To understand muscle recovery we have to go back a little in basics to understand what happens when we work out in the gym are we building muscles?
Well, the answer is NO… WHAT? , HOW
When we work out whether in the GYM or exercising any other sport, We actually break down muscle tissues not build muscles…
Think about it this way, when you make effort with your muscles, are you wearing the muscles or you are building muscle tissue, Does it makes sense now?
Working out makes your muscles fatigue which causes tissues to a breakdown in a process called Catabolism
so of course the opposite is where we are building muscles
read about 10 mistakes why you are not losing fat HERE
WHAT IS MUSCLE RECOVERY
Muscle recovery is a process where our muscle fibers rebuild and during that recovery, the muscle tissues heal stronger than before which makes your muscles stronger and bigger in a process called anabolism
so if you think about it that is all we want is to build stronger and bigger muscles
So in order to continue building muscles, your body needs to do Catabolism and Anabolism all the time in a process called Metabolism, in this blog we will focus on how to do a proper recovery
HOW TO FULLY RECOVER YOUR MUSCLES
A. IMMEDIATE RECOVERY
After an intense workout, we feel fatigued and our muscles are sore, so there is something in bodybuilding called an immediate recovery that has to be taken place,
Once you finish your workout you must intake a fast fuel recovery which is BCAA WHY?
BCAA does not take a normal path of the normal amino acids as they are metabolized directly to the muscles it means they do not go through the liver they go directly to your muscle fibers to stop catabolism
After consuming BCAA by 10 minutes you need to take a protein shake as that will be the actual nutrition to start after the workout catabolic state
B. POST WORKOUT MEALS
After consuming your BCAA and Whey Protein for 45 minutes you are ready to have your post-workout meal which is crucial especially its ingredients as it can turn your workout whether to a sweet recovery or to a minimum or no recovery
A proper protein and carbs are your main goal click here to know more
Check Chris Bum full day of eating HERE
C. MEALS FOR FULL RECOVERY
After three hours of your workout, you need to consume another recovery meal because muscles recovery starts only post-workout so every three hours you shoulder a high protein and carb meals add of course veggies and some essential fats like olive oil to have a complete meal, for full meal plan article click HERE
D. WATER
Being Hydrated can boost your recovery by removing body toxins and keeping your muscle fluid on top, which makes the recovery process at its optimum levels, remember drinking water should be steady throughout the day, so having a glass of water every hour is great to stay hydrated
E. SLEEP
Why you should be getting enough sleep (read everything about sleeping HERE)
most muscle recovery happens during our sleep, so sleeping 7 – 9 hour is as important as your meals especially if you sleep early and wake up at 5 am which is the optimum sleeping time, during sleep your HGH levels is at the highest level which recovers all your broken muscle fibery
F. SPORT MASSAGE
Sports massage or deep tissue massage is a great way to speed up recovery
the history of massage goes back to the ancient Chinese 2700 B.C.
Massage prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm, and stress which in return increase recovery, however that has to be done by a professional massage therapist
G. SUPPLEMENTS
We have already talked about Whey Protein and BCAA however there are other supplements that will help during recovery
1. Fish oil (post-breakfast)
2. Magnesium (Before sleeping)
3. Creatine (the best recovery supplements) (before and after a workout)
4. L- Carnitine (before workout)
5. Vitamin C (post-workout or before sleep)
H. COLD SHOWER POST-WORKOUT
Cold showers aid in muscle recovery by reducing lactic acid and reducing stress which indirectly reduces the catabolic effect from a workout, some bodybuilders nowadays use an ice bath
A new technique is called CRYOTHERAPY has shown a significant effect on muscle recovery, simply you enter a -130 F (-90 degree Celsius) room for 180 seconds give a shock to your muscles, and increase blood flow
that is close to something we have all seen in Scandinavian countries which have been there for ages where they jump in freezing water post sauna that also increases muscle recovery and we have seen that in most cafes in Finland, Sweeden, Norway, and Denmark
With that said we have now understood the importance of Recovery, no matter the intensity of your workout, If you are missing out on Recovery then you will not see any progress,
Guys, I hope you enjoyed the article, and feel free to write any comment or critic we will take into consideration.
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