Gyms are closed and gains are lost…or are they?
Ben
April 15, 2020
I could be bracketed into the segment of body dismorhia
I was fat and likely very insecure just wouldn’t admit it, I lost weight and established somewhat good shape
Then began a journey over 10 years, only really becoming fully comfortable and confident in who I am in the last 5 of these years. Given the first 5 was spent wasting time on areas that only really surmounted to 1% of the total impact.
Here is me, 10 years and 100lbs ago:
Supplements
I am likely to have wasted easily over £1,000 on pre-workouts that made me feel as though I had just snorted dried battery acid
OD’d on Fat Burners before my fasted cardio at 5am
I was sinking Maximuscle Cyclone 4 times a day (I didn’t know calories were a thing) in the hope that those 3 sets of 10 barbell curls were going to create biceps like Arnie
I was desperate. Clearly.
You get the message
So when a period of self isoloation kicks in or to that matter, enforced restriction on your usual routine and in my case, often an outlet for both physical and mental release, the first thought is “oh god I am going to slip backwards into what I was”
The fear of ‘losing everything ‘ you have built over whatever time period you have spent building will simply dissolve and we will be back to square one.
I am definitely not the only one who feels this way
There is likely a whole host (a much higher % than people are prepared to admit) who operate in the fitness industry / have a strong interest in wellness and fitness who right about now are thinking that their precious muscle they have fought so hard to build will be gone in the blink of an eye.
This though, is very irrational. Whilst it’s a completely normal thought process, it’s also something we do not need to worry about.
Let me hit you with 4 simple home truths that you should be aware of to restore your faith in….well yourself
1. Progressive overload still applies no matter how you choose to train.
2. Muscle does not just simply disappear overnight
3. We should still be tracking our macros and not going with the F**k it approach!
4. Increase your protein intake. Simple.
Be realistic and reframe your goal;
So take a step back
1. What equipment do you have at your fingertips, be inventive and add progression each week to the training you do put in place
2. Be realistic on what you can achieve in the next 2/3 months
- Yes you likely won’t add 30kg to your deadlift or put on 3lbs of muscle so don’t be upset when it doesn’t happen
However
- You can still improve on your sessions (increase reps)
- You can still drop fat
- You can still increase your cardiovascular capacity
- You can still improve your flexibility
Here is proof that doing resistance training using progressive overload 4 times a week, eating maintenance calories with a higher protein ratio will help keep your gains. Even if it’s not the normal weight you lift on a frequent basis.
Maybe I should be training harder…
Whilst the prospect of training in a gym environment with full facilities is very appealing right now, the DOMS will be punishing. That is simply unavoidable.
What next?
Try the Gram Programme. This is our tried and tested method of losing fat or gaining muscle. We've distilled our combined 20 years of experience in and out of the gym to a set of simple, repeatable processes that are guaranteed to get results.
References
1.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255975563_Is_There_a_Minimum_Intensity_Threshold_for_Resistance_Training-Induced_Hypertrophic_Adaptations
2. Staron RS, et al. Strength and skeletal muscle adaptations in heavy-resistance-trained women after detraining and retraining. J Appl Physiol. 1991;70:631–640
3. Bruusgaard, J., Johansen, I., Egner, I., Rana, Z. and Gundersen, K., 2020. Myonuclei Acquired By Overload Exercise Precede Hypertrophy And Are Not Lost On Detraining.
4. Bruusgaard, J., Johansen, I., Egner, I., Rana, Z. and Gundersen, K., 2020. Myonuclei Acquired By Overload Exercise Precede Hypertrophy And Are Not Lost On Detraining.
5. Pesta, D. and Samuel, V., 2020. A High-Protein Diet For Reducing Body Fat: Mechanisms And Possible Caveats.
6. Acheson, K., Blondel-Lubrano, A., Oguey-Araymon, S., Beaumont, M., Emady-Azar, S., Ammon-Zufferey, C., Monnard, I., Pinaud, S., Nielsen-Moennoz, C. and Bovetto, L., 2020. Protein Choices Targeting Thermogenesis And Metabolism.