Reta and weight training.

[ZetsuM]

So I went back to the gym yesterday.

It had been a while. I started running again about two weeks ago, and it's been going okay so far. Yesterday I decided it was time to rekindle the flame with the gym.

It's been over a year (almost 2) since I last trained, so I know it's going to take some time to get back into it.

One thing I really noticed was the calorie deficit, if that makes sense. I pushed myself, but after only about 30 minutes I was completely spent.

Today my back is pretty sore from doing just 3 sets of 10 on the seated row and lat pulldown. I also did some lateral raises for my shoulders.

I could really feel the burn and the lactic acid building up in my muscles.

Has anyone else experienced this when getting back into the gym after a long break? Is it something I just need to push through (without risking injury), or is there something I can do with my diet to help?

I'm eating plenty of protein, drinking electrolytes, and getting at least 2 liters of water a day.

I'm open to making some adjustments, but I also don't want to slow down my weight loss.

The gym I go to has a body composition scale. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it showed me at 87.2 kg and 25% body fat. I started at 95 kg (body fat unknown), so I'm happy with the progress so far.

Thanks!

 

[aepower2016]

It's been such a long time since you've trained, it's completely normal to feel weak. I think it's a combination of being in a deficit and also getting back to the gym. I say give it at least 2 weeks of consistent training before making any drastic changes to your regiment. The only real recommendation I would give right now is to slightly increase your daily carb intake or at least increase your carb intake an hour or 2 before your sessions.

I too get exhausted relatively quick during caloric defecits. It tends to be much more noticeable when I don't get enough sleep the night before too. It happens to the best of us .

 

[ZetsuM]

aepower2016 said:


It's been such a long time since you've trained, it's completely normal to feel weak. I think it's a combination of being in a deficit and also getting back to the gym. I say give it at least 2 weeks of consistent training before making any drastic changes to your regiment. The only real recommendation I would give right now is to slightly increase your daily carb intake or at least increase your carb intake an hour or 2 before your sessions.

I too get exhausted relatively quick during caloric defecits. It tends to be much more noticeable when I don't get enough sleep the night before too. It happens to the best of us .

Click to expand...

Thanks, out of habit i always take a spoon of raw honey before i leave for the gym or a run.

I'm trying to stay away from pre-workout because high dose of caffeine and reta tend to clash.

 

[fatjacked]

I think, in general, that for most people lifting while in a significant calorie deficit from a GLP-1, it requires an adjustment of mindset. It is very difficult to gain strength and build muscle under those conditions. Maybe if you are a total beginner and getting those noob gains, but I think for most people, the goal is basically to preserve muscle & signal to your body not to burn it ahead of fat. That's probably even more the case in your scenario, where you are returning to lifting after some time away, but presumably are not brand new to it.

I am down 41 pounds in the last six months, lifting heavy & consistently during that time, and I am seeing better definition overall but not adding much weight to my main lifts; in fact I have lost a little off my 1RM in some cases. That's a little frustrating, but ironically I look more muscular now than before due to all the fat loss, and I am confident I can go back to gaining strength once I hit maintenance and focus on recomp.

 

[Mochizuki0124]

Theres 2 types of sore. 1. Sore from just your muscles not being used to the overload anymore 2. Sore, like something isnt right or something is in the verge of breaking. And trust me you and you're body would know the difference.

If its #1 then you just need to push through. Doesn't mean go all out every day but your body needs to get used to tension again. Maybe go light for a few days. If you take breaks all the time youre already giving your body and mind the signal that it needs to take a break all the time and thats usually one of the reasons why people fail on their weightloss journey.

 

[Mood]

When I first restarted at the gym, I was sore for a few days. Sore, not in pain; but strong DOMS. Just keep pushing through. Second week was easier and increased all my lifts. By the third week I'd be a little sore but nothing bad and could double the length of my workouts. Biggest recommendation is on your rest days, try to keep active and blood flowing. I try to at least do a 2 mile walk at a minimum to keep my blood flowing, because that will expedite muscle repair.

 

[Redz]

ZetsuM said:


So I went back to the gym yesterday.

It had been a while. I started running again about two weeks ago, and it's been going okay so far. Yesterday I decided it was time to rekindle the flame with the gym.

It's been over a year (almost 2) since I last trained, so I know it's going to take some time to get back into it.

One thing I really noticed was the calorie deficit, if that makes sense. I pushed myself, but after only about 30 minutes I was completely spent.

Today my back is pretty sore from doing just 3 sets of 10 on the seated row and lat pulldown. I also did some lateral raises for my shoulders.

I could really feel the burn and the lactic acid building up in my muscles.

Has anyone else experienced this when getting back into the gym after a long break? Is it something I just need to push through (without risking injury), or is there something I can do with my diet to help?

I'm eating plenty of protein, drinking electrolytes, and getting at least 2 liters of water a day.

I'm open to making some adjustments, but I also don't want to slow down my weight loss.

The gym I go to has a body composition scale. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it showed me at 87.2 kg and 25% body fat. I started at 95 kg (body fat unknown), so I'm happy with the progress so far.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I would suggest drinking more water. I drink 1 liter just in my workout which is 21 sets and 1 hour cardio. Water is not making anyone fat, I would up that water intake for sure. There is definitely a curve getting back in the gym. Be patient and try to do a bit more each time.

 

[RyuSnowz]

Definitely don't push yourself too fast and hard, if you haven't been training for a while. You can risk fainting at the gym. Strength training on Reta is a marathon and not a sprint.

Start low and slow in a weight where you can get around 10-12 reps of 3 sets (or whatever your desire goals are). Same with cardio, do something like stationary cycling, stairmaster, incline walking, elliptical, swimming or whatever you prefer.

Keep it challenging but not pushing yourself too hard due to the calorie deficit, and now to low/easy where its too easy to reach the desire reps.

And as always, stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, and in some electrolytes. Stay safe!

 

[OCDguy]

ZetsuM said:


So I went back to the gym yesterday.

It had been a while. I started running again about two weeks ago, and it's been going okay so far. Yesterday I decided it was time to rekindle the flame with the gym.

It's been over a year (almost 2) since I last trained, so I know it's going to take some time to get back into it.

One thing I really noticed was the calorie deficit, if that makes sense. I pushed myself, but after only about 30 minutes I was completely spent.

Today my back is pretty sore from doing just 3 sets of 10 on the seated row and lat pulldown. I also did some lateral raises for my shoulders.

I could really feel the burn and the lactic acid building up in my muscles.

Has anyone else experienced this when getting back into the gym after a long break? Is it something I just need to push through (without risking injury), or is there something I can do with my diet to help?

I'm eating plenty of protein, drinking electrolytes, and getting at least 2 liters of water a day.

I'm open to making some adjustments, but I also don't want to slow down my weight loss.

The gym I go to has a body composition scale. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it showed me at 87.2 kg and 25% body fat. I started at 95 kg (body fat unknown), so I'm happy with the progress so far.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

You’re doing good getting back into it… I’m very new to lifting but my first rule is don’t get injured (because I’m old and feeble) if you need to drop volume by number of reps per set or the weight, maybe both, That is wiser than injuring yourself when you could have lifted five less pounds or ten less pounds…is that extra weight worth being out of training until you heal again?

 

[TacoLifter420]

Ease back into it. It gets better.

Weight lifting is a marathon not a sprint.

 

[bomberlandmelb]

its expected after a long break, it will get better every passing week if you are consistent.

 

[ZetsuM]

fatjacked said:


I think, in general, that for most people lifting while in a significant calorie deficit from a GLP-1, it requires an adjustment of mindset. It is very difficult to gain strength and build muscle under those conditions. Maybe if you are a total beginner and getting those noob gains, but I think for most people, the goal is basically to preserve muscle & signal to your body not to burn it ahead of fat. That's probably even more the case in your scenario, where you are returning to lifting after some time away, but presumably are not brand new to it.

I am down 41 pounds in the last six months, lifting heavy & consistently during that time, and I am seeing better definition overall but not adding much weight to my main lifts; in fact I have lost a little off my 1RM in some cases. That's a little frustrating, but ironically I look more muscular now than before due to all the fat loss, and I am confident I can go back to gaining strength once I hit maintenance and focus on recomp.

Click to expand...

I'm not brand new to lifting.

I used to train with a professional coach.

My goal is to get a bit leaner but also gain functional strength so i can practice the sports i used to. Also the weight loss stopped after 7.5 kg on Reta (i'm sitting at 87.5 for 2 weeks).

So i figured some training would fix it since more muscle = more kcals burned.

 

[ZetsuM]

TacoLifter420 said:


Ease back into it. It gets better.

Weight lifting is a marathon not a sprint.

Click to expand...

Yeah, patience isn't one of my strengths, unfortunately.

 

[kartikeya]

ZetsuM said:


So I went back to the gym yesterday.

It had been a while. I started running again about two weeks ago, and it's been going okay so far. Yesterday I decided it was time to rekindle the flame with the gym.

It's been over a year (almost 2) since I last trained, so I know it's going to take some time to get back into it.

One thing I really noticed was the calorie deficit, if that makes sense. I pushed myself, but after only about 30 minutes I was completely spent.

Today my back is pretty sore from doing just 3 sets of 10 on the seated row and lat pulldown. I also did some lateral raises for my shoulders.

I could really feel the burn and the lactic acid building up in my muscles.

Has anyone else experienced this when getting back into the gym after a long break? Is it something I just need to push through (without risking injury), or is there something I can do with my diet to help?

I'm eating plenty of protein, drinking electrolytes, and getting at least 2 liters of water a day.

I'm open to making some adjustments, but I also don't want to slow down my weight loss.

The gym I go to has a body composition scale. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it showed me at 87.2 kg and 25% body fat. I started at 95 kg (body fat unknown), so I'm happy with the progress so far.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

When someone has been in a coma for 3 months, they often have to go through a painfully slow process of physical therapy to get back into walking shape. Any muscles that you haven't been giving significant exercise to are going to have atrophied, and not listening to your body here can cause injury that will be a major setback to your return to an active lifestyle. Go slower than you think you need to, and in a few weeks you'll be able to start working out at a pace that feels more effective.

Also, if you aren't eating carbs 2-3 hours before you work out, do that. Proteins burn slow and are better for recovering from physical activity, as opposed to fueling it.

 

[ZetsuM]

kartikeya said:


When someone has been in a coma for 3 months, they often have to go through a painfully slow process of physical therapy to get back into walking shape. Any muscles that you haven't been giving significant exercise to are going to have atrophied, and not listening to your body here can cause injury that will be a major setback to your return to an active lifestyle. Go slower than you think you need to, and in a few weeks you'll be able to start working out at a pace that feels more effective.

Also, if you aren't eating carbs 2-3 hours before you work out, do that. Proteins burn slow and are better for recovering from physical activity, as opposed to fueling it.

Click to expand...

My shoulders are still sore, my back a little less.

I do get some carbs but not like a full meals worth. Marbe at best a banana or something.

That's exactly my point with how i felt the caloric deficit.

 

[px1984]

Just go 60-70% effort for the first few weeks otherwise you will end up in a world of pain with horrid DOMS and struggle to sit on the toilet properly or get out of bed It will all come bouncing back once muscle memory kicks in.

Personally i like to run a Strong lifts 5x5 whenever I have had a decent break from the gym, hits a range of compound lifts and start low on the weights and increase each session. Nice and easy to follow as well.

Stronglifts 5×5: The Complete Workout Guide [2026] | Stronglifts



The best 5×5 workout guide on the entire Internet. Discover how to build strength and muscle doing only three full body workouts per week.

stronglifts.com

 

[ZetsuM]

px1984 said:


Just go 60-70% effort for the first few weeks otherwise you will end up in a world of pain with horrid DOMS and struggle to sit on the toilet properly or get out of bed It will all come bouncing back once muscle memory kicks in.

Personally i like to run a Strong lifts 5x5 whenever I have had a decent break from the gym, hits a range of compound lifts and start low on the weights and increase each session. Nice and easy to follow as well.

Stronglifts 5×5: The Complete Workout Guide [2026] | Stronglifts



The best 5×5 workout guide on the entire Internet. Discover how to build strength and muscle doing only three full body workouts per week.

stronglifts.com

Click to expand...

Thanks, i'll be sure to check it out and give it a try. The weights seem extremely low but i guess that's what you get for not working out for so long.

 

[px1984]

ZetsuM said:


Thanks, i'll be sure to check it out and give it a try. The weights seem extremely low but i guess that's what you get for not working out for so long.

Click to expand...

Id usually start with whatever you can comfortably do 10-12 reps for. Then each workout you add 2.5kg, adds up quickly!

 

[ZetsuM]

px1984 said:


Id usually start with whatever you can comfortably do 10-12 reps for. Then each workout you add 2.5kg, adds up quickly!

Click to expand...

Yeah i know. I used to have a strong deadlift so might up that a little but i'll see where it gets me. It's a good place to start for sure!

 

[jpru2001]

What has always worked for me after a break (requires patience lol)...

First several weeks only 2 working sets of most movements (presses/rows/etc) and only 1 working set of back squats or dead lifts. Don't really do accessories either. Yes at first you are done in 15 or 20 minutes.

Several weeks in, introduce 3 working sets on presses/pulls and 2 working sets squats and deadlifts. When ready add in the 3rd set on squats and deadlifts.

That is the only way I am sure not to aggravate something and end up sidelined after just starting, especially important for me personally when on a calorie deficit. My hamstrings are especially sensitive to getting tweaked hence the slow progression on squats and deadlift.