How do I Recover from these Workouts?
Listen, if you’ve read any of my blog posts then you know my goal is to get you to feel good for LIFE. I want this to be your LAST DIET, the last workout plan, the last time you have to try to lose the 10 pounds you’ve been telling yourself you’re going to lose.
If we’re going to do that, then we’re going to need you to stay healthy and stay in the gym. So how do we do that? How do we keep little tweaks and aches from popping up to slow down our good progress and make us slide backwards?
First, the best defense is a good offense. Let’s just avoid getting hurt in the first place. Let’s set ourselves up for success BEFORE we get hurt. That starts the night before getting a good night of sleep so our body operates at its best. Then we warm up appropriately and specifically both for the workout we’re doing and for what our body needs. Then we perform a sensible workout that has exercises selected because of how effective they are, not because of how cool they’ll look on TikTok. Finally, we’ll build into things slowly so our joints and tendons have time to adapt to the new demands. If you train at Core Blend, we’re doing all of that for you, except for the sleep thing. That’s on you. If it’s past 10 o’clock, go ahead and read this tomorrow, now is a great time for you to sleep.
After a workout is a great time to begin doing some recovery work. This isn’t an absolute necessity, if you’re pressed for time, but if you can make the time, here are a few things that I really like.
Massage and Variations of Massage-
I am a big fan of massage. Letting someone work their elbows or thumbs deep into muscles helps them relax and recover faster. Massages are great, but they can be hard to schedule and pricey, so foam rolling or a lacrosse ball (a form of self myofascial release) can be very effective, you just need to learn how to do it well. If you’re really a pro, you’ll do some Body Tempering using the Forge. That’s clearly the best option so you’re recovering like Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes and the 2-time National Champion Georgia Bulldogs, but I’m biased because I invented that tool.
Sauna
Saunas feel great. They release heat shock proteins and can help you relax which lets your body know that it’s okay to start recovering for the next workout.
Ice Baths
Some nerd is going to tell you that ice baths are bad for hypertrophy. That if you want to get big you shouldn’t do an ice bath. I’m more muscular than the person that told you that and I do ice baths. If you’re really concerned, then don’t do your ice bath immediately after workout. The study they’re citing looked at people doing an ice bath immediately after a workout, so you can wait a few hours and be fine.
Stretching
A nice relaxing stretch post workout will function similarly to the sauna earlier, allowing your body to relax and know that it’s okay to start recovering. It will also help promote mobility and prevent you from getting tight. These are all good things. Do some stretches from our Youtube page or take a Yoga class a couple of times a week.
And if you REALLY want help to make a permanent lifestyle change, to look. good, feel good and know how to sustain it for life, then send me an email at corey@coreblendtraining.com so I can help.
Sincerely,
Corey Davis
