What you do after your workout session is an important part of yielding results, such as muscle gain and weight loss, while reducing muscle soreness. A post-workout routine also helps to maintain optimum energy levels as you restore your vitality, making it easier to stick to your fitness plan.
This article explores the steps to take after a workout to maximize your results. Read on to learn how you can design an effective plan to start the recovery process after you exercise.
Contrary to what many people think, muscles are built outside the gym. You break muscle tissue while you’re training in the gym and your muscles grow back bigger and stronger while you’re recovering. “Post-Workout Recovery is a key component of any routine and cannot be overlooked for what it can do for your muscle growth and overall fitness goals”.
Many recovery routines include things like foam rollers, yoga, and other mindfulness practices that will work to relieve those muscles and accelerate recovery to ditch muscle soreness. While it can be easy to skip recovery, especially after a grueling workout, setting aside time to take advantage of a great recovery routine is an absolute must, especially for those looking to boost all areas of their gains.
Let’s take a look at some top recovery routines and see what makes this so great. With the right approach to training, it should be matched by recovery and these tips will help you get there no problem.
Why Recovery Matters
Recovery matters because your body needs time to heal. While working out and building muscle in the gym aids all areas of your gains, what a good recovery routine can do is actually give those muscles time to heal so you recover faster. Quicker bounce back allows for more time in the gym, plus you repair those muscles to heal and recover to their optimal form.
Related: Sleeping Habits: “10 Ways To Boost Sleep Recovery”
With an emphasis on recovery, you not only strengthen muscles but also improve your overall mindset and quality of life. Less soreness and stress translate nicely into your everyday activities so you feel less strain and pain and can tackle anything life throws at you.
Here Are The 5 Recovery Techniques For Faster Muscle Growth
Let’s take a look at 5 recovery tips to maximize muscle growth so you get the most out of your training and performance. By putting a priority on muscle growth, you start to build that physique and give yourself time to fully heal to see the best gains possible.
1. Use Supplements
Some people take pride in not using any supplements. Staying away from supplements can be a mistake as they can aid and fasten up your recovery. Supplements like BCAAs and whey protein are known to help with preventing muscle breakdown and rebuilding bigger and stronger muscle tissue respectively. After your workout is the best time to use supplements to recover because your body needs the right nutrients to tackle anything you throw its way.
In today’s time, there is a supplement for almost every kind of recovery issue you can face. Joint or back pain, inflammation, or whatever your problem, name it, and there is probably a supplement for it out there. Always be sure your supplement comes from a reputable company and that the ingredients will work for your benefit. While the market for supplements is heavily saturated, there are companies out there working for your benefit with premium products.
2. Bath Your Way To Recovery
When most people hear about recovery, they think the only thing they need to do is to sit on their couch, do nothing, and let the body do its magic. The “chill to recover” approach for recovery isn’t enough, especially if you train at high intensity.
Although your recovery plan shouldn’t be as hard as your workouts, you should be willing to put in some extra effort. Taking Epsom salt, cold water, or ice baths can speed up the recovery process. You should also consider taking steam and saunas to detox your body.
3. Bio-Hacking
Making small adjustments in your daily routine can make a big impact on your recovery. Bio-hacking is the process of making changes to your lifestyle to “hack” your body’s biology to feel your best.
Some of the bio-hacks for better recovery include turning off the blue lights in your room, stopping using your phone two hours before bedtime, and turning up the air conditioner to sleep better at night. These simple things can go a long way for your recovery goals.
Related: Sleep Pattern Research: This Is How “Your Sleep Position Influences Your Overall Health”
4. Take Some Time Off
When some people don’t see the results, they try to push harder and end up doing more harm than good. If you’ve hit a plateau, you should consider taking some time off training. During this time, feel free to indulge in your favorite food or things you couldn’t do while you were on your training program.
If you’re following an intense training program, you should consider taking a week off every six months to give your body time to recover. Once you start training after the time off, the results will speak for themselves.
5. Sleep Better
Sleep is where all the magic happens. Just like babies, you grow in your deep sleep. If you want to transform your physique, you should be getting anywhere between 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
If you can’t get the desired amount of sleep in a single night, you should consider napping in the afternoon to make up for the time. You can also take supplements which help in improving sleep, and with plenty out there, you can find a safe and effective supplement for you.
Wrapping Up
Post-Workout Recovery is important and cannot be overlooked for what it can do for all your goals. With the right approach to training and recovery, you will see muscle growth and feel less sore. At the end of the day, that is what we as athletes want most. Take advantage of this so you see the best gains possible and no longer feel lethargic and that those sore muscles don’t hinder any performance.
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