Start slow - really!

How many times have you resolved to exercise again - with vivid memories of how much you used to be able to bench press, or how fast you were able to run a mile? I certainly feel like the same person who was able to accomplish these Herculean feats, but I am resolving to take things slow this time as I work back to some semblance of a fit adult.

In my case, a little over a year ago I developed a case of tendonitis in the iliotibial (IT) band of my right leg. After multiple iterations of physical therapy and a cortisone shot I have finally accepted that I can't start an exercise regimen by picking up where I left off. Becoming aware of my body's limitations has been a humbling experience - but I'm trying to learn from it.

Keeping with the theme of starting slow - I'm keeping my workouts to 40 minutes in duration for the first three weeks to build a foundation. Here's the breakdown:

Dynamic Warn Up (Core Performance): 10 minutes
Strength Training: 20 minutes
Energy System Development (aka Cardio): 10 minutes

The most important thing for me is to stay injury free while continuing to make some gains - so I'm not going to increase the duration or intensity of the workout by more than 5% per week. This means that I won't increase the weight or overall reps by more than 5% in any seven day period - which should help keep my tendonitis under control.

The other key with my strength training is to perform multiple exercises back to back with minimal (if any) rest between exercises. For example, perform a squat, chest press, and pulling exercise one right after the other - THEN rest for a minute. Create 2-3 circuits of exercises like these and you'll be surprised how much work can be performed in 20 minutes. I definitely feel like I worked out with weights after these workouts.

But what is more important than any of the specifics at this point is the fact that I am starting slow. The fact is that even 20 minutes of exercise would produce strength gains at this point.

So - I will keep things simple and will see you again in a few days.

Train Safe!
Rob