Been out of the gym for about four months (life got busy). Itching to get back but terrified of hurting myself jumping back in. How slow should the return actually be? My ego wants my old numbers immediately.
Leave the ego at the door. Start at maybe 50-60% of your old working weights and rebuild over a few weeks. The good news: muscle memory is real, so you'll regain strength and size much faster than the first time. But connective tissue and joints lag muscle, so reload gradually to let them catch up.
So the muscle comes back fast but I should hold back for the joints?
Exactly. Your muscles will feel ready before your tendons and joints are. Resisting the urge to load fast is what prevents the classic comeback injury.
Ease in with full-body sessions 2-3x a week, higher reps, lots of left-in-the-tank sets for the first 2-3 weeks. Rebuild the movement patterns and work capacity before chasing weight. The numbers come back quicker than you'd believe.
Expect to be sore early and don't panic - that's normal after a layoff, not a sign of damage. Just don't add to it too fast. Patient first month, then ramp. You'll be back near your old numbers before you know it.
Start at half, full-body higher-rep easing-in, respect the joints, be patient the first month. That tames the ego nicely. Thanks everyone - excited and going in sensibly.