What to Do After Missing a Week at the Gym Should I Just Pick Up Where I Left Off in My Log

You’re back from vacation or recovered from a busy week, and you're staring at your workout log. The anxiety is real. You're asking yourself, "what to do after missing a week at the gym should i just pick up where i left off in my log?" The answer is no, and doing so is one of the fastest ways to get discouraged or injured. But the solution is simple math, not a full reset.

Key Takeaways

• After one week off, you lose almost no actual muscle; the weakness you feel is your nervous system being less efficient.
• Do not pick up exactly where you left off. For your first workout back, reduce the weight on your main lifts by 10-20%.
• If your log says bench press 185 lbs for 5 reps, you should aim for 150-165 lbs for 5 reps on your return.
• Always perform the *next* scheduled workout in your program, do not try to "make up" the session you missed.
• If you missed 2-3 weeks, the deload is bigger: reduce weight by 20-30% and cut one set from your main exercises.
• The goal of your first session back is not to set records; it's to successfully complete the workout with perfect form and rebuild momentum.

Why You Shouldn't Just Pick Up Where You Left Off

It’s the moment every consistent gym-goer faces. You open your logbook. It says your next squat session is 225 pounds for 3 sets of 5. But you just spent 8 days on a beach, at a work conference, or sick in bed. Your motivation says, "Just do it, you're not a quitter." But a smarter voice in your head is asking if this is a good idea.

That smarter voice is right. Jumping straight back into your last working weight after a week or more off is a mistake. Not because you've lost all your progress, but because of how your body detrains.

There are two types of "strength":

1. Muscular Strength: The actual size and contractile ability of your muscle fibers.
2. Neurological Strength: Your brain's ability to efficiently recruit those muscle fibers to perform a specific movement pattern.

After just one week off, you have lost virtually zero muscle. True muscle atrophy (shrinkage) doesn't meaningfully begin until around the 3-week mark. So, that's the good news. Your hard-earned muscle is still there.

However, neurological efficiency drops off much faster. Within 7-10 days, your central nervous system (CNS) gets a little "rusty." The mind-muscle connection for coordinating a heavy, multi-joint lift like a squat or deadlift becomes less sharp. The movement pattern isn't as grooved.

This is why the weight feels heavier. It’s not that your muscles are physically weaker; it’s that your brain is worse at telling them what to do. When you try to force it, your form breaks down. Your risk of injury skyrockets. And worse, you might fail the lift. Nothing kills momentum faster than failing a weight you were hitting easily just two weeks prior.

Stop guessing what to lift after a week off.

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The "Comeback" Protocol: A Step-by-Step Guide

So, if you don't pick up where you left off, what do you do? You follow a simple, math-based deload strategy. This removes all the guesswork and ensures your first day back is a success, not a setback.

Step 1: Apply the 10-20% Deload Rule

For a 1-week break, this is your golden rule. Take the working weight from your last session and reduce it by 10% to 20%. This is the intensity sweet spot. It's heavy enough to provide a good stimulus but light enough to guarantee you can complete all your reps with perfect form.

Let's make this practical:

• Your Log Says: Barbell Bench Press - 185 lbs for 5 reps.
• Your Comeback Workout: 185 lbs x 0.85 = ~155-160 lbs for 5 reps.
• Your Log Says: Barbell Squat - 245 lbs for 5 reps.
• Your Comeback Workout: 245 lbs x 0.85 = ~210 lbs for 5 reps.
• Your Log Says: Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 50 lb dumbbells for 8 reps.
• Your Comeback Workout: 50 lbs x 0.90 = 45 lb dumbbells for 8 reps.

Always round down to the nearest available plate or dumbbell. The goal is to be conservative.

Step 2: Keep Reps and Sets the Same

For a short break of only one week, you don't need to reduce your workout volume (the total number of sets and reps). The primary issue is intensity (the weight on the bar), not your work capacity.

If your program called for 3 sets of 5, you do 3 sets of 5. If it was 4 sets of 8, you do 4 sets of 8. This helps your body quickly re-acclimate to the workload it was used to.

Step 3: Do the *Next* Workout in Your Program

This is a common point of confusion. Do you repeat the workout you missed? No. Your program is designed to progress over weeks and months. One missed session is a blip on the radar. Trying to cram in the missed workout disrupts the flow and recovery schedule.

Just accept that the workout was missed and move on. If you missed Workout A, you don't do Workout A when you come back. You do Workout B, the next one on your schedule, but with the 10-20% deload applied to the main lifts.

Step 4: Focus on Form and RPE

Your first workout back is a "re-calibration" session. The focus is 100% on technique. Feel the movement. Control the negative. Make every rep look perfect.

Use the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. A 10 RPE is a maximum-effort, can't-do-another-rep set. Your deloaded sets should feel like a 6-7 RPE. It should feel controlled and almost easy. If it feels harder, that's fine-it just confirms the deload was necessary. Do not add weight mid-workout just because the first set felt light. Stick to the plan.

Your comeback, planned perfectly.

Every workout logged. See your strength return week by week.

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What to Do If You Missed More Than One Week

The 10-20% rule is perfect for a single week off. But what if life got in the way for longer? The principle is the same, but the numbers change. The longer the break, the more conservative the comeback.

If You Missed 2-3 Weeks

At this point, neurological detraining is more significant, and you might be on the verge of the slightest muscle atrophy. The comeback needs to be gentler.

• Deload Weight: Reduce your main lifts by 20-30%.
• Reduce Volume: Cut one working set from each of your primary exercises. If you were doing 3x5, do 2x5. If you were doing 4x8, do 3x8.

Example: Your last squat was 225 lbs for 3x5. After a 3-week break, your comeback workout would be around 165-180 lbs for 2x5.

If You Missed 1-3 Months

Now we're talking about a significant break. You have definitely lost some muscle and a lot of neurological efficiency. Trying to get anywhere near your old numbers is a recipe for disaster.

• Deload Weight: Reduce your main lifts by 40-50%.
• Reset Your Mindset: Think of this as starting a new program. Your old numbers are a benchmark to work back towards, not a target for today.

Here's the good news: muscle memory is real. The nuclei in your muscle cells developed from your previous training are still there. You will regain your lost strength and size much faster than it took to build it the first time. What took you a year to build might only take 2-3 months to regain.

If You Missed 6+ Months

Start over. Seriously. Erase the old numbers from your mind. Pick a solid beginner program and start with light weights, focusing entirely on form. Your old logbook is now a historical document, not a guide.

Trying to lift even 50% of your old one-rep max after this long is asking for a severe injury. Your muscles may have some memory, but your tendons and ligaments do not. They need time to re-strengthen. Be patient. You will progress much faster than a true beginner, but you must respect the process.

The Mental Game: How to Handle the Comeback

Let's be honest: deloading feels like a step backward. It's frustrating when a weight that used to be your warm-up now feels like a working set. This is where most people make a mistake. They let their ego write checks their body can't cash.

Reframe the entire purpose of the first workout back. The goal is not to lift heavy. The goal is to show up and complete the session successfully.

Your win for the day is walking out of the gym feeling good, having completed every planned set and rep with perfect form. That's it. That is a massive victory because it builds the momentum you need for the second workout.

By your second or third session back, you'll feel that neurological sharpness return. The weights will start feeling normal again, and you'll likely be back at or very near your old numbers. That first easy session is the investment that makes this rapid return possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I do extra cardio to "make up" for the week off?

No. A single week off has a negligible impact on your body fat. Adding a bunch of extra cardio is just adding more stress to a body that is already re-adapting to the stimulus of lifting. Just get back to your normal training and nutrition routine.

Why do I feel so much more sore after the first workout back?

This is a normal response called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Even though the weight was lighter, the stimulus is "novel" again after a week off. Your muscles are responding to that new stimulus. The soreness will be much less intense after your second session.

What if I was sick? Does that change the plan?

Yes. If you were sick, be more conservative. Even for just one week off, use a 20-30% deload. Your body used significant resources to fight the illness and needs a gentler re-introduction to training stress. Rushing back is a common way people get sick again.

Should I still try to progress in the next workout?

Yes. After your successful comeback workout using the deload, you can return to your program's normal progression schedule for the very next session. If your plan called for adding 5 pounds to your bench press, then add 5 pounds. The deload is a one-time reset, not a new permanent baseline.