Intermediate Lifter Returning to Gym After Significant Layoff

Hey guys,

My gym just opened up an outdoor gym so luckily I can start working out again. I haven’t had access to a gym since the beginning of March when we shut down. I have also lost 25+ pounds, down from ~205. At the time of the shutdown I was halfway through the 12 Week Strength Program and I believe it was my third time running it, so I have a significant amount of experience as an intermediate lifter. My one rep maxes were somewhere in the ballpark of 465 squat, 535 deadlift, and 275 bench press. On my first day back, I started the Heavy Light Medium 2.0 template, but I feel this may have been a mistake. What programming do you guys recommend to get back into it? Thank you.

Tom wrote an article on the topic here: Returning to the Gym | Barbell Medicine

There is not necessarily something “wrong” with that programming choice - the more important aspect is the initial loading. One way to go could involve reducing the RPE targets by a point (or two), and maybe repeat the introductory week a few weeks in a row (increasing loads gradually, using RPE as the guide) before progressing to the higher-volume weeks.

Thanks for the response Austin. I actually saw that article but was looking for something a little more specific considering that I have a variety of BBM templates to choose from that I’ve collected over the last few years. I’ll take your advice and lower the RPMs repeat the first week a few times. Cheers!