Guides · Training
Coming back after weeks off
How to ease back in · Last checked November 2026
Less than you fear. Strength holds for about 3 weeks off, and what you lose comes back faster than it took to build. Don’t go straight back to your old weights. Spend one week at about 80% of the weight with fewer sets, then build from there.
How much do you really lose?
- Strength holds for about 3 weeks. A review of 27 studies on elite rugby and American football players found strength “can be maintained for up to 3 weeks”, and drops faster after that. Over breaks of about 7 weeks, strength fell about 14.5% on average.
- Cardio goes first. In the first 4 weeks off, endurance fitness drops faster than strength does.
It comes back
In a 6-month Japanese study, one group trained the whole time. The other took a 3-week break after every 6 weeks of training. Each break cost them a little, they won it back when they started again, and by the end both groups had gained the same muscle and strength.
Your first week back
- Lift about 80% of your old weights. If you benched 60 kg, start around 47.5–50 kg.
- Cut your sets. About two thirds of your usual number.
- Stop each set 2–3 reps before you’d fail. No max-out days.
- Expect sore muscles. That’s normal after a break. Sharp or joint pain isn’t: swap that exercise.
- Week two: back to your normal plan. Add weight only once you hit the top of your reps on every set.
The longer the break, the more patient you should be. If you stopped for an injury or illness, check with a professional first.
How BECOME does it
- After 14 days or more without training, your Train tab shows “Welcome back.” with a lighter week: fewer sets, 80% of the weight, for 7 days.
- You choose: “Ease me in” or “Keep my plan”. Nothing changes on its own.
- Then your normal plan resumes. In the workout screen, hit the top of the range on every set and it suggests a little more weight next time.
Sources
- McMaster D.T. et al. The development, retention and decay rates of strength and power in elite rugby union, rugby league and American football: a systematic review. Sports Medicine, 2013. doi:10.1007/s40279-013-0031-3
- Ogasawara R. et al. Comparison of muscle hypertrophy following 6-month of continuous and periodic strength training. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2013. doi:10.1007/s00421-012-2511-9
- Mujika I., Padilla S. Detraining: loss of training-induced physiological and performance adaptations. Part I. Sports Medicine, 2000. doi:10.2165/00007256-200030020-00002
General guidance, not medical advice.
Related: When should I add weight?