Starting over after a long break

The mistake almost everyone makes

You remember what you used to be able to do, so you start there. Two sessions later you are sore, discouraged, and the third session never happens.

The goal of your first two weeks is not fitness. It is frequency. You are rebuilding a habit, and habits are built by repetition at a difficulty low enough that repetition is easy.

What to actually do

Pick a session that feels too easy and do it four times in a week. If you finish thinking "I could have done more" — good. That feeling is what brings you back tomorrow.

• Week one: four short sessions, low intensity
• Week two: same four sessions, slightly longer
• Week three: now you can start pushing

Why week three matters

Most people quit in week three. Not because it gets harder, but because the novelty wears off and results have not arrived yet. If you know that in advance, it is much easier to sit through.

Set the bar low enough that week three is boring rather than brutal, and you will still be training in month three.