Back to it after illness

amanda9402

I had gotten into a pretty good regimen of lifting heavy (following NROLFW) for about 8 weeks. Then I went on vacation for a week, and came back with an awful cold/sinus infection that knocked me out of commission for another week.

I'm finally feeling mostly human again and want to get back to the gym tonight.

Any advice for where I should pick up on the weights? After a 2 week layoff, should I repeat my last workouts one time before moving on to the next ones? Decrease the weight a little? Go hard? What's worked for you?

chani8

Yeah, it sucks when that happens. I think you just have to go try it out. Probably will need to back up a little bit. Don't be disappointed. It's just a process and sometimes a person has to take a little step back, as they say, 'life happens'. You'll be moving forward in no time!! Just feel good!

Cherimoose

Any time someone takes more than a week off from lifting, it's good to reduce the weight and the number of sets.. otherwise you may too sore to move tomorrow, which isn't healthy. I would start with only 1 or 2 sets for your legs, chest, and upper back, using around 75% of your previous weight. Then 2-3 days later add a set or 2 per muscle group and increase the weight. By your 3rd workout you should be back to where you left off.