This Part 4 of a 5 part series. Up to this point, we have covered Mindset in part 1, Nutrition in part 2 and the Basics of Exercise in part 3. If you missed the previous articles, take some time to review them before finishing this article. Remember, fitness is not just about tough workouts and success takes a combination of all 5 aspects of fitness.
Recovery is one of my favorite topics. We are always reading about exercises, different workouts, new equipment, diets and more, but taking proper steps to rebuild and recover from tough workouts is a huge factor.
There are two types of people I would like to address in this article:
- The newbie (aka: I’m sore and feel like Im gonna die) and
- The die hard athlete or fitness junkie (aka: I workout everyday and never take a day off)
If you are just starting to workout, then you are probably a bit shocked. Symptoms include achy muscles, stiff joints, and other aches and pains. Starting a new workout plan can be a shock to your system and it is important to remember to take baby steps. Be patient, start slow and make small steps forward every week. If you take on too much, to quickly, you may overdo it and increase the chances of developing injuries and losing confidence.
On the flip side, you may be an exercise junkie. You love the gym, participate in sports, thrive on competition and can’t get enough activity. For example, a lot of the fighters that I train love to work hard and train multiple times per day. If this is you, then learning to schedule your training properly and learning to recover is essential. Increased workload takes its toll of your body and learning to recover will be the difference between a high level of performance or fatigue, exhaustion and poor performance.
More than likely, you are somewhere in the middle of these two examples, but the ideas we will discuss, will still help you elevate your game, get more out of your workouts and help you feel better between workouts. I am going to lay out a handful of tips and discuss each of them briefly. My suggestion is to start iwth one or two of these ideas. Implement them into your routine each week.
The more often you train, the more focused you should become on these techniques, because more work requires more recovery. So let’s get started…
1. Warm up (preventative) – As simple as this may seem, most people screw it up. Warming up is NOT a 5 minute walk on the treadmill. Warming up prepares our bodies for the work we are about to do, increasing blood flow to muscles, warming up joints and preparing our nervous systems. Neglecting a warm up is one of the quickest way to injury.
I prefer to start my workout using the foam roller, move on to small band work to warm up the hips and shoulders, then move into dynamic warm up drills and agility work. This works great for me, but your warm up may need to prepare you for other activities.
Bottom line: take ten minutes and get mentally and physically prepared for the work you’re about to do.
2. Corrective Exercise – all of us have imbalances, weaknesses and small ailments that have built up over time. In order to perform at your best and stay pain free, you have to address this. For example, most people have weakness in the hips, tightness in the neck and upper back and lack proper control of their core musculature. If this is not addressed properly, then you will develop some type of knee, back or shoulder pain very quickly.
Bottom line: Have a professional assess your movement patterns, identify imbalances or limitations, and create a plan for correcting these before problems arise.
3. Massage – Massage is one of the most amazing ways to stimulate muscle recovery and to allow the mind the relax. There are lots of different types of massage out there and its important to find a qualified therapist. A good therapist can help you address imbalances, relieve tightness, decrease soreness and speed recovery between workouts. Plus, it just feels good (most of the time :)).
Bottom line: Ask around and interview a handful of therapists. Tell them your goals and limitations, then schedule a consistent time to meet them every week, bi weekly or monthly. Just depends on your training volume, availability and budget.
4. Self Myo-fascial Release – Foam rollers, tennis balls, peanuts (2 tennis balls taped together), The Stick and other tools have become a life saver for myself and other people at our gym. These are a simple way to start workouts, break up adhesion (knots, tightness) in your muscles and help you move easier. A invaluable tool to use in between massages, ART and other therapy.
Bottom line: Buy one and use it frequently.
5. Ice – Ice is one of the most underrated “fix it” methods. If you train intensely or recently started a new program, you will inevitably work hard, strain a muscle, sprain a joint or develop some type of small pain. Pain is basically inflammation in an area. Ice is a simple way to reduce inflammation and reduce pain. You can use ice massage, on muscles, after a tough workout or take an ice bath (intense but effective) or simply use ice packs around a sore area. This is a lifesaver as your intensity or workload increases.
Bottom line: Drop the pills and start with ice if simple joint or muscle pain comes your way.
6. Contrast Showers – Increased blood flow can help flush out lactic acid in sore muscles. If you are stiff, sore or simply run down toward the end of the week, contrast showers may help ya speed recovery. Simply let the water run over the sore area and alternate between bouts of cold and hot water. I usually do cold blast for 10-20 seconds, followed by 1 minute of hot water. It is an “eye opener”, but you typically go numb after the second cycle. Well worth the initial shock :).
Bottom line: Feeling a bit stiff and sluggish? Add these contrast showers to your routine.
7. Time Off – This is a big one for the exercise junkie, especially for an athlete juggling multiple training sessions per day. Stress (exercise) breaks our bodies down. Our body then rebuilds to become stronger or more resistant to that stress, if proper rest and nutrition are made available. Lots o food athletes and competitive people love to just work hard and neglect taking proper time off to allow their bodies to recover.
Bottom line: Take at least one day COMPLETELY OFF and cycle the intensity of your other workouts to allow your body to rebuild. You should be getting stronger and making progress each week.
8. Catch some Zs – Amazing things happen when you sleep. If you are training hard, then I would recommend getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Ideally you would go to bed at 10pm and wake up at 7am. There are lots details I will not dive into, but the bottom line is that a good nights sleep helps repair your body, refresh your mind and build strength in your whole system. Without it, you will be a step behind mentally and physically.
Bottom line: Turn your tv off, read something (non work related), drop the caffeine, brain dump to dos, and allow yourself to relax before hitting the hay.
9. Proper Nutrition – Last, but not least, is the fuel you put into your body. Good nutrition supplies our body with water, amino acids (building blocks for muscle), minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, fatty acids and energy. When proper fuel is provided, the body is able to recover, rebuild and become stronger, in a shorter amount of time. Unfortunately, the average American’s diet is void of all the essential things we need to recover and perform at our best. In order to separate yourself from the competition and perform at your best, you have to take nutrition seriously. It affects every aspect of your body, mindset and performance all day long.
Bottom line: If God made it, eat it. Get the garbage food out of your life and start eating better quality foods. I’d also recommend using a food journal to help you become conscious of your eating habits.
Utilizing these techniques helps people progress faster than they ever thought possible. Start by using one or two of these techniques, make them a habit in your life and then add other tips as you go. Taking these tips seriously allows you to to feel better and to perform more work, more often when necessary.
Next up: The Power of a Family – learn how having a support system, a team or a supportive family around you can help every aspect of your fitness plan.
Stay tuned!
Perfect for me and my sore self right now.
What is your favorite way to recover and relax?
I do appreciate the foam roller.
Great article! I could really use the advice from the Warming Up section. I always get too impatient and shorten my warm ups. My arms could use a warm up before a 3 hour surf sesh. I found the Contrast Showers section super interesting. Never thought about switching cold to hot, definitely going to give it a go. Amen to catching Zs, time off, and proper nutrition!
This was huge to be able to see the best way to recover from a workout-I ususally work out everyday but don't do the best job allowing my body time and means to recover. I have been frequently getting sore muscles when I run and it feels as if they are getting worn out. These are some great tips to remember!
Very interesting stuff! I was especially intrigued by the corrective exercise section. It's so true that we all have weaknesses and I believe that many of us choose to ignore them. I know that I personally hate working on things that are weaker because it's typically harder and takes time away from doing what I'm "good at". Thanks to this article, I now know the importance of identifying my imbalances and limitations so as to improve my overall physical condition and prevent injury.
This blog could not have come at a better time. Being a college student, I rarely get enough sleep and find it somewhat difficult to turn down quick meals. On top of studying nonstop, I am also an athlete; I am familiar with ice and massages, but have never tried foam rollers, I’ll have to try it! Time off is another thing that I rarely give myself, I think that with better time management I could give myself more free time to just relax and not stress about things. I have experienced the results of not warming up enough a few times and often rush through it, This is something that everyone has a tendency to do when; but I’ve grown to learn that though warm ups may be monotonous, rehabbing an injury is far worse.
This is a very interesting article, and I would love to learn more about each of these different techniques to recovery. I know first hand that it is easy to pay little attention to recovery, but this article really reinforced its importance. I look forward to applying many of these techniques to my own life and recommending them to others.
I used to not warm up, stretch or foam roll because I saw it as a waste of time. I also used to work out any chance I got and at times I would work out super hard, but them binge and there would go all my hard work out the door. I really like this blog it is definitely informative. And by the way foam rollers work wonders highly recommend them.
my favorite article so far because it shows that working out isn't just throwing soem weights around at the gym… It shows that working out is also focused on stretching, SMR, ice, rest, recovery and healthy eating. That stuff is my passion!
There are many variables such as stability, mobility, posture, coordination, strength, grip, agility, speed, power, nutrition, rest, and recovery. All of theses need to be taken into consideration and utilized in a good training program depending upon the individual and what sport or daily activity he/she is pursuing. Ir asses each individual and creates a program that best suits that person.
There are many variables such as stability, mobility, posture, coordination, strength, grip, agility, speed, power, nutrition, rest, and recovery. All of theses need to be taken into consideration and utilized in a good training program depending upon the individual and what sport or daily activity he/she is pursuing. Ir asses each individual and creates a program that best suits that person.
I used to not warm up at all before I worked out and I was always in pain after, I also never foam rolled before IR. Now that I do both I see how important it really is! It helps with your workout and it also helps with your recovery! Of course nutrition is key. Poor nutrition makes me feel bad about myself and my body. When you eat good you feel good. I absolutely agree with the massages! Totally want one now! I would get them weekly to help with sore muscles if I could afford it! Great blog very helpful! 🙂
The counterintuitive fact that growth happens during rest rather than during a workout, makes it no wonder why recovery is often under appreciated. This is a fantastic guide for anyone, regardless of athletic experience. Personally, I will take number seven and eight first, those being time off and more sleep. But if time is a factor, I know the other processes are equally as effective if not more, and take significantly less time.
This one post that everyone needs to read and I am sure gets a lot of people wondering and changing their routines because they are missing some of these. We can sometimes think that we are being productive working out hard, but not taking care of our bodies outside of the gym will really hurt in the long run.
This article just taught me how to recover in so many different ways. I play a lot of soccer and go to IR at least 4 times a week, so I’m always sore. At IR they’re different everyday so I don’t complain too much but I should start using ice more since some parts of legs are always sore. I think the contrast showers are unique as well, I don’t think being sore will be much of a problem anymore.
A lot of people forget the number one thing you should do before a workout, is warm up; people skip warming up and get injuries and wonder why. This article is great at touching on the points of how one should properly take actions towards recovery. I think it is great that this article describes the low and the high of the work out spectrum; shows that though there is a low sedentary lifestyle there is also an extreme excessive lifestyle of fitness that is not healthy either. It is important to find a balance between the two. I like the idea of the contrast shower, I have never heard of it, I will try it sometime!
By far the most underrated part of working out. All of these are so important. I have experienced the benefit of several of these. I remember about a year ago I was working out very intensely. Then I had stopped for about three weeks completely due to some life issues. When I went back to working out, I was amazed that I was even strong than when I had stopped. It amazed me. It showed me the value of rest when it comes to recovering. After that, I am sold on everything in this article. Doing these things and seeing the results, has shown me the value in them.
This article just thought me alot about recovering after your workouts i go to ir 2 days a week i know its not intense but im starting out slow im not in the best shape i was once was in high school i also skate and im pretty good at it and by skating i mean skateboarding ive done for a while now and usually im sore the next day and these tips help out alot one that really cought my eye is icing your sore muscles and contrast showers to recover better i will do these thing on my own thank you
Before IR warming up was just another thing i didn’t want to think about. Until I realized the importance of warming up and recovering i finally started to perform extremely better! Taking the extra time to warm up and get yourself mentally prepared changes the way the rest of your training session is going to go, which is great. You have to give yourself time to train and recover to see results. Another Great Article.
This article is great! In my life, I use some of these to help remedy any recovery I may need. The foam roller and the hot-cold shower seem to work best for me. I’d say my biggest downfall is not catching enough Z’s. If I’m not exercising, I’m studying, and that carries out late into the night at times. I’m still trying to adjust to a better routine and getting better with my time management. I guess the first step is being aware, and the next is making some changes!
An idea that many people don’t understand is that the work you put in in the gym, translates to change outside the gym, during rest and recovery. Without proper time to recover, your body cannot physically make the changes that are what lead to increased strength, power, muscle growth, decreased body fat, etc. Foam rolling is a life saver for me, because I get incredibly tight and “knotty” when I work out hard. I should probably increase my use of ice and try the contrast showers. I’m curious to see how these further help my development and ability to continue training successfully!
Recovery is also one of my favorite aspects of fitness, as well. As an athlete, I am familiar with just about every one of the above mentioned techniques except the contrast showers. I have yet to try that method but am willing to check it out whenever the time seems fit. Ice baths for those really intense days seems to usually work the best and if I’m going to get a massage the person has to be strong, period. Over the years, I have developed a lot of muscle and a lot of knots along with it, and if you’re not strong enough your hands and shoulders will get tired very quickly.
The realm of exercise extends far greater than just the movements made in the gym. It is important to always invigorate the muscles with a warm up so the body can prepare the nervous system and prevent injury from occurring. During the workouts we seek the imbalances within the system and mindfully correct them. Equally as important is the rest and recovery that we practice when our workouts are complete. Innovative Results has stated many different methods that should be used to rebuild the body. Myo-fascial release through massage or foam rolling is greatly effective to stimulate recovery. Two of the most important recovery methods are proper nutrition and proper sleep. Through an intake of healthy nutrients the body becomes fueled with power to rebuild, and a correct amount of sleep will replenish the system for the upcoming workouts. By following these nine methods of recovery, the body can take steps to reach its greatest potential.
Being an athlete since I can remember, this articles hits on a few key points my past coaches would preach to me but also offers new information I never really heard before. I know how essential a warm-up is, but I never thought that I should focus my warm up for what I have planned for my workout. I was always given a generic warm up during high school. As for the
Being an athlete since I can remember, this articles hits on a few key points my past coaches would preach to me but also offers new information I never really heard before. I know how essential a warm-up is, but I never thought that I should focus my warm up for what I have planned for my workout. I was always given a generic warm up during high school. As for the contrast showers and corrective exercise, thanks for the information! I have a few minor ailments physically and I know I need to really focus on building up strength in certain areas of my body. I want to be well balanced when doing a workout instead of struggling with the same issue over and over again.
One of the most beneficial ways for me to recover are the contrast showers. When I first started working out at Innovative Results my body was the most sore compared to prior workouts. My trainer, Aaron Guyett told me of a bunch of different techniques that will help my body achieve a fast recovery.
Warm up/ days off/ track food, at least one of these with make you cringe. With so much focus on the workout itself or just the end result, most people don’t want to pay attention to the details. Sharing this aricle with a few people for this reason, pay attention to the details, neglecting regeneration could bring all your efforts to a screeching halt!
Great subject to focus on, indeed, recovery is one of my favorite training topics as well. One of the things I hear from people is that they “do recovery when they can,” I think the more we put emphasis on recovery methods and take the time to train and program it properly, the more we’ll see people looking at recovery as less of a “nice to do” and more of a “must do.” Me personally, even on days I don’t train, I still take some time to sit in the sauna, do some mobility work, and a little bit of SMR as well. If nothing else, it just feels good!
As an athlete, I have seen first hand how the recovery process plays such a large role in my success internally and externally. Reading over the tips, I would say all of them are very necessary especially in a high intensity athlete’s life. Ice, foam rollers, and sleep are three in particular that I highly value because of how much they can help me not only physically but mentally. Lastly, nutrition is one of the last tips touched on that is so important and as mentioned, an area of an athlete’s life that one might over look. The fuel we put into our body, including water, is so essential to the physical presence we have as athletes.
Another great article! Fortunately and unfortunately, I learned the hard way! Always working, eating poorly and being introduced to a fitness center that could have been a great starter for me, but ended up not guiding me and many others in the right direction. Still a great facility, just a bit aggressive for someone who knew nothing about being an athlete and the amount of time it takes to become an athlete. Again, I am grateful that I was introduced to the lifestyle, I just wish I knew then what I know now. I was definitely someone who should have started by crawling , then walking then running etc.. It eventually broke me down mentally, and physically, but, I did my part and did my own research and found ways to get me back to healthy! All 9 of these are crucial when it comes to performing your best inside and outside of the gym! It may seem like a lot at first, but I guarantee that your body and mind will thank you for it later. Do as this article says, start with one or two and then gradually add to it. You can only get good results from it!
Awesome article about recovery! I recently read a study about contrast showers giving your great recovery benefits. The protocol went as follows… 20 seconds cold, 10 seconds warm. (repeat cycle x10) end on cold for 2 minutes. I have been doing it after hard work outs and it helps immensely. I think it is very important to understand our bodies and whether we are sore because we are trying something new, or because we are simply overworking ourselves. Rest is a key factor in obtaining an optimized body and I love everything this article has to say involving rest, nutrition, and cold therapy.
Warm up, cool down, and recovery are most often totally neglected with cool down being the least followed aspect of the exercise cycle. While there are a million methods that one can apply- most folks go for a hodgepodge of random things that they “heard of” or “read about”. Suprisingly, this often works better than doing nothing. Amongst the least followed items on the above list is “corretive exercise” and professional assessment. Unsurprisingly, most people don’t know how to tell that they need “corrective exercise” and even the term implies a sort of “wrong behavior” on the part of the client. In my practice I use the terms “movement assessment” and movement training. At IR, there is a certain level of informal movement assessment and training every time an instructor teaches a class (the instructor demonstrates the important aspects of the movement progression and watches the students as they attempt to execute- then offers a verbal assessment and movement tips as they deem necessary for injury free training).
Feeling warmed up and functioning correctly does the trick when it comes to intense workouts. I have recently changed my diet and now i’m focused on consuming real food to fuel me and help recover faster. It makes your mind stronger and more of a will to keep wanting more results. As for the contrast showers, that’s something I will try and implement into my routine, stay tuned for my findings!
Great article that targets many mistakes that most of us, including myself make when returning to an exercise program or starting one. Thank you for breaking it down. Being a runner and experiencing the aches and pains from not following the proper recovery protocol. I know what a difference all of these things can do for an aching body. Some I had forgotten about others I Implement. Thank you for the reminder and helpful tips that can aid me into pushing my body to the next level and continue testing the limits of the human heart.
This is a great write up on things to do to take care of yourself and prevent injury. I personally have moved from the inactive to the active spectrum and giving my body rest and working out efficiently is what I’m learning to do. One new thing I learned is the contrast showers! Something that I will definitely try as I continue to take care of my body.
I love that #7 was included! Time off is so important and for us people who love to exercise it can be so easy to overtrain.
The time off is so important not only physically but mentally as well. Especially when going to a gym with a competitive atmosphere it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that “more is more”, that more work will equal more results. But this is absolutely untrue! With properly prescribed workouts the recovery is the MOST important part. Once you realize that skipping that day off does more harm than good, that that workout would actually prevent your progress, then it becomes much easier (and much more rewarding) to enjoy that well deserved nap instead of dragging yourself through a workout.
Here’s to intelligently planned rest days, and enjoying them!