Return to Gym guide

By: Trevor Fullbright

How to Make the Most of Time Off from Training

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you love training just as much as I do. Hitting the gym, lifting weights, and chasing progress—it’s not just about improving your physique; it’s a passion. But sometimes, life smacks us in the face, and we’re forced to take a step back from training.

Don’t worry—it’s not the end of the world. In fact, taking time off can actually improve your long-term gains. Crazy, right? Let’s dive into why stepping back can sometimes be the best move for your fitness journey.

 

The Power of Active Rest

Over months of hard training, increasing volumes and loads, fatigue builds up. Sure, we take regular deloads to manage that fatigue, but sometimes a simple week-long deload isn’t enough to bring us back to baseline.

Enter active rest.

What is active rest? It’s a 2-4 week period of low to no training, often structured as one week of deload training followed by one week completely out of the gym. During active rest, the focus is recovery. Here’s how to make the most of it:

Eat at maintenance calories. Feel free to allow a little extra flexibility in your diet.

Relax. This is your time to nap, play video games, and binge Netflix.

Avoid overdoing it. Don’t double up on cardio or pick up a new sport. Recovery is the goal!

Active rest not only crushes fatigue but also gives your joints and tendons a chance to recover from the wear and tear of months of hard training. Afterward, you’ll feel fresh and ready to crush your next training block.

Pro tip: Plan for 1-2 active rest phases each year.

 

When Life Gets in the Way

Sometimes, life throws curveballs—vacations, weddings, babies, or even injuries—that keep us out of the gym for longer.

The good news? Regaining lost muscle is way easier than building it the first time. Even if you’ve lost 10 pounds of muscle, you can often regain it in 4-8 weeks. Best of all, you don’t need to train as hard as you did when gaining it initially.

Getting Back to Training After Time Off

When returning to the gym, avoid the urge to go full throttle right away. Jumping back into your previous loads and volumes can increase your risk of injury and leave you too sore to train effectively.

If you were out of the gym without injury:

Start with low volumes and moderate loads. Stick to 10-20 reps per set, doing 1-2 sets per muscle group per session.

Keep effort moderate. Stay 3-5 reps away from failure for the first few weeks, increasing intensity as your recovery improves.

Be patient. Slowly ramp up your loads, volumes, and intensities. Within 1-2 months, you’ll be back to your previous levels and ready to crush it.

Avoid:

Going too heavy or hitting failure too soon. Your tendons and cardiovascular capacity need time to adapt, and pushing too hard too early increases your injury risk.

Returning from Injury

Coming back from an injury can be tricky. You want to regain strength and get back to where you left off, but pushing too hard, too soon can lead to setbacks—or worse, reinjury. A structured approach is key, and Dr. Christle Guevarra’s six-phase plan provides a clear roadmap for safely returning to training. Let’s break it down:

Phase 1: Range of Motion (ROM)

Focus: Restore full, pain-free range of motion.

After an injury, the first priority is ensuring that the affected area can move normally without pain. Think of this phase as laying the foundation for everything to come—without full ROM, you can’t train effectively.

How:

Start with low-effort movements that focus on gently exploring your range of motion.

Keep loads minimal or nonexistent. For example, if you’re rehabbing a shoulder, this could mean performing arm circles or light band work.

Stick to just a few sets of 5-10 reps to avoid aggravating the injury.

Goal: Once you can consistently move through a full, pain-free range of motion, you’re ready to progress to the next phase.

 

Phase 2: Reps

Focus: Reintroduce light loading and rebuild lost tissue.

Now that you can move pain-free, it’s time to start reintroducing your muscles, tendons, and joints to load. The goal here isn’t to push hard—it’s to gently remind your body how to handle resistance while starting the process of regaining any lost muscle tissue.

How:

Use very light weights or resistance bands.

Perform high-rep sets in the 20-30 range to keep the intensity low and avoid overloading the injury site.

Stay far from failure to minimize stress on the recovering area.

Goal: When you can perform multiple sets of 20-30 reps without discomfort, you’re ready for the next step.

 

Phase 3: Effort

Focus: Begin pushing closer to failure.

At this stage, you’re starting to build more confidence in your ability to train. You’ll still keep the weights light and reps high, but the goal is to gradually increase the effort you put into each set. This helps rebuild strength and endurance while testing the limits of the recovering area.

How:

Stick to higher rep ranges (e.g., 15-30), but start reducing your Reps In Reserve (RIR). Begin at around 3 RIR and work your way closer to 0-1 RIR over time.

Keep volume low—focus on quality over quantity to ensure proper recovery.

Goal: When you’re able to push close to failure without pain, you’re ready to move on to the next phase, where things start to ramp up.

 

Phase 4: Sets

Focus: Gradually increase training volume.

With your effort level improving, it’s time to slowly build up your training volume. This means doing more sets and challenging your body’s ability to recover while still keeping intensity and loads manageable.

How:

Start with 2-3 sets per exercise, adjusting based on how well you’re recovering.

Use autoregulation: If you feel good and are recovering well, add an extra set in your next session. If you feel fatigued or notice discomfort, pull back slightly.

Goal: Once you can handle increased volume while maintaining performance and recovery, you’re ready to focus on heavier loads.

 

Phase 5: Load

Focus: Begin lifting heavier weights and transitioning to normal training.

Now it’s time to bring it all together—effort, volume, and load. The goal is to gradually reintroduce heavier weights while keeping movements pain-free. This phase bridges the gap between rehabilitation and your regular training routine.

How:

Start decreasing your rep ranges from 20-30 to 10-20 over the course of several weeks.

Gradually increase the weights you’re using, making small jumps each week.

Monitor your body closely—any signs of pain or discomfort mean it’s time to back off slightly and reassess.

Goal: Once you’re lifting heavier loads in the 10-20 rep range without pain, you’re ready to fully return to your normal training routine.

 

Wrapping It Up

Taking time off from training—whether for planned rest, life events, or injury recovery—doesn’t have to derail your progress. In fact, breaks like active rest can refresh your body, crush fatigue, and prepare you for bigger gains. With patience and a gradual return to the gym, you can quickly regain lost muscle and even surpass your previous bests. The key is starting slow, prioritizing recovery, and ramping up intensity and volume as your body adapts.

If you’re recovering from an injury, following a structured plan ensures a safe and effective return. Whether it’s focusing on pain-free movement or rebuilding strength step by step, listening to your body is essential. Progress doesn’t disappear overnight, and with a smart, steady approach, you’ll be ready to crush your goals and come back stronger than ever.

Find the contributors…

Trevor Fullbright
IG: @Trevorxgage

Dr. Christle Gueverra
IG: @dr.christle