Set a Schedule to Get at Least 8 Hours Sleep and Stick to It

Set a Schedule to Get at Least 8 Hours Sleep and Stick to It

RECOVERY

Working out hard is vital to becoming a better athlete. Exercise provides the stimulus for the body to change. When done right, we are changing the body for the better. But improvement does not come from the workout. It comes from recovering well from the workout. This handout has been created to help you understand how to maximize your recovery so you can maximize your improvement.

SLEEP – The first thing you must fix to maximize your recovery is your sleep. It is when you are asleep that your body does the best job of both repairing muscle and making the neurological adaptations required to move better. Our training is not only designed to work on making you stronger and faster, but to improve the way you move. Without proper sleep, you will end up in an over trained state rather than getting better. YOU NEED 8 HOURS of UNITERRUPTED SLEEP! The better quality sleep you get, the better you recover, PERIOD. The 8th hour of sleep is when the brain recovers best to improve movement patterns, and is also where you maximize the production of growth hormone.

Set a schedule to get at least 8 hours sleep and stick to it.

HYDRATION – The second thing you must fix to maximize your recovery is your hydration. While you are exercising, you need to drink water regularly and replace what you sweat out at a 1:1 ratio. For every pound of bodyweight lost during a workout, you need to drink 16oz of water. DURING THE REST OF THE DAY you need to drink a minimum of half your bodyweight in ounces. So a 180lbs athlete needs a minimum of 90oz water throughout the rest of the day. Get that minimum in, and then listen to your thirst as to whether or not you need more.

NUTRITION – Nutrition will be addressed in a separate handout, but it’s critically important that you understand nutrition’s role in recovery. Proper nutrition gives you the Proteins, Fats, and Carbohydrates your body needs to build muscle, create neurological adaptations (move better), and recover properly from workouts.

SOFT TISSUE WORK – When we work muscles hard, the muscles will become tight and form “knots” or “trigger points” within the muscle. These tight muscles decrease your joints’ ability to go through it’s full range of motion and increase the risk of a muscular injury. Muscle strains, pulls, tears, and most tendonitis issues are largely preventable by doing regular soft tissue work. The most practical way to accomplish this is utilizing the foam rolling methods we have taught you using the PVC pipe and a lacrosse ball. Regular soft tissue work will not only reduce your risk of injury, but will also speed recovery after a workout.

ICE BATHS & CONTRAST SHOWERS – Immediately following a workout, an ice bath for 10 minutes can be beneficial to speed the recovery process. If an ice bath isn’t available, a contrast shower will work. After the workout, get into the shower, and cycle between 30 seconds of cold (as cold as you can get) and hot (don’t burn yourself). Get three to four rounds of 30 seconds cold, 30 seconds hot.