For your first workout after a long break, keep it short, light and finishable: about 20 to 30 minutes of simple full-body moves, stopping every set with reps left, then expect some soreness over the next 48 hours.
Please check with your doctor before starting a new plan, especially after a long break, an injury or if you take medication.
What should you do before the session?
The first workout is won or lost beforehand.
- Decide the plan in advance. Pick four or five moves and write them down. Standing in a gym wondering what to do is a good way to leave.
- Put your kit out. Shoes by the door, water bottle filled.
- Pick a time you can protect. Not "sometime today".
- Sleep and eat normally. Nothing heroic.
- Leave your old numbers at home. No max lifts, no timed runs.
If you'd like the decisions made for you, the weekly plan builder is a free questionnaire that builds a 7-day plan, with no account and no sign-up.
What should the session itself look like?
Short, and a bit boring. Here is an example outline:
- Five minutes of brisk walking to warm up.
- Four or five simple moves, such as a squat, a hinge, a push and a pull, two sets each.
- A short carry, if you have a weight to hand.
- A few minutes of easy stretching to finish.
Stop each set with three or four reps left. It should feel too easy, and that is the point. For help picking weights, see how much weight should I lift.
What happens in the 48 hours afterwards?
Soreness often arrives a day or two later, which surprises people. Expect a dull ache in the muscles you worked, usually on both sides, and expect it to fade within a few days. Stairs may feel like a personal insult.
What helps:
- Gentle movement. A walk is usually fine and often feels better than sitting still.
- Sleep. Dull, but it works.
- Normal eating and water. No need to overthink it.
- Patience. Don't test the sore spots with a bigger session.
What doesn't count as normal: sharp pain, a swollen joint or pain that changes the way you walk. Stop and see your doctor. Sore for days after working out explains the usual pattern.
When should the second workout be?
Usually two days later, once the worst of the soreness has eased. That is why a three-workout week lands on days 1, 3 and 5 in the builder: there is a day between each session.
If you're still very sore, go for a walk and do the second session when you can move normally. Don't stack a bigger workout on top of a bad one to "make up for it".
What comes after the first workout?
The first workout is the start of a routine. The aim is to turn up three times in week one, not to impress anyone. From there:
- Rate the week honestly. The rating guide helps.
- Come back to the builder, choose "Coming back" and answer the check-in. Strain, tiredness and sessions finished decide next week.
- Expect an easier week at week 4, which the builder schedules on purpose. See recovery week for the unplanned version.
For more guidance, read the first workout after a long break, start working out after a long break and the 30-day restart plan.
FAQs
Is 20 minutes enough for a first workout?
Yes. Finishing a short session is worth more than abandoning a long one halfway.
Should I train if I'm still sore?
A gentle walk is usually fine. If you're too sore to move normally, rest and try again when it settles.
Do I need a warm-up?
Yes. Five minutes of brisk walking is enough to get started.
The bottom line
Keep the first workout small, protect the 48 hours after it and treat the second session as the real test. Build your weekly plan.
Go train, FATBOY.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Train at your own risk. If you have a health condition, take medication or are unsure whether exercise or a diet change is right for you, talk to your doctor first.
- first workout
- long break
- restart