedgirls, muscleandfitness, breakingmuscle, runeatrepeat, gethealthyu, muscleevo, tonygentilcore, afoodiestaysfit