Your first workout after a long break should feel too easy. That's the whole trick. Do 30 minutes, five simple exercises, two sets each, with light weights and several reps left in the tank. You'll leave feeling like you could have done more, and that's exactly how you want to feel. The goal isn't to test yourself. It's to come back for session two.
Here's the session, step by step. When you've done it, follow the 4-week restart plan for the rest of the month.
Before you start
Check three things before your first workout back. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, diabetes, or get chest pain or dizziness when active, see your doctor first. If an old injury still hurts, work around it. And pick a time this week, put it in your calendar and treat it like an appointment.
You'll need:
- A pair of dumbbells, ideally adjustable, or access to a gym.
- A bench, sturdy step or chair for incline push-ups.
- Comfortable clothes and shoes. Nothing special.
- Water and 30 to 40 minutes.
If the gym itself is the scary part, here's how to handle gym anxiety when you're out of shape. If you're training at home, everything below works in a living room.
The warm-up (5 to 10 minutes)
Warm up with five to ten minutes of easy movement that gets you slightly warm and a little out of breath. A brisk walk, an easy bike, a rower or marching on the spot all work. Then do a few bodyweight squats, arm circles and hip hinges. Before each exercise, do one light set with half the weight.
The session (about 25 minutes)
Do each exercise for two sets of 10 reps, resting about a minute between sets. Choose a weight you could lift about 15 times, so you finish each set with four or five reps left. If the last rep slows down, the weight is too heavy. If it feels like nothing, go up a little next time.
1. Goblet squat
- How: Hold one dumbbell vertically at your chest. Feet a bit wider than your hips. Sit down between your heels, keep your chest up, then stand.
- Sets and reps: 2 x 10.
- Easier option: Squat down to a chair or bench and stand back up.
2. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
- How: Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs. Soft knees. Push your hips back and slide the weights down your legs to just below the knee with a flat back, then stand tall.
- Sets and reps: 2 x 10.
- Easier option: Lighter weights and a shorter range.
3. Incline push-up
- How: Hands on a bench, step or kitchen counter. Body in a straight line. Lower your chest to the edge, then push away.
- Sets and reps: 2 x 8 to 10.
- Easier option: Use a higher surface, like a counter or wall.
4. One-arm dumbbell row
- How: One hand and knee on a bench, or one hand on a chair. Pull the dumbbell toward your hip, then lower it with control.
- Sets and reps: 2 x 10 each side.
- Easier option: Lighter weight, slower reps.
5. Farmer's carry
- How: Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Stand tall and walk 30 to 40 steps, then turn and come back.
- Sets: 2 trips.
- Easier option: Lighter weights or fewer steps.
Finish with a slow two or three minute walk and a couple of easy stretches for anything that feels tight.
What should you feel the next two days?
You'll probably feel some muscle soreness the day after, and it may be worse the day after that. That's normal after a long break. It usually peaks around 48 to 72 hours after training and settles within a week, according to a 2024 clinical review of muscle soreness.
A dull ache in the muscles you used is fine. Sharp pain, joint pain, swelling or pain that changes how you walk isn't. If that happens, rest and get it checked. If your knees or back are already a concern, read starting exercise with bad knees or back pain.
The next good news: your second and third sessions will make you far less sore. Muscles adapt quickly to repeated training.
What happens after your first workout?
After your first workout, rest a day, go for a walk, then do the same session again. Repeat it three times this week on non-consecutive days, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Keep the same weights for the whole first week. In week two, add a third set if the soreness has cleared. Add weight from week three.
The full week-by-week version, with soreness, rest days and when to add weight, is in how to start working out again after a long break.
Ready for the rest of the month? Use the 4-week restart plan, one week at a time.
What if you don't have dumbbells?
Use your bodyweight and household items for the first week. Squats to a chair, hip hinges, incline push-ups on a counter, rows with a backpack full of books, and carries with two full shopping bags. It's not perfect, but it gets the habit started. When you're ready to buy kit, here's a home dumbbell plan for beginners.
Your next step
Your first workout after a long break should be short, light and finished with energy left over. Book it in your calendar this week, do the five exercises above, and come back two days later to do it again. That's how comebacks that last begin. When you've done session one, start the 4-week restart plan to take you through the rest of the month.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, take regular medication or haven't exercised in a long time, check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
- restart training
- beginners