The Best Workouts for Your First Day Back From Break
Is today the day you plan to train more often? Or are you just going back to what you were doing before all the holiday parties ruined your schedule? Either way, it’s time to start. We’ve handpicked six workouts that are perfect for your first (or second) day back.
Remember, the golden rule of restarting is to take your time. Treat yourself like a beginner and before you know it, you’ll be back to your old routine without much pain or difficulty.
You probably already have an idea of what kind of exercise you would like to do, so choose the one that suits you best:
Bodyweight training on your first day back
Choose three to five exercises from our list of bodyweight exercises that really build strength , and perform three sets of five to eight reps of each. May I suggest: jackknife pull-ups, chair push-ups (or push-ups), step-ups, and if you’re feeling fancy, try your hand at Nordic curls?
Training with free weights on the first day of return
Now is the perfect time for a dumbbell workout that includes Bulgarian split squats, curls + 2 presses, single-leg deadlifts, floor presses and plank rows. I designed this exercise as a home workout, but it’s also great for the gym on a busy day. You just need to grab a pair of dumbbells—no squat rack or bench needed.
Lighten the weight than usual since it’s your first day and you don’t want the soreness to be so painful that it sabotages your next workout.
Machine training for your first day back
Cars are a great option for your first day because you can choose as many as you want and turn them into a circuit. Check out our beginner’s guide to the most common and useful exercise machines and pick a few that you think you might like. I would suggest the following:
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Lat prolapse
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Leg press
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Chest press
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Seated cable row (not a rowing machine, but an object with a weight stack)
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Shoulder press
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Adductor and diverter machines
For each machine, find a setting where you can do five to 10 repetitions. Carry a tissue or towel with you and wipe down the bench after each exercise, then move on to the next. Repeat the circuit for a total of two or three rounds.
Steady-state cardio workout for your first day back
Instead of starting to work on a specific program, I would like to suggest that you spend this first day by feel. You can do these two variations either on a cardio machine, such as an elliptical, or outdoors in running shoes.
Set a timer for 20 minutes (or whatever you like) and do a nice cardio session . This means dressing comfortably, keeping the intensity low enough that you don’t feel like you’re dying, and maybe watching a show on the gym TV or phone.
Interval cardio training on the first day of return
Get outside (or use a treadmill) and do some intuitive running . Warm up with a five-minute brisk walk, and then consider turning it into a light jog toward the end of your workout. (If jogging never feels “easy” to you, just walk fast.)
Then start intervals. Run until you feel the urge to walk, walk until you feel the urge to run, repeat. It’s up to you whether you want your runs to be fast and short or slow and long. Play with it and have fun.
You can always start couch surfing until 5k ( or not ) next week.
A more advanced running workout for your first day back
The progression run we did back in the Turkey Trot challenge is ideal for making a new challenge easier to tackle. All you have to do is walk two miles easily and the last mile faster. When deciding how hard to press, go by feel, and again err on the lighter side. If you work out on an elliptical or stationary bike, think of it as 20 minutes easy and 10 minutes harder.
There are also plenty of other great options, but if you haven’t picked one yet, pick the one that suits you best from this list and just go for it. Remember, which workout you choose is not as important as whether you keep your promise to yourself to go to the workout.