Muscle recovery is important to a lean sculpted body. It’s a fact. 

I know, I know…the un-sexy topic.

Off days? Stretching? Mobility? Foam rollers? Blah blah blah…. 

Most athletes and goal chasers are so focused on crushing their next workout that they miss the magic in recovery.

I mean, training is where all the gains are made…right?  

The answer: Yes and NO

When you understand why muscle recovery is important to a lean sculpted body, then you can tap into one of the most beneficial factors of reaching optimal fitness and experiencing longevity with your physical health!

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a gym-going newbie, here are a few examples of your body screaming at you for better recovery:

• You are constantly battling soreness, stiffness, or nit-picky injuries
• Your weight loss progress is stalling
• You aren’t making gains with strength or endurance
• You are flat out tired. It takes you til noon to wake up with the help of a gallon of coffee.
• You struggle to get going when you’re working out.
• Low heart rate variability

If you’re checking the box for 2 or more of these, then chances are your recovery sucks. 

The truth is, it doesn’t matter if your diet is perfect, and your training routine is intense and frequent…without proper recovery, your performance, and eventually your health, will decline.

Still not convinced? Let’s take a deeper look…

 

WHAT IS PROPER RECOVERY?

All workouts, especially high-intensity ones, stress the body. During fitness training or strength training, you fatigue the muscle and break it down, causing microscopic tears and damaging the muscle on a cellular level. 

Post-workout, inflammation increases, and enzyme and hormone levels fluctuate.  These changes lead to muscle growth, better heart health, fat loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and overall healthier bodies. 

However, proper recovery isn’t just hopping out of bed in the morning and not feeling joint stiffness or muscle soreness.

The true science behind recovery is being able to meet or exceed your previous performance. 

If you’re finding yourself at the gym, exercising again with sub par abilities or lackluster efforts then just stop it!

 

HOW TO RECOVER FASTER

Let’s put at least half the amount of energy or acknowledgment into our muscle recovery as we do chasing those gains in the gym!

Here are a few ways I have personally found success in recovering from soul crusher workouts faster. 

Some of these may feel a little obvious, but always worth the reminder:

 1. Hydrate

Seems logical, right? Flushing out lactic acid (the byproduct of muscle soreness) is an easy enough way to go. Don’t forget the electrolytes! 

 2. Foam Rolling (self-administered myofascial release) 

As a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist, I can’t emphasize this enough. Foam rolling relieves tension on the connective tissue surrounding the muscle. Rolling brings fresh blood and oxygen to the trained muscle speeding recovery. The important thing is to do this immediately following a workout BEFORE muscle soreness sets in. Ever tried to roll out a sore quad?!? UGH! Painful. 

 3. Cryotherapy

Whewwwww, where are my tough mudders at? Cryo increases circulation and decreases inflammatory cytokines providing faster recovery, tissue repair, and pain relief. Cryotherapy sessions can get expensive so consider a 3-5 min ice bath at home.

 4. Epsom Salts Bath

Maybe a bit more enjoyable than an ice bath, but in my opinion, not quite as fast with relief yet still effective. For a normal-sized bathtub use 2-4 cups. Make sure that salt is dissolved. 

 5. Sleep 

Getting quality rest is critical to recovering and is necessary for heart and brain health as well. NREM, non-rapid eye movement increases protein synthesis and aids in recovery.

 6. L-Glutamine

Simply an amino acid (building block of protein) glutamine heals and repairs tissue. It also plays a key role in protein metabolism, cell volumizing, and is anti-catabolic as well. L-Glutamine is also a key ingredient in the Recover supplement I recommend.

 7. Omega-3

This fatty acid has been shown in multiple studies to reduce muscle soreness, inflammation, and swelling. Cod Liver Oil is one of my favorite ways to get Omega-3s each day. Grab my favorite (non-fishy tasting one) HERE!

 8. Curcumin

Found in turmeric, this powerful herb has been shown to offset discomfort from muscle soreness because of its powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

9. Recover

My favorite post-workout supplement! Recover contains electrolytes, minerals, and phytonutrients to break down the lactic acid in your muscles (hello, reduced muscle soreness!) and supports lean muscle formation (hello gains!) So it’s the 2-for-1 way to upgrade your hydration post-workout! Magnesium, L-glutamine, sour cherry, and Indian frankincense all in one little packet. You can grab it HERE.

 

So tell me, are you putting energy into recovering so you can be your best? Are you committed to adding some extra recovery to your fitness routine?

 

SHOW NOTES

Supplement Go To 

If you would like to check out some of the supplements I recommend for muscle recovery and the brands I love and trust you can do so all in one place  ~ CHECK IT OUT HERE