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This time last year, I was in some of my best shape .. however over the past year it's gone the complete other way. I haven't gained much weight (says the lying scale, I assume) however I have definitely lost most of the muscle tone and increased the midsection (as expected).

What would be suggested to be the best transition back into the routines?

Prior to stopping, I was going 4-5 times a week, for an hour to an hour and a half, doing general workouts as;

  • Always starting with 10 minutes of warmup cardio
  • Then the lifting being either;
    • Back/Biceps
    • Chest/Triceps
    • Shoulders/Legs
  • Usually ending with a solid 20 minutes of good cardio to finish the work out

This worked very well for me and if I did keep up, I think I'd be one happy guy. The lull came and I am looking to get back to it.

Would it be wise to do a more limited workout, or just say.. lower weight sets? And slowly work my way back?

Basic Info:

  • Age: 32

  • Weight: 175lbs

  • Sex: Male

  • No real injury concerns

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  • Great answer ^ . Been there, in the beginning in case your mind starts thoughts of "why did I quit, this is hard" etc, don't fall in trap, it'll pass by if you keep being consistent. Just make sure to take it slow & keep the positive spirit, music is really helpful. Way to go! :-)
    – jomustech
    Dec 23, 2017 at 16:19

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Having been in almost an identical situation -- returning to workout after suffering an AC joint injury.

Being obsessed with working out before my injury -- I couldn't understand why I was having trouble sticking to a routine. It wasn't until I stopped all excuses - as in literally if I committed to lifting M-F there was NO REASON I would allow myself out of my decision.

Discipline is the most important, yet most overlooked part of working out. You've worked out before, stick to the basics - your consistency is what matters most when getting back into your routine.

Get back into your old "habit" (willpower literally works exactly like a muscle). Once you're there fine tune your workout.

A great book on it: The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It

Great Video Also Here

Good luck!

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  • Excellent insight, thank you! I knew 90% of it is going to be the drive to get back to where I was, if the want and thirst to get back isn't there, I have no shot!
    – ne0nlight
    Dec 22, 2017 at 14:07
  • @ne0nlight - I promise you it comes back. Watch the BS excuses your subconscious feeds you rationalizing why you can't do something. It's crazy what you condition yourself to accept. I really feel this should be discussed more here as the wrong type of curl or even diet is NOT why people fail (only at higher levels). Plan what days your going, and go, period. Refuse to listen to the BS reasons you know are subconsciously coming. There is ZERO way out. At least go and stand there for 20 min - the struggle fades. With time your mind shifts from "should I.." to "how can I"...
    – Mike-DHSc
    Dec 22, 2017 at 17:51

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