RIO Fitness Chicago® Exercise & Nutrition Blog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Now that Summer is over, are losing your motivation to exercise for that Summer body? Be careful how much time you take off, because as hard as it was to make progress, it'll be easy to lose it.

1) After two weeks off:
We already start to see a decline in muscular and cardiovascular fitness levels. At this point, it's safe to jump back in at the same intensity you were at before the break. Cardio levels decrease faster than strength (the magic of muscle memory). To take advantage of this, during busy work weeks, do just one set of five strength exercises.

2) More than two weeks off:
The longer that is taken off, the more we need to scale back volume and intensity of exercise once we come back to it. To jumpstart your routine at this point, and to preserve heart/lung strength and prevent waistline creep, do 5 to 7 days of 20 minutes of cardio.

3) A break from exercise can be good:
If you've been going all-out, exercising HARD for months, you probably need a training vacay. This allows your muscles to recover fully so you can continue making strides whether you're training for a race or trying to lose those last stubborn ten pounds.