The hardest part of coming back after years off is not the training. It is deciding how much to do on day one, and most people get it wrong in one of two directions. They do far too much, are sore for a week and quit. Or they do so little that nothing changes and it all feels pointless.
Start with two sessions a week
Two sessions a week is enough to start. Keep each one to about 40 to 45 minutes and finish feeling that you could have done one more set. I would rather you walk out thinking that was easy and come back on Thursday than walk out wrecked and cancel.
What the first four weeks are for
The first month is for learning how you move. Squatting, hinging at the hips, pushing, pulling and carrying cover most of what you need. We use light loads and watch what your body does. A knee that drifts inward, a back that rounds, a shoulder that will not reach overhead: these tell me where to start. This is why my first session is an assessment, and why the programme is written afterwards, not before.
Weeks five to twelve
From week five you add load or reps slowly, one change at a time. If you did 8 reps with 10kg last week, try 9 reps, or 12kg for 8. Do not change everything at once, because then you cannot tell what worked. If life allows, add a third session. If a week goes badly because of illness, travel or work, repeat the previous week instead of trying to catch up.
Write it down
Log every set. Memory is bad at this, and a notebook or an app is not. After a few weeks you can look back and see that the weight you struggled with in week two now moves easily. That is the point where most people stop doubting the process.
What to measure
Body weight is one number and it moves around for reasons unrelated to training. Also track the heaviest weight you can lift for 8 clean reps, how many sessions you attended, and how you are sleeping. Check them every four weeks, at the same time of day.
Before you begin
If you have a medical condition, an injury or you are taking medication that affects exercise, check with your GP first. I hold an exercise referral qualification and I am happy to work alongside what your doctor advises.
If you want a plan written for where you are now, not for where you were ten years ago, book a free consultation. We talk through your history and what has stopped you before, and I will tell you honestly whether I can help.