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Men's Fitness, August, 2004

I haven't been to the gym in months. How do I get back into working out?

Unless you want to be so sore that climbing a flight of stairs feels like trekking up Mount Everest, don't just pick up where you left off, advises Indianapolis-based sports-performance coach Bill Hartman.

Hartman's program: After a 10-minute cardio warm-up, pick one exercise from each of the following groups: one horizontal-push exercise (like a dumbbell press), one horizontal-pull exercise (dumbbell row), one lunge variation (front lunge), one squat variation (dumbbell squat), one vertical-pull exercise (lat pulldown), and one ab exercise (reverse crunch).

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Perform a circuit of 6-8 controlled reps of each exercise with minimal rest in between each lift. Your starting weights should be around 20% to 40% of your body weight. Perform the circuit three times, resting a couple of minutes after each one. Then call it a day.

During the next two weeks, perform this circuit three times a week, resting at least a day between each session. As your fitness level increases, add 1-2 reps to each set and increase the weight you lift accordingly. After this two-week break-in period, return to your regular workout routine.

During your first week or two in the gym, emphasize full-range-of-motion movements, using the best form possible. It'll help prevent soreness. And be careful not to overdo it. "While you were away, you lost what's called work capacity," Hartman says. Doing too much too soon makes it harder for that work capacity to return to what it once was, making extra work less productive.

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Men's Fitness, August, 2004

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