How to know: Back to your old shape in record time

The gyms are finally open again – time to cheer and get a fresh start with new momentum. To quickly get back to your old performance, it is almost essential to rely on the tried and tested 1:1 support and to book in a personal training session. We explain in this blog what this brings and what should be considered when resuming training.

This is what everyone has been eagerly waiting for: More freedom again, more social contacts, more opportunities in general. But it’s not the sheer quantity that makes you happy; the quality of relationships is more important than their sum. In the same way, it is not enough to have the most training equipment in a gym if the right equipment is not used that is suited to the goals. Or if they are used incorrectly because there is no trainer there to explain the correct setting, posture, movement and technique. Individual counselling has not been the focus of many fitness providers since yesterday, but it is gaining particular importance in the current situation.

A current, representative study from Germany on the topic of lockdown and fitness shows that even well-organised home workouts are not a satisfactory alternative for exercisers in the long run. In the studio, training can be more targeted, whether for visual or health reasons. This requires special equipment or forms of training. Through specific exercise programmes and accompanying coaching, for example on nutrition, rapid progress is achieved – especially after a longer break – that lasts in the long term. This makes it easier to stay motivated and push oneself to the limit without the risk of injury.

Whether wave-shaped periodisation with changing load parameters, functional training for body tension and health or high-intensity, time-saving one-set training – with individual planning, beginners as well as advanced athletes have long-term success. The good news: even after a longer break from the gym, the body is quickly back at its old performance level thanks to the “memory effect”. Prerequisite: I increase the load progressively until a certain stimulus threshold is exceeded and thus becomes effective for training. Regularity is also important so that the body adapts to the new requirements down to the cellular level.

If you want to achieve your personal best form even more individually and flexibly, you can book personal trainers exclusively for you. In joint training, they motivate and bring the members in a targeted, effective and consistent way to achieve their desired goals and maintain them in the long term. In addition, the performances are checked, corrected and suitable new techniques are tried out. The training programme as well as the diet are continuously adapted to improve the overall performance and to achieve maximum training success. In this way, even professional athletes overcome phases of stagnation. Whether fitness, strength, appearance, stress reduction, prevention or general fitness – a workout with a personal trainer pushes, motivates and challenges you.

The most important tips for getting back into shape:

• You should first approach your old performance or strength level in order to protect the body from excessive metabolic and muscular stress. Rule of thumb: If you have not exercised at all for two or more weeks, you should not put the muscle under exactly the same load as before.
• If you have not trained at all, ideally you should start with a full-body workout and then adjust your form again. After two to three weeks of training, the regained power is already noticeable.
• If necessary, do the exercises temporarily a little slower and over the full range of motion (ROM). Mobility is regained, tissues such as intervertebral discs, tendons and ligaments are reactivated and protected from injury.
• If you have been training mostly endurance lately, you can switch to and/or combine intensive muscle training. This brings back lost mass or helps to prevent weight loss from being regained through the yo-yo effect.
• Do not neglect the factors of rest (especially plenty of sleep) and diet (rich in protein).
• Simply enjoy being able to train again and enjoy the freedom of being among like-minded people again. Find your routine again. Step on the gas. Keep at it. Smile.
• An appointment with a trainer can help to make previous or new exercises as effective as possible, to bring in and discuss insights and observations from the “studio-free” training time.
• A new training plan helps with new motivation and symbolises the return to training. This is not absolutely necessary if you have hardly trained at all with the existing plan.
• A trainer can also be consulted without hesitation for any spontaneous concerns. They are always happy to help. Because together we are strong.

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