Hi!
After being able to train normally in the summer and autumn, gyms have been closed since the start of december. (Technically it’s just a recommendation issued by the city government, but my gym is closed and I think it would be immoral to train at gym in the current situation). The earliest point I’ll be able to return to the gym is January 10th, which is when the gyms will open assuming the current lockdown works as well as the government is hoping it will.
Although it’s still a while to go, I’m anxious enough to get back to the gym that I wanted to ask about what I should do when that happens. Now, I have read the articles you have put out on this, but I just wanted to ask if what I have in mind is a reasonable plan.
Before the current lockdown I was doing Bodybuilding and was able to reach week 2 of block III. Strength has usually been my main goal, but I the pandemic made pursuing that goal feel kind of frustrating, as the risk of having to quarantine or an another lockdown was very demoralising. I was worried that I’d lose a significant amount of or all my progress if that would happen. Focusing on hypertrophy seemed more meaningful since I thought it would be useful in the long run and I’d be more likely to be able tp maintain progress on that front if I have to train at home for a while.
During lockdown, I have been using the at home template (minimal equipment) with some additional arm work and isolation shoulder work.
So my plan, starting on January 10th is to do the back to gym example program from the newsletter, followed by powerbuilding 2. I want to keep focusing on hypertrophy until I feel reasonably sure that there won’t be any more lockdowns, but I do miss heavy singles and the “competition” lifts in general.
What I’m mostly wondering about is whether PBII will be too much too soon after returning to the gym. Maybe I should do a program with less volume, such as PBI or Strength I first? Or maybe just a few weeks of one of those, and then PB II.