With every training plan, there needs to be a recovery plan. Muscle growth occurs when muscle fibers are broken down and repaired. If you hit a hard workout (whether it’s regularly or once in a blue moon), your body needs to recover. It’s up to you to determine how you recover.
Recovering efficiently will shorten that dreadful period where you’re too sore to sit or stand. It will also better increase muscle strength and size. Recovering less efficiently, however, means you’re experiencing more pain for longer periods of time.
There’s a lot you can do to maximize your muscle recovery and to get the most out of your workouts. A well thought out training plan, active recovery methods, proper supplementation, and rest will put you on the fast track to recovery, which means maximum gains and minimal pain.
Training Plan
Your plan, or workout schedule, strongly influences the rate at which you recover. If you train full body every day, the muscle groups being hit repeatedly may not be able to fully repair. We typically workout to increase strength and muscle size, but if your muscles are exhausted from overexertion they may not grow.
If you train a different body part each day, however, each muscle group should have at least 48 hours to recover, if not more. So while you’re not entirely stopping all workouts, you’re still allowing your body to recover and grow.
Active recovery
Active recovery involves certain low-intensity techniques or actions that get your blood flowing. DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is primarily caused by the muscle fibers being lengthened and broken down. It is a common misconception that DOMS is caused by the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles. Lactic acid usually clears within an hour after exercise.
My favorite ways to actively get my blood flowing are yoga, mobility work, walking and climbing. Blood flow is also increased through important techniques such as stretching, massage or self-myofascial release, which is done with a foam roller or small ball. Not only will this help you feel better by decreasing tension and improving circulation, it will also help you better connect with your body. Being in tune and mindful of your body is key to swift and injury free recovery.
Workout Supplementation
If we want our bodies to perform optimally, it only makes sense that we fuel them properly. So what are the best recovery supplements to be at your best both in and out of the gym?
Intra Blast
When we exercise, our body is taxed. Our muscles are broken down, our body becomes fatigued and electrolytes are lost. NutraBio Intra Blast is a powerhouse of
Reload Recovery Matrix
Reload is the ULTIMATE recovery matrix. It is packed full of nutrients such as BCAAs, glutamine, L-carnitine tartrate, and more that prevent muscle breakdown and keep your body in an anabolic (muscle building) state. Reload was formulated to fuel your muscles after post workout supplementation, in between meals, and on non-training days.
Super Carb
An intense workout likely leaves your glycogen stores, or your body’s fuel, depleted. When your glycogen stores are low, your level of performance goes down and you end up in a catabolic (muscle breakdown) state. NutraBio’s Super Carb addresses this issue housing the ultimate low glycemic highly branched cyclic dextrin. This formula replenishes glycogen stores without spiking blood pressure or leaving your stomach upset. Fueling up with NutraBio’s Super Carb before, during or after your workout will increase your energy, improve your athletic performance, and decrease recovery time.
Rest
Rest, unlike recovery, is categorized as time spent sleeping or not training. We sleep so our bodies can restore and function. So, getting enough sleep is one of the easiest and most anabolic things you could do. While we sleep, our bodies are at work secreting special hormones that help heal and repair us on a variety of levels.
Conclusion
In the end, if you’re not recovering just as hard as you’re training, you’re not getting the results you worked for. So, if you want to build those muscles, hit them hard - but don’t forget to let them grow! Your body will thank you later!
