6 effective ways of recovery from workout Secrets nobody is going to tell you

Recovery Methods -How To Accelerate

Recovery From Training

1. Timer
The most underestimated and most important factor of recovery is time. This can bernexpressed in days or hours between each workout. Time recovery can also be applied
to periods of training cycles.
The goal is to recover as quickly as possible to commence your next session. The key
is to determine the optimal amount of time required to fully recover taking into consideration
the muscles trained, nervous system, immune system and hormonal system.
Generally, anything done at a higher level of intensity requires
longer time between workouts. Anything done at arnlower intensity can be done at a more frequent schedule.
Your training frequency should be governed by the intensity
and volume of your workouts.
Finding the balance between work and recovery involves a consideration
of the type of training you are engaged in. Let’s say you are focusing on
improving your muscular strength. You will be using heavier loads that will place more
demand on your central nervous system compared to a moderate-weight hypertrophy
phase. If you are training for strength than you will need a longer break between sessions
– let’s say 48-72 hours. On the flip side, when training for size, as long the overall
volume is within reason and your energy intake is sufficient than you will be able
to train up to 4 times a week with serious results. This is because your nervous system
is not as beat up during this type of phase.
Next, you must allow time recovery between training cycles.
I have two forms of recovery:
Half week recovery and full week of recovery:
This means absolutely nothing but perhaps very light aerobic work and relaxation
techniques during these recovery weeks. You might be surprised by how much benefit
your body receives by taking strategic recovery periods.
I recommend taking one full week off every 12 weeks no matter what your level ofrnconditioning. In a 12-week program, I would even suggest ½-week recovery weeks evNo

ery 3 weeks. Yes, that means every 3 and ½ weeks you take the last 4 days off before
you commence the next 3-week block. The higher the intensity of training,
the more beneficial the recovery weeks will be.
Ignoring or not taking these guidelines seriously will lead to over-training, injury and
plateaus - guaranteed. I believe the average trainee (trained less than 4 years) should
never go beyond 6-9 weeks of uninterrupted training. And there is no exception for
the advanced trainee (greater than 4 years) to train longer than 12 weeks uninterrupted.

2. Nutrition
I think that a considerable amount of people do not have a clue of what to eat. Nutrition
is extremely important with recovery because it provides us the raw materials
for recuperation, recovery and growth. Without an ideal nutrition plan, your efforts inrnthe gym will be in vain.
Because this topic is so critical I have given
it a chapter of its own.

3. Supplementsr
Are supplements necessary? It depends. Again, this topic will be discussed in further
detail, as I believe it requires a chapter of its own. Just so that I don’t leave you
hanging, I believe supplements are ideal if they are pre-planned for specific training
phases and prioritized around specific training goals.
Also, I do not recommend the use of any unnatural supplements for the first 4 weeks
of training. I want you become a believe
of achieving superior results by training
smart, eating 90% whole foods, optimizing your recovery and getting plenty of sleep.

4. Drugs
I have no intention of addressing this topic in this manual. There is no shortage ofrnmaterial on what and how to take certain drugs to enhance recovery. I personally,
have never trained dirty. I decided before I began training that I would not be led tornthe dark side. I do not mean to moralize the topic but I will relate my own personal
stance on the issue. As far as I’m conce
ed, you will and I will ALWAYS remain curious
and tempted to the gains and ‘benefits’ you will receive from steroids. However, once
you travel to the dark side, you will never be able to say that you trained clean . You
will always have to live with it. I would prefer to simply keep it at that – a curiosity
and a temptation.
On the flIP

side, the reality is that it is your choice. The reality is that drugs exist,
they are used, and they can be very effective. But nothing comes without a price.

SLEEP

While most bodybuilding drugs are not physiologically addictive, they are emotionally
addictive. Can you imagine putting on 3 inches on your arms but having to spend
a few thousand dollars a month to achieve and maintain that? What if you could not
afford to buy your physique anymore? This could lead to a downward spiral of many
negative outcomes....
Bottom line, your recovery will be affected if you are using drugs or not. If you are
not using drugs, do not copy programs of guys who are. This is crazy!

5. Sleep
A part of the critical code for muscle growth is sleep. But how much sleep is enough
to accelerate recovery and optimize muscle growth? And how are you supposed to get
the optimal 8 hours of sleep on top of late nights, partying, studying, T.V, and cramming
the rest of our silly lives into the short 24 hours we have? I will not lecture you
on time management – the lesson here is to follow Nike’s motto and JUST DO IT!
So how does sleep relate to the phenomenon of building big muscles? The number one
reason getting enough sleep is so important is because Growth Hormone rises during
sleep and begins to rise 30-45 minutes after falling asleep. If you are taking your
training program seriously then I would suggest the optimal 8 hours, however this is arnvery individualistic measure and as few as 6 hours can be adequate for some.
I have created a simple test that will allow you to determine the minimum amount ofrnsleep required to optimize muscle growth. Sleep without an alarm clock for three
days, two on the weekday and one weekend. Average out the number of hours your
body sleeps until it wakes up naturally. Average out the three days and this is the optimal
number of hours you should strive for each night.
Also, there is a theory that every hour of sleep
you get before midnight is equivalent
to 2 hours of sleep. So if you go to bed at 10pm and wake up 6rnam – you will feel as if you have just slept 10 hours (and not
the actual 8 hours)
I would say try this one out for yourself and see. Too be honest, I personally feel tremendously
better going to bed earlier and waking up earlier.
Take advantage of power naps – they are not for wimps. Professional bodybuilders
take them regularly in the course of a day. It is said that a 20-minute nap in the middle
of the day is the equivalent of a 2-hour sleep. Again, try it out and see for yourself.
Naps are extremely beneficial if you did not sleep well the night before.
Remember that your muscles grow when you rest – this is the time between weight
training sessions. Sleep is the best opportunity to let your muscles rest.

STRESS
There is other research that shows that when you are deprived sleep your body releases
the hormone leptin. Leptin is a hormone that tells our body to feel full so if we are
deprived of this hormone you will be more prone to eat carbohydrates even though
you actually had enough food. This can quickly lead to fat gain for the sleep deprived.
If your sleep quality is poor try to supplement with ZMA (Zinc Monomethioniner
Aspartate plus Magnesium Aspartate and vitami
B-6). This almost guarantees a higher
quality of sleep and is said to release testosterone, which is a critical muscle-building
hormone. Also drinking warm milk activates a chemical from the heat to make you
feel more soporific.

6. Stress Managementr
Even Jesus Christ challenged his followers by asking them, “Who of you by worrying
can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27). Not only will stress take days away
from your life but it will hinder your recovery between muscle-gaining sessions!
How seriously do you take the following stress-related inducers into your training: · relationshipsrn· financesrn· studiesrn· travelrn· job environmentrn· social environmentr
I guarantee that if you take an inventory of your life you will discover times in your
training history when you have not adjusted your training program because one ofrnthese factors contributed to increased stress.
Stress – good and bad - has the power to override our body’srnnatural defense mechanisms against sickness.
It drives the production of inflammatory hormones that result in diseases such asrndiabetes, heart disease and obesity. Stress sparks rheumatoid arthritis and other
degenerative diseases. Stress will create depression and age the brain as well. And
remember, you do not grow muscle during the workout but rather, while you are resting.
Stress releases catabolic hormones that do not support an environment for muscle
growth and fat loss.
If you approach a training session when your stress levels are high then you MUST
reduce the duration of your workout, reduce the volume of the workout, decrease the
frequency of your training or increase your nutrient intake. More specifically, you
should double your vitamin/mineral and antioxidant intake to combat the build-up ofrnfree radicals which leads to a catabolic environment when stressed.
Ideally, eliminate the specific stress all together!