How to Recover from Strength Training

A common mistake made by many people who first start a strength training program is not getting enough rest and recovery between workouts.  Some people even attempt training 7 days a week!  After about a week of this, they start to feel sore and fatigued all the time.   Although I admire their enthusiasm, they need to understand what happens to their body when they engage in strength training. 

Strength training actually breaks down and damages your muscle.  You actually will leave the gym weaker than when you went in.  Your body is resilient though, and it repairs and rebuilds itself stronger than before.  If you give your body time to recover, the next time you go back into the gym, you should be a little bit stronger because your body has adapted.

The important part to emphasis here is that your body grows and repairs itself when you are not in the gym.  You need to give yourself sufficient time to recover between workouts.  This articles explores various recovery methods that you can do to decrease recovery time and reduce soreness between workouts.   

Static stretching.  Static stretching after a workout is a great way to aid recovery.  Not only will you feel less sore the next day, but stretching after a workout can also increase flexibility.  You should stretch both the muscles you worked and the antagonist muscles.  So if you worked your hamstrings that day, you should stretch both your hamstrings and your quads. 

Post workout nutrition.  After you workout, you want to get nutrients into your muscles quickly.  Many people drink protein shakes after a workout, but post workout is also a great time to consume carbohydrates.  Good carbohydrate sources after a workout include oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, yams, and dextrose.  The carbohydrates will replace muscle glycogen, which was used up in the workout.

Soft tissue work.  Foam rolling helps bring blood into the muscles.  This will promote muscle growth and recovery.  I recommend getting a foam roller for the larger muscles and using a tennis or lacrosse ball for the smaller areas. 

Hydrotherapy.  Contrast showers and ice baths can aid recovery by increasing the amount of blood in a region.  This helps bring vital nutrients into the muscles and will help you recovery quickly.

• Ice baths.  If you have access to an ice bath, take advantage of the opportunity.  Get in the ice bath and stay in as long as you can up to 5 minutes.  Then take a long warm shower letting the water hit the muscles you worked. 
  
• Contrast showers.  When you are in the shower, first turn the water as cold as you can stand it for 15 – 30 seconds.  Next turn the water as hot as you can stand it for 15 – 30 seconds.  This is one cycle.  Repeat for 3 – 6 cycles.  Again, let the water hit the muscles you worked.

Low intensity cardio.  Low intensity cardio gets the blood flowing, which allows more nutrients to flow into the muscles.  This also can help pull the lactic acid out of the muscles.  Do not overexert yourself; a brisk walk will work just fine. 

Sleep.  Sleep is the most important tool you have to aid recovery.  When you are sleeping, your body’s repair system goes into overdrive.  You should aim for at least 8 hours of sleep a night.  The quality of sleep is also important.  If you are tossing and turning all night, then you are not going to wake up feeling refreshed and recovered. 

Napping.  Most people do not have the luxury of taking a nap during the day, but a short nap after a workout is a great way to aid recovery.  Even just a 30 minute nap, can help reduce soreness. 

You might not be able to use all these methods, but try adding one or two into your current routine.  If there are any other methods of recovery that you use, let me know about it in the comments.