The reality of training is that we often have to take some time off. It could be because life gets in the way. Perhaps we just burn out or sustain a small injury. In this case the question that invariably comes up is how best to return to training after a layoff. Should you start where you left off in training or reduce your intensity and volume? Altogether too many, mostly men, will jump straight back into heavy training and get hurts. What’s best? I’ll tell you.
Let me say upfront that despite an enormous amount of scientific literature on detraining, I’m not going to get into it in depth. I honestly haven’t kept up with it to any great degree although what I have obliquely seen keeps up with what I will be recommending. But most of what I’m going to write comes more from personal experience as both a coach and athlete as anything in the literature.… Keep Reading