In this episode, I shared some simple, but important reminders for returning to training after being away from the gym for a few months. 

As gyms re-open here in Nova Scotia, a lot of people are excited to get back to the barbell. Make sure you take things slow in the beginning and give yourself lots of time to gradually build back up. Remember that training is a long-term pursuit and in the long run, a short-term layoff won’t have a huge impact on your ability to make progress.

Find out more about Dr. Kokes: 

https://drkokesnd.com/

@sportsdockokes on Instagram

Listen to the podcast coach Darryl and I recorded on sleep: https://anchor.fm/blendedathletics/episodes/Coachs-Corner-Episode-1---Sleep-with-Darryl-and-Cody-en92qt/a-a40rra6

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Setting long-term or lifetime training goals can be a great way to keep you invested in your training over the years. As I've talked about in other episodes, strength training needs to be a long-term pursuit if you want to get anywhere close to your strength potential. Furthermore, maintaining a strength training practice over the long run is a great way to help maintain quality of life and physical capacity. Take some time to reflect on the things you want to be able to do in the next 5, 10, 20+ years and use that to give meaning to your training today. 

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The principle of progressive overload is an important part of long-term success in strength training. Essentially, the principle states that as you get stronger, you will gradually need to increase the volume and/or intensity of your training to continue making progress. A lot of beginners confuse this with the idea that the only way to make progress is to add weight to the bar (increasing intensity) each week or each workout. However, adopting this mindset can lead to a lot of frustration when your training progress inevitably slows down. In my experience, it's more productive to think about this principle as: 'because I've gotten stronger, I'm able to add more weight to the bar'. I believe this mindset helps to take some of the pressure away from training and facilitates an easier transition from the beginner to intermediate phases of training. 

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A common misconception new lifters have is that muscle soreness is a good indicator of the quality of their workouts. More soreness doesn't mean more gains and an excessive amount of post-workout soreness can actually impede your results. Some muscle soreness is to be expected with training, but it shouldn't be so much that it's substantially affecting your ability to perform exercises correctly or carry on with your life outside the gym. 

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In this episode, I share some general ideas on dealing with a lack of motivation (for someone who typically enjoys training). Periods of lower motivation are common for a lot of lifters, and I think there are some approaches that will help you get back to enjoying your training sooner. 

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In this episode, I share my thoughts on the importance of keeping an open mind to the possibility that your beliefs about training may be wrong, or suboptimal. In order to have long-term success, I believe you need to continue learning and trying training approaches. Your needs as a beginner will be different from your needs as an intermediate or advanced trainee and your approach should develop with you. 

Intro to the Saltwater Strength podcast