This is DEFINITELY one of the most popular topics in our community, and it’s being featured in the Longevity Training Series because it is so important.
In the simplest terms, a layoff is any time period away from regular training that’s long enough to cause some (or much) deconditioning. For any reason and they are all valid. Just got busy with life. Had a big project at work. Visitors. Vacation that wasn’t fitness-friendly. Illness, injury, surgery. Simply got bored or lost motivation. Bad relationship. Doesn’t matter…the list goes on and what’s done is done.
The comeback represents the return to regular training patterns and conditioning levels. If a Lifetime Athlete has extensive training history and the break was only a week or so, there is no real need for a comeback process. Just jump back in and don’t worry about it. But usually, any hiatus lasting longer than a week to 10 days results in losses, and we want to safely bring the athlete “back up to speed”…or strength, or any fitness capacity.
A comeback involves some intelligent thinking and deliberate progression. I like to be organized and have a definitive system for most things. That helps me. My clients appreciate it. I’ll describe that method.
Coming back from a layoff requires 4 phases.
- Consistency. Just show up. Light and random exercise selection is fine. In this circumstance we are reestablishing the training habit. This matters most for now. Be careful not to blow yourself out of the water and get too sore. A great case for thinking “Never let today’s training ruin that of tomorrow.”
- Increase volume. Do this next. Build workload through reps, sets, distance, and duration…depending on the context. Monitor recovery. Make sure you are absorbing the workload and not getting into a chronic fatigue state, which can happen if you pile on the workload more rapidly than your body can adapt (regardless of what your mind thinks it should).
- Hold volume and increase intensity. This is a bit different from an intensification microcycle in regular training where we often drop volume to bias intensity. In the comeback sense, we are working on durability, so we keep the volume and add some, but not incredibly high amounts, of intensity. This time frame is perhaps the most challenging. It’s fun to go hard. But we have to dose it with prudence and caution.
- Resume the “regular” training pattern as specified by your goals and preferences. Get back to the training split or schedule which you like and that works best for you. Adjust the plan and program to reflect any new interests or conditions that naturally develop as a Lifetime Athlete makes the journey.
Each of those 4 phases can span 1-3 weeks. This is entirely dependent on each individual. How long you were out. How much you lost. How extensive was your training base before the layoff. Where are you headed or trying to get to in the sense of conditioning and performance. And we may need to employ some nonlinear thinking here. One phase might be 17 days. Another may require only 8 days. Your output and recovery status will reveal when to make the transitions.
The comeback is one of those situations in which expert coaching is invaluable. In stating that, you can certainly be self-coached and use your innate wisdom, along with some of the aforementioned science to get there. But honestly, it’s been my experience for 40 years that the best results come (back – yes a pun – couldn’t resist) when you have a coach who knows you, cares about you, and has the ability to guide you through every step of the process.
This is where I make an unabashed pitch for hiring me as your coach when you are in the midst of a comeback…or any other time for that matter. Sign up for a one-time consultation, a package of several, or an ongoing coaching relationship (when you really want to optimize outcomes). It’s all on the Coaching page if you want to learn more, as well as in the FAQ’s.
Working with highly motivated, like-minded people trying to be the best version of themselves is one of my favorite job duties. Heck, it’s not really a job at all. It’s a privilege. And a responsibility. An honor that I take seriously and the people I work with tell me they appreciate that I am (almost) always available and that the service far exceeds their expectations. That’s good business but it’s also the way I want to live my life.
In closing I’d like to tell you that layoffs can happen to any Lifetime Athlete. Sometimes you see it coming and other times it takes you by complete surprise. But you can come back from them. Usually with stellar results. Successful comebacks are an important characteristic of the Lifetime Athlete who is training for longevity. I hope you found this information helpful and thank you very much for joining me today.