Recovery from exercise depends on many biochemical, hormonal, and physiological processes that can affect the repair and remodeling of protein in muscles and connective tissue. Endurance exercise for 30 minutes or more 3 times per week is great aerobic activity. More generic protein supplements, protein powders, or protein rich foods, often … Creatine is a molecule that’s produced naturally in your body. A smart recovery strategy is just as important as training hard if you want great results. General guideline: extremely intense workouts – tend towards a week recovery for those muscles; if you are just going through the motions with little intensity – tend towards a 2-day recovery (better yet, just make your workouts more intense!). All rights reserved. If you’re anything like me, you want to train every single day. I actually find I get headaches if I don't have some carbs intra-workout, especially on leg day.". Overtraining is one of many advanced training techniques (like forced reps, training to failure, negatives, etc.) While training, Glutamine levels are depleted in the body, impairing strength, stamina, and recovery. It's become especially relevant during the past few decades, as exercise scientists have stepped in to measure which factors can help speed up the recovery process so you're ready to move iron or dominate the next game faster than ever. Eat the Right Ratio of Nutrients. The body first lifts the weight with its nervous system, secondly with the mind and thirdly with its muscles. "I eat 30 grams of protein about an hour before training so I have something in my body, as well as a complex carb," says Capurso. Take a week or two off from training. It’s also very intuitive. Keep your muscles ready to go with these key aspects of recovery. Bodybuilders lift heavily and often, some six days per week. If a particular routine gets the job done and you are reaping the rewards of that routine leave it be. Besides age, individual DNA varies from one person to the next, including everything from metabolism to muscle-fiber types to hormone secretion. 1 Muscle Recovery Time After Weight Lifting | Livestrong.com If you're serious about building mass, but you also play intramural sports regularly, you're probably not doing your muscle-building efforts any favors. "A lack of appropriate recovery may result in the athlete being unable to train at the required intensity or complete the required load at the next training session," he writes. I do not recommend or endorse using overtraining in this way. Cycle in periods of lower-intensity training and even time off from the gym, both for your physical as well as mental health. ", You may be inclined to head for the showers after you finish your last set, but incorporating a 20-minute cool-down session has been shown to improve recovery. Cycle in periods of lower-intensity training and even time off from the gym, both for your physical as well as mental health. Something other than previously mentioned that is both enjoyable and restful. Listen, your body needs rest to grow, but your muscles don’t grow when you’re exercising. This can lead to a psychological "burn-out" and make you want to quit altogether and never come back to stay fit. They actually grow while you’re sleeping and resting and recovering. Because massage can be fairly expensive, however, see if you can get your partner to work on you, or opt for the semiregular massage from a pro. The two are inseparable if you wish to reap the rewards from hard training and if your goal is to build muscle. The most popular bodybuilding message boards! Whole eggs. Few bodybuilders train too hard. A number of pro bodybuilders today extol the benefits of regular massage. The problem with the role of recovery in exercise and understanding it is that it has not received much attention and nor has there been many articles in magazines or chapters in fitness books written on the subject to constitute any understanding on the full recuperative cycle. About six months ago, back in October, I decided to get back in shape. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. At that time I was working out 4 days per week, working each body part twice per week, and resting 2-to-3 days between body parts worked. Your first priority outside the gym is to allow sufficient recovery time and to provide adequate high performance nutrition between workouts. "When training a muscle, you want to damage as many muscle fibers as possible, and somehow you have to 'bandage' them back together," says Capurso. Byproducts of extreme muscle-building are sore muscles, tightness, swelling from inflammation, and increased muscle adhesions and "knots." Muscle Recovery for Muscle Growth. It's all about coordination and muscular contraction. Listen to your body. "I'll take some fast-digesting dextrose during my workout for energy. "Some individuals argue you don't need supplements to build size and strength, but I can't imagine passing on this easy way to gain a performance advantage for faster and better recovery," he says. You cannot run first before you can walk. NOT resting can slow down the body's recuperative ability and/or interrupt it; so it is IMPORTANT that the whole body rests so it can be renewed with energy and vigor and allow the stress to dissipate. If you want to maximize your recovery efforts, check out this complete guide, including several tips from IFBB physique pro and fitness entrepreneur Craig Capurso. Your best bet is to focus on the strategies that have been shown to work, and to give a muscle what it needs most for recovery: time, nutrition, and ample care. With the reward of high-intensity training, performance nutrition and sufficient rest the muscle fibers must surrender to a new level of growth. A post-workout hydration drink can help replace it to promote optimal recovery. When you wake in the morning you are a muscle-burning machine. The goal is to get you ready to train again as fast as possible and still maximize muscle size or power output." Bill Geiger, MA, has served as a senior content editor for Bodybuilding.com and group editorial director with MuscleMag and Reps magazines. Capurso agrees that a well-chosen selection of supplements can make a big difference to your workouts and results. I've heard L-Glutamine is good for recovery. Not training smart enough, i.e., cycling training intensity. Recovery is obviously important for the short- and long-term performance of every lifter, but it's not a one-size-fits-all proposition. 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