Back to the Gym after 9 months of gluttony and sitting ALOT!

[KrisValentine]

Hi Guys,

Well as I said above, tonight in about 4 hours I'll be heading to the gym for my first session in a long time, I've put on about 6 stone of fatty chunk and haven't run in such a long time I am actually a little intimidated to go back to the gym and be judged for my gut and crappy muscles.

Before I was 16 stone and benching 30 reps of 100kg, running for 40mins and the fittest I'd been in my life, then work stopped us having access to the gym and going on our lunch break ( I work 12 hour shifts) that coupled with the xmas period and my girlfriend arguing I spend too long in the gym too many times a week - well it led to shite food, tv watching and self hating while i ate another chocolate bar.

Looked in the mirror yesterday, I hated it, my pecs have gone, no arms and my gut is horrid.

So i'm going back to the gym after work, yes i am yes i am.

Hate restarting the Gym. anyone else gone back after a long break? I used to spend 2 hours at the gym during a session, I'd go 4 times a week.

[maccy]

I've only ever stopped training due to injury, infact I can't do anything at the moment due to a recent crash, probably going to be another few month out. My main worry going back is because I'm expecting whatever injury made me stop in the first place is going to flare up again, or destroy any progress I made.

I'm the opposite though, I cant wait to go back, I feel like shit if im not doing anything, its surprising just how fast you will pick up where you left off too.

[Steve D]

I've put on a bit of weight over the last 10 years since I stopped smoking and one of my students cheekily asked whether I work out in the gym. Playing along with him I said that I did. He then said to me "I bet your favourite machine is the crisp machine". Cheeky f**ker!

[Mr Fro]

I'm the opposite - I lost all my muscle mass. I got a bit obsessed doing 2-3 hours/day, 5 days/week. I used to be 14 1/2 stone of fitness shifting mega weight and doing 10k in sub 45 mins. Now I'm a 12ish stone streak of piss with zero strength (I tried shifting a bottle of welding gas one handed the other day and all that moved was me!). I mentioned about going back to the gym but the OH is worried I'd get all obsessive again and reminded me I hadn't done a billion things around the house yet!

[Fozzie]

Hi Guys,

Before I was 16 stone and benching 30 reps of 100kg, running for 40mins and the fittest I'd been in my life

Hate restarting the Gym. anyone else gone back after a long break? I used to spend 2 hours at the gym during a session, I'd go 4 times a week.

 

Firstly... WOW! 100kg for 30 reps

I can only do 5 reps at that weight and thought it was good as when I started I could only do 35kg.

I took a few years off due to moving away from home and spent too much time doing lazy things with the friend group I was part of then. But I did the reverse and shrank.

I fell down to 60kg (just below 10 stone), which is pretty bad as I'm reasonably tall at 6 foot 2.

Getting back into it really just requires one thing, accepting you won't be as good as you were but focusing on becoming better. Use your old self as a bench mark.

I have pulled my weight up to 85kg or just above 13 stone, which is not bad but I'm looking to hit 14 stone. My body fat is parked at 10% so it's easy to put on the wrong kind of weight.

My weak point has always been my diet, I eat the right foods, but not enough. So make sure you aren't doing the opposite and eating too many bad foods!

Break it in nicely, just lift the bar on the bench, then raise the wait to about 50kg which is 50% your previous high intensity workout, see how it feels and progress from there

I go 4 times a week, at least an hour a time or 12-15 sets per muscle group. So I suggest going twice a week and doing 6-10 sets just for a week or two to get the muscles used to being worked again or you'll dive straight into injury.

[A40man]

take it easy KV, at first anyway

[Arwen]

I've started back at the gym after around 15mnths of not being there. I've had a long term medical condition that makes it hard to excerise without crippling myself. So I need to gently build up excersie routines over weeks. Before I stopped going I could do 1.5hrs of constant, reasonably high resistant cardio 3-4 times a week with no major pain.

Now I'm back to square one, can barly do 40min twice a week without being in crippling agony. Very frustrating.

I'd suggest you take it very easy when you go back. Do some hard work, but don't push yourself too much at first. See how you fair the following day then start increasing from there.

Good luck!

[Whitey1984]

It will be tough but completely worth getting back into it, but just take it easy.

You say you had a bench of 100kg for 30 reps which is pretty impressive, just don't expect to be able to do that now and don't get annoyed and give up.

I'm a Trainer in my spare time but i find time to go to the gym 5 times a week, 30 minute workouts in my lunch break from my normal job and i get a decent weights session in. Just don't overdo it to begin with.

Go in with a plan, start light and you'll progress quicker than you think you will.

[GazzyG]

You'll get back into the swing if it quick enough bud.

Muscle memory is a great thing.

[NearOn]

Good luck with going back. I've done it a few times and always hardest bit. For the last year I've done

little exercise and I too want to get back to it. But with a toddler and work not possible to go to the gym currently, so am using my garage of an evening to start with.

I got to 15 stone nearly 2 years ago and now at 16, I'm 6ft but ideally want to be 14 stone, let's hope we can do it.

[KrisValentine]

Cheers for the words of confidence all! Really appreciated. Yea I'm lucky and have a really big chest naturally (which sucks when I don't work out as it looks like crap) so I guess that's why I can bench well, my arms are dog plop tho lol always my weak point.

Yesterday was not too harsh tbh. I went really light on the weights (30kg) for 3 lots of 10. Also legs deads etc. I was blowing out a fair bit though lol loved the rush of blood to my chest though, back again in an hour for an arms day (also light) not feeling it haha

[Whitey1984]

Glad you enjoyed it, i love a good arms sesh when you struggle to put shampoo in your hair afterwards.

The key to any good exercise regime is to enjoy it otherwise you wont do it, and remember just because you go to the gym doesn't give you a licence to eat whatever you want.

There's a guy that works on my team and is really getting frustrated that hes not losing weight, i asked what his diet is like?? lets just say it wasnt the best, and his response was but im in the gym every day

[KrisValentine]

Well it's been a few days now, I had to sack off one of the gym sessions on friday because of how crippled i was lol gave myself to weekend to heal and went back at it monday besides my girlfriend poking me in the chest because "its funny" when I grimace - I've been doing ok the weight is drastically lower and I'm still a slow snail of a runner, but at least i'm back at it. rest day today after monday and tuesday, looking forward to feeling strong again and not being able to wash my hair properly lol

I noticed my body felt "happy" when i layed on the bench and grasped the bar - almost like it knew, the mind is a weird thing.

i have picked up a right hand sprain, I forgot how that used to happen when I did barbell curls, too much weight on right hand too early! definetly didn't learn from previous mistakes lol

If I get brave I may post a before and after picture in a few months.

http://cdn.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/MjAxMy1kZTg3ZjRiMDVkM2E1NDgz.png

[klingelton]

I went from cycling 20 miles a day (losing 2 stone in 8 months) to a fat slob. i really need to get back into exercise - but I'm too damn lazy. Also i hate that sensation when you first start exercising where your recovery takes a full 6 hours!

[NearOn]

I went from cycling 20 miles a day (losing 2 stone in 8 months) to a fat slob. i really need to get back into exercise - but I'm too damn lazy. Also i hate that sensation when you first start exercising where your recovery takes a full 6 hours!

 

I similarity did a lot of biking last week, not those distances but a fair way for me, ate heathy for the week too, and I annoyingly was 4 pounds heavier after that week. Weighed myself at same time of day and everything. I know shouldn't be measuring after just a week but felt pretty deflated after all the effort I put in to start with.

[klingelton]

Losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint.

[NearOn]

Losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint.

Oh I know, did it over 2 years previously, just saying was deflating.