Gym re-opening; programming guidance

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi there,

Just got news yesterday that my gym is re-opening next week (a couple weeks earlier than expected) as some restrictions are change here. I live in Vancouver, Canada. My wife is not as comfortable as I am with my returning to the gym, so I’m still not 100% sure that I will go back. It’s a small black iron gym and I feel that the owner is taking many precautions to keep members safe (frequent cleaning, scheduling training, no more than 10 members in gym at once in 2000 sq ft gym, temperature checks). I have listened to your vlog about returning to the gym and feel that these measures align well with what you stated.

The timing of the gym re-opening is good because I just finished you At Home template. I had access to a barbell and plates (no rack though), so was able to use the Minimal Equipment version. With my eye on a Regional Meet that I had planned to complete in 25 weeks, I was thinking of the following:

  1. Use the 3 week ‘return to the gym’ program in your April newsletter.
  2. 9 weeks of Powerbuilding I
  3. 13 weeks of 12WS

My only hesitation is your newsletter indicated that if one was out of the gym for a longer period of time that they should ramp to a lower volume program than they were previously doing. Do you feel that it is perhaps too ambitious to jump to PB I after the 3 week on ramp? If so, what would you recommend?

In the event that I don’t return to the gym, my plan is to run the At Home template again as the program has been solid, but I’m just tired of not having a rack and, honestly, the high rep work! I do spend some time trying to figure out how I could make a home gym work as we have a house and yard, but the garage is full and going back to the gym seems a lot easier!

Oh, one last question. If one does get sick, say, just a cold, and, therefore, needs to stay out of the gym (now more than ever!), would you just suggest using the At Home style training while sick (but well enough to train)? And when could one return to the gym? Once symptoms completely gone? I feel like this will mean 7-10 day breaks from the gym whenever I get a cold…

Appreciate your time.

Thanks.

2

Rowdy,

Thanks for the post and glad to hear you’ll have some options! A few thoughts:

  1. The programming plan looks fine to me.

  2. We would recommend training at-home if you’re sick. You should probably stay home for ~ 2 weeks after you get symptoms, or 7 days after being symptom free.

-Jordan