I decided yesterday that tomorrow I will start going to the gym again. It’s been about four months since I’ve been in a gym, and three years since I’ve been able to keep a steady routine. During that time I would get it in my head to start working out again, ease myself in, and then over extend myself trying to get back to my old ways too quickly – i.e. my joints would get sore – which then put me off going back for a few months.
So my questions to you all are: What’s a reasonable time frame to expect to be in a good workout groove, and how does one know how far and how fast to push oneself?
I hope you mean your muscles are sore and not your joints. Exercise isn’t supposed to damage your joints.
I take it easy the first week and go balls to the wall after that. I only do this because my legs get really sore if I haven’t worked out in more than two weeks. That interferes with future workout sessions, and walking, so I have to take it easy. One week is usually enough for me.
Also, keep in mind that there is no way to get around the pain. “No pain no gain” might be a cliché, but it is also very true. You won’t make any progress in the gym unless you learn to deal with pain. Don’t try to look for ways to avoid it.
Yeah, there’s “pain” and then there’s “pain!” You really need to learn to distinguish the two if you want to remain injury-free over the long term while still making decent progress.
Usually takes me about two weeks to get back into things after I’ve taken a bit of time off from working. Of course, I’m talking a couple months of lay-off here. Anything numbered in years, it’s more like a month or two.