One of the most difficult things is trying to get back to the gym after taking a couple of months off.
This just recently happened to me. After my two shows in April, my body was so exhausted from my 6 month prep that I stopped going to the gym. I am a person who used to go 6 days a week, never missed, killed every single workout, and if I didn’t make it to the gym one out of the six days I would get wicked bad anxiety over it. (It was a bit extreme but that is how I function). But after my shows I could not step foot into the gym, like at all. I had no interest in going and any time I did go, I really hated being there. I couldn’t understand why because the gym is my thing and is my escape and I became extremely frustrated when I couldn’t get back into the swing of things.
I came to realize that my body just needed a break. I completely over did it and my body was just not agreeing with me being in the gym. I think it was also a mental thing as well because I used to go to the gym because I loved it and it was my getaway, but for prep the only reason for the gym was the show, there was no mental escape so it was exhausting.
So these past couple of months off, I did a lot of self reflecting and tried figuring out how I can get back to the old driven and goal-getter me. I came up with a set of new goals and came out of this rut with a new mind set. I realized I don’t need to get back into the gym full force and go six days a week. I was making it a goal to get to the gym 3-4x a week and that really helped because it wasn’t as stressful on my mind and body. And, accomplishing the small goal of going 3-4x a week made me feel really great and accomplished.
I am now back in the gym, with new goals for the 2019 year, and have never felt better. I woke up one morning and it kind of just clicked that fitness is my lifestyle and I cannot stress over missing the gym or making excuses to get to the gym.
I know it can be frustrating to be stuck in a rut, but here are some things that helped me and may help you too:
- Reflect on your previous goals and think about your future goals.
- Drink a lot of water: it’ll make you feel better and more refreshed.
- Set small goals rather than bigger ones that are less attainable during this rut.
- Create a small workout plan that’ll help you slowly get back in the gym.
- Try a new style of exercise, it will make it more fun.
- Take a break, your body probably needs it.
Here is a small little workout regimen that helped me get back:
Day 1: Legs
Day 2: Push
Day 3: Pull
Day 4: Legs
I focused on the fundamentals of lifting and training and made my workouts pretty simple to follow.
If you are struggling to get back into the gym – leave a comment below or email me! Maybe I can shed some light in your life and give you words of motivation to help you get back into the gym!
Much Love,
Alex
thebalanceddonut.com 