Ep 71 | Feeling Stressed About Taking a Break? Here’s Why You Won’t Lose Your Gains
Life happens. Whether you're a fitness beginner or a seasoned athlete, there will be times when your workout routine gets completely derailed. Maybe you get sick and fall out of your rhythm, or perhaps a major life change—a new job, family illness, or personal crisis—throws your carefully planned schedule into chaos.
When this happens, it's natural to panic. The worry sets in: Have I lost all my progress? Am I back to square one?
Here's the truth that will put your mind at ease: You haven't lost all your gains.
As a certified personal trainer with 10 years of experience, I've worked with clients who've taken breaks ranging from a week to several years. What I've learned might surprise you about how your body responds to time away from the gym.
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Jayd (00:00):
No matter who you are, and no matter what your fitness level is, you're going to have times where workouts are just not going to happen. Training is just not going to happen. It's just not happening for whatever reason, and that's normal. That's okay. It's fine. A lot of people though freak out and then they start beating themselves up and they start to worry, I'm going to lose all my gains, but that's not true. Hey there. Welcome to the Coaching Corner podcast. I'm Jayd Harrison, a certified personal trainer, and I help people to get strong, get lean and toned without shame and without burnout. In today's episode of the podcast, I'm going to be sharing a conversation that I had with my Twitch chat while I was live on my Twitch channel. We were talking about how to handle setbacks. When you go through periods of time where you're not able to make it to the gym, it can be tempting to think that you've lost all of your gains, and this is a worry that happens to people at all levels of their fitness.
(01:03)
So in today's episode, I'm going to share some of my thoughts as a personal trainer for how to handle those kinds of setbacks and reassure you that you haven't lost all of your gains after taking some time away from the gym. So if you haven't been able to make it to your workouts or do all of your fitness plan 100%, and it's been worrying you a little bit, this episode is a good one to listen to. And before we get into the episode, make sure to like this video if you're watching on YouTube and subscribe to my channel so you never miss new videos. If you're listening to the podcast, thank you so much. Make sure that you follow the channel so that you always get the latest episodes delivered right to your device. And also don't forget that I'm taking on new clients for my fat loss transformation program. So if you are interested in getting in shape and you want a little bit of guidance, check out the link and apply to work with me in the video description on YouTube or in the show notes in my fat loss transformation program. I create a custom training program for you as well as a custom meal plan and weekly coaching and lessons to help you burn fat and keep it off for good. So check out the link for more information. And without further ado, let's get into the episode.(02:16)
No matter who you are, and no matter what your fitness level is, whether you're a beginner, intermediate, advanced, no matter what style of exercise you do or fitness or athleticism, you're going to have times where workouts are just not going to happen. Training is just not going to happen. It's just not happening for whatever reason. You get sick and then you just get out of the routine or your routine changes, you get a new job, you lose your job, somebody in your family gets sick or a death in the family occurs. There's going to be interruptions and that's normal. That's okay. It's fine. A lot of people though, freak out when they have these interruptions. They get off their routine and then they start beating themselves up and they start to worry, I'm going to lose all my gains. I'm going to lose some of all my progress that I've made so far.(03:01)
But that's not true. And I've been doing this for 10 years. So I've trained clients who've taken breaks of just like a week or two. I've trained clients who've come back to me after years away. And here's the thing, it's really slow to lose your muscle gains, your strength, your muscle gains. They are very slow to decline. It takes a long time for you to not exercise to lose a significant amount of strength. The other thing is that the technique and the mind muscle connection that you have deteriorates incredibly slowly. Once you learn how to squat, you will always know how to squat. Now, you might lose some of your flexibility. You might get stiff, especially if you have been spending a lot of time sedentary where you haven't been moving very much. But I mean, the mechanics almost always are going to be there whenever you get back.(03:53)
The thing that deteriorates the quickest though is your conditioning. So if you do a sport where you got to be moving a lot for an extended period of time, you're going to notice that after a week or two off of your workout program cardio wise is going to be hard to get back into it. The first workout back the first week back is going to feel like, man, I am out of shape. I'm having to breathe so much harder. I'm just like, my heart rate is up much more than it normally is. And that's because the cardio conditioning it is really, it's very sensitive. So if you spend all day for a couple of days sedentary, when you come back, you're going to feel like you have lost your gains. You're going to feel like, man, I'm having trouble keeping up. However, that system is also very quick to respond to getting back into training.(04:48)
It's not going to take you months to recondition your cardiovascular system and your ability to keep up with higher loads of training. It's not going to take as long as it did for you to build up to that point in the first place. So it's fast to go away, but it's also fast to come back. You just kind of have to push through that first week, first two weeks back, and that's where you'll feel it the most. But it takes a long time for you to lose muscle, especially if you're continuing to eat like normal. If you, however, are in a steep calorie deficit, if you haven't been eating a whole lot, maybe you've been sick or maybe you're coming back from surgery and you're just not eating as much protein and as many calories as you need for your body to heal, then your body will tap into your muscle and it will break down your muscle.(05:34)
If you're not getting the number of calories and the amount of protein that you need to just maintain your body while you're away and you're not working out, you will lose muscle faster. So as long as you're eating enough protein and you're eating enough calories and you're not in a super steep calorie deficit, you're likely not going to lose muscle or not going to lose that much muscle, and it will come back a lot faster. You'll be able to get back to where you were so much faster than it took you the first time to build up to that. So don't beat yourself up feeling like you've lost all of your progress, and you're going to have to go through the whole thing again of building back up to where you were, and it's going to take a year or two to get back to where you were before you took a break.(06:20)
It's just not the case. Your body's completely different. You're in a completely different place coming back to your fitness versus where you were when you started from scratch. So if you have been feeling some type of way about taking some time off and getting back into it, just know you have not lost all of your gains. You're never going to be starting from scratch ever again, especially if you haven't starved, basically, you're not going to lose as much as you thought you would. Just make sure that when you go back into it, that you're easing yourself into your training. Don't try to jump back into the same intensity level that you were at when you stopped because you're just not ready for it. You have make your body, you have to prep your body for that level of intensity. So I would recommend doing a reload phase where you spend the first week kind of just doing some stretching, doing the movements with very lightweight, don't do anything too crazy, and then just gradually start to increase to get back to where you were on a week by week basis.(07:28)
Just adjusting the intensity until you get to the point where you were before you stopped. Because if you try to jump in right where you left off, you are going to be hurting, you're going to be hurting, and you have an increased risk of injury because your body's just not used to that level of pushing, right? So that's my advice for people who maybe have taken some time off and thinking about getting back into it, and maybe you're feeling like, Ugh, I'm so far away from where I was. I've lost my gains. And then you feel like, what's the point? And maybe it's like keeping you from being able to restart again. You have not lost all your gains, just get back on that horse. But don't tell the horse to sprint, right? Start with a walk and then a trot, and then maybe sprint. You know what I mean? So be nice to yourself.(08:22)
Thank you so much for watching or listening to this episode of The Coaching Corner podcast. Again, I'm Jayd Harrison, AKA Jaydigains. Give me a follow on my socials. I'm Jaydigains everywhere. That's J-A-Y-D-I-G-A-I-N-S. Follow me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Red Note. You can also check out my website to read the Coaching Corner podcast blog and see more information on my programs and services. I'll see you in the next episode. In the meantime, make sure to eat your veggies, eat your protein, drink some water, and take care of yourself. I'll see you soon.
What You Actually Lose (And What You Don't)
Strength and Muscle: Slower Than You Think
Your muscle gains and strength are remarkably resilient. It takes a significant amount of time away from exercise to lose substantial strength or muscle mass. Think months, not weeks.
Even more encouraging? The technique and mind-muscle connection you've developed deteriorates incredibly slowly. Once you learn how to squat properly, that knowledge doesn't just disappear. Your body remembers these movement patterns, even after extended breaks.
Flexibility: Use It or Lose It (Temporarily)
You might notice some stiffness, especially if you've been largely sedentary during your break. However, flexibility returns relatively quickly once you start moving again with some dedicated stretching.
Cardiovascular Conditioning: The Quick Changer
Here's what you will notice first: your cardio fitness. This system is both the most sensitive to inactivity and the quickest to respond when you return.
After just a week or two away from regular exercise, that first workout back will feel tough. You'll find yourself breathing harder, your heart rate climbing faster than usual. It's easy to mistake this for having "lost everything," but remember—cardiovascular conditioning is also the fastest to return.
The Nutrition Factor
There's one important caveat to the muscle preservation story: nutrition matters significantly during your time away.
If you're maintaining adequate protein intake and eating enough calories overall, your muscle mass will remain largely intact. However, if you're in a steep calorie deficit—perhaps due to illness, stress, or intentional restriction—your body may tap into muscle tissue for energy.
The key is eating enough protein and calories to maintain your body's needs, even when you're not actively training.
Your Comeback Strategy: The Reload Phase
When you're ready to return to fitness, resist the urge to jump back in exactly where you left off. Your body needs time to readjust to the demands of exercise.
Here's how to approach your return:
Week 1: Gentle Reintroduction
Focus on stretching and mobility work
Perform familiar movements with very light weights
Prioritize form over intensity
Weeks 2-4: Gradual Progression
Slowly increase intensity week by week
Listen to your body's responses
Build back to your previous levels systematically
Think of it like getting back on a horse—you don't immediately ask it to sprint. Start with a walk, progress to a trot, and eventually work up to that sprint.
The Bigger Picture: You're Not Starting Over
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that you're coming back from a completely different place than when you first started your fitness journey. Your body has muscle memory, established movement patterns, and a foundation of strength that doesn't simply vanish.
You will get back to your previous level much faster than it took to build it initially. This isn't starting from scratch—it's returning to form.
Moving Forward Without the Guilt
Setbacks are a normal part of any fitness journey. Instead of beating yourself up about missed workouts or extended breaks, focus on what you can control moving forward.
Be patient with yourself during the return process. Accept that the first week or two might feel challenging, especially from a cardiovascular standpoint. Remember that this temporary discomfort doesn't reflect permanent loss—it's just your body readjusting.
Most importantly, don't let the fear of having "lost your gains" prevent you from getting started again. That fear is often worse than the reality, and the longer you wait, the more that fear can build.
Your fitness journey isn't a straight line, and it doesn't need to be. Embrace the setbacks as part of the process, trust in your body's resilience, and get back to taking care of yourself when you're ready.
Remember: eat your veggies, eat your protein, drink your water, and take care of yourself. Your future self will thank you for getting back on track.
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