Recovery

In a 3 day lifting cycle like the push-pull-leg split, fast recovery is so important in maintaining peak performance during workouts. Without proper recovery, your muscles and tendons will not function properly.

A basic rule to follow is to stretch and/or roll out after every workout. This will help your muscles loosen up after being strained during your workout. When your muscles get tight, it puts pressure on other parts of the body. For example, my hamstrings tighten up so much every time I run that they actually put enough pressure on my knees to cause patellar tendonitis when untreated. I am going to discuss my experience with knee pain in a later post, but I share this to emphasize how the different parts of our body are all connected via muscles and tendons. Take care of your muscles, tendons, and joints by stretching. 

Something many people forget about is eating protein and drinking water. When we lift weights, or run and feel soreness afterwards, we are feeling pain from our muscles breaking down at a micro level. The harder we workout, the more serious soreness we feel. When our muscles break down, we need to restore them and rebuild them. Protein, nutrients, and water are vital in restoring our muscles. This accompanied by deep stretching is incredibly beneficial in restoring the body in a 1-3 day period, allowing for optimal performance at every workout.

Lastly, get good sleep! When you sleep, you give your muscles and tendons time to recover without spending the slightest amount of energy. Additionally, being horizontal allows blood to evenly circulate easier than when you stand upright since gravity is not pulling it down to the feet.

Recover thoroughly and your body will be in optimal condition for your next workout. Take care of your bodies and meet goals faster!