What to do post holiday
Oct 01, 2024
Just like that, the summer has come and gone.
I've just signed off the summer in style after spending 5 days in Ibiza last week.
And I'll admit that writing this newsletter is going at a much slower pace than usual.
I got to let loose for a few days, enjoy some awesome music and great food, and completely forget about the gym.
But, now it's Monday and it's straight back into my normal routine. Well, not quite 100%, let me explain...
What to do post holiday
Between the months of June-Sept I'd say the majority of my clients went away on holiday at least 2-3 times, if not more for some.
I'm a big advocate of taking a break to let both the body and mind relax, especially important if you spend a lot of your time making important decisions and leading teams.
Naturally, when clients come back from a holiday they're chomping at the bit to get going again, fuelled with a new level of motivation.
Now, while I love seeing clients like feel like this, when it comes to their workout program, I do have to pump the breaks ever so slightly, and for good reason.
When taking a break from working out there are a few principles I follow and I'm going to explain why you should do the same.
The main reason for doing any of these is to avoid yourself getting hurt, or simply exhausting yourself.
I'm by no means telling you that you will get hurt if you ignore me, but the chances of something going wrong will likely increase if you do.
This is coming from a LOT of experience.
Here they are:
Think long term. Don't rush back straight into things and instead look at things through the lens of a long term project. Your health and fitness is a long term project, so don't try and break any records with your first week back in the gym. Get the first week one, then push things from week 2!
Do the same program you did before you left. Ideally you don't want to be starting a new set of workouts post holiday. Perform the stuff you did before you took a break and give your body and mind something it's already used to doing.
Reduce the load by at least 10%. Your body is naturally going to find the workouts a little tougher, so it's foolish to attempt what you did pre break. Drop the weights by at least 10%, if not more, and leave the for a few weeks at least.
Spend 5 minutes extra warming up. There's a high likelihood that your holiday was spent resting, as it should be, so you may feel a little stiffer when you get back into the gym. I know my middle back and shoulders will need a bit more mobility work when I hit the gym this evening. Get as warm and loose as you possible can before you start smashing the weights.
Try not to go above an 8/10 in terms of difficulty (RPE). Going all out isn't what I'd suggest first week back, especially considering your mobility and strength have most likely taken a small step back. Be smart, keep some in the tank, and remember your long term mindset.
Don't go to failure. You won't have to worry about this one if you're following the last one, but I would suggest avoiding sets where you go completely all out and you can't perform another rep. You can do so and 100% be fine, but whenever you take a set to complete failure you increase the risk of running into problems, not to mention the impact in plays on your central nervous system. Not exactly giving you that refreshed feeling post holiday.
As I said, I love the enthusiasm post holiday, but you do have to apply it in the right manner.
You can still train really hard, which I will for sure be doing later today, it needs to channelled in the right direction that's all.
By taking a slightly more 'cautious' approach after a holiday,
You are setting yourself up for success further down the line.
There's actually something I see a lot of people failing to realise that I see tripping them up post break.
See, taking a week off the gym actually counts as 2 weeks.
Huh??
No this isn't some sort of dodgy maths and I'll explain.
For example, let's say you do deadlifts once per week.
You last did them on Sept 1st,
Then at the end of that week you went on holidays for one week.
That means the next time you'll do deadlifts will be Sept 15th.
So while you only took a single week off from the gym, in reality it's actually 2 weeks.
You might think you were in the gym 8 days ago, but for a particular workout or a certain exercise, it may be more like 13-14 days.
And this is why I follow the principles I have outlined above.
This doesn't just apply to holidays of course, but to any break from training.
Be it travelling or sickness, be smart when returning to training.
Actually if you're coming back from an illness, you need to be even smarter!
At the end of the day, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is this...
👉🏻 Apply a little common sense and lead with a bit of caution.
The last thing you want to do is twinge your back and put yourself out of action for 6 weeks because you were to gung hu.
Trust me, I can't tell you how many people I used to speak to in the gym you would tell me that they pulled something during their first week back in the gym.
Please don't make the same mistake. Before I wrap up...
The bigger your break, the more 'caution' you need to apply when you return.
You don't approach a one week break the same as a you would a 4-week break.
Quote for the day
A very good client of mine told me this quote recently and I bloody love it!
He was said to him by a dear friend who is still going strong at 91!
What a brilliant way of approaching your body and health!
It all comes down to respect.
Do you respect your body enough to treat it the right way?
If you do, then you’ll act accordingly.
If you don’t, expect to be driving an old rust bucket in the future.
I for one plan on driving a classic Ferrari when I’m 70!
- Mark
P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here’s a few ways I can help you:
- Are you an ambitious entrepreneur or professional who wants to get strong, lean, and boost your energy? Then find out more about my 1-1 coaching here.
- Grab a FREE copy of my Ultimate Health Guide by Clicking here now.
