Like many, I have had no access to a gym or any kind of barbell training other than some bodyweight stuff.
I have ordered myself the equipment to build a decent garage gym.
My question is how do I start back into barbell training after what will be close to 8 weeks off?
Should I go back to something like The Beginner Prescription or get going again with The Bridge 1.0 ?
Alternatively, a kinda in between option would be to run the bridge, but do week 1 twice. I don’t have the full beginner prescription, but my understanding is that there are three phases, so perhaps it could also make sense to start part way through the beginner prescription (maybe start by repeating phase1 week4, and then go to the next phase when you stall).
If you were past week 4 of the bridge then I think you should just restart the bridge. If you weren’t past week 4 then I think you do one of the in between options.
Since you seem to have been relatively new to barbell training before the coronavirus shutdown, I think you should treat yourself like a novice again and do the beginner template when you’re able to resume training. Sure, 2 months isn’t THAT long of a layoff and you MIGHT be capable of jumping right back into the Bridge, but I’d err on the side of playing it safe and starting a little too slow to give yourself a chance to build rather than trying to do too much right away (acute:chronic workload and all that jazz). You’ll get back to where you were pre-layoff faster than you did the first time around anyway, so try not to sweat the numbers and focus on reacclimating your body to training the barbell movements again. You’ll be hitting PRs within weeks.
Edit: That’s not to say that you’ll have to run the beginner template in its entirety. It’s very likely that you’ll “outgrow” the programming faster than you did the first time you ran it. I was just suggesting that you start there, or at least in one of the later phases like 4I3x suggested, and reevaluate as you continue to build up strength, work capacity, etc. over the following weeks.
Agree with the above poster, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to progress like a beginner again for a while so you should follow a beginner template. At least until it stops working, then move on.
I agree with what everybody else is saying.
I am also starting strength training again after a layoff. Going way way back, my history is
2001-2008: In college and grad school. Strength training regularly, though taking summers offs. Doing bro splits, not training lower body as well as upper body.
2008-2010: Still strength training, but working and not as consistent.
2010-2018: Mainly focused on running. For spurts here and there I did some circuit training to supplement my running, but the focus was running, not lifting.
2019: January 2019-September 2019: Shift focus to strength training. A powerbuilding type training. Stop lifting in September.
2020: Mid April 2020 start lifting again after 7 month layoff.
So far, 3 weeks into lifting again, I am able to train like a novice (linear progression). I basically doing sets of 6 for the bench, squat, and deadlift, and sets of 8 for the OHP, Lat pull downs, and Barbell Rows. For the big 3 I have been able to add 5 pounds to the bar each training session (2x a week, so 10 pounds a week). I basically going to go with it until the linear progression ends and at that point I will probably run the 12 week strength BM template.
To the extent you can train like a novice, I would do so because its incredible fun. When your lifting numbers are going up constantly and you are feeling only mild fatigue, lifting is awesome. That said the fun times will end soon enough (I am hoping to get another 5 to 6 weeks of it).