By Gyms are opening back up and maybe you let the quarantine get the best of you. Perhaps you haven’t committed to any meaningful movement or exercise for months, but now you’re ready to get back into a workout regimen. Your timing is great: Summer is in full swing and before you know it, the warm weather will start to fade and we’ll be hoofing it into the woods, chasing game.
First, I’d suggest avoiding jumping back in to working out right where you left off. A great way to kill motivation is to cripple yourself with soreness for more than a day or two. Besides, your joints aren’t ready to jump back in full steam ahead, either. It’s OK to admit you’ve lost a few steps. As hard as it may be, you have to ease back into it. I suggest doing a three-day total body gym split. What does that mean? Every time you go into the gym, do an even amount of “pushing”, “pulling” (for upper body), and “legs.” A good place to start is to do two pushing exercises, two pulling exercises, and two leg exercises per day (see the sample workout below).
Keep it as simple as that and keep those rep schemes high: 15+ per exercise and at least three sets. Three weeks of this with some low-impact cardio (mainly walking) will get you ready to go for the fall hunting season. This approach will get you back on the right track in time, but don’t delay much longer!
If you’re uneasy about going back to a big gym, stay tuned for our forthcoming pack workout that you can comfortably do from home with minimal equipment and space.
| Push: | Flat Dumbbell Chest Press – 3 sets, 15 reps |
| Standing Staggered Stance Overhead Dumbbell Press – 3 sets, 15 reps | |
| Pull: | Wide Grip Pull Downs – 3 sets, 15 reps |
| Seated Cable Rows – 3 sets, 15 reps | |
| Legs: | Goblet Squats – 3 sets, 15 reps |
| Machine Hamstring Curls – 3 sets, 15 reps |
