Let's face it, hard workouts equal results. It takes lots of sets and reps to get a great body. All that hard work means nothing if you cant recover from your brutal workouts. The faster you can recover the faster you can get back in the gym.
If you are looking to speed up your recovery so you can get bigger and stronger much faster, then follow these 5 tricks.
1- EMBRACE CARBS:
Eighty percent of what you see in the mirror is based off your nutritional habits. Working out will trigger anabolic responses in your body responsible for muscle growth. Proper post-workout nutrition can accelerate muscle recovery and new muscle growth. After your workout you should be consuming a meal with around 20 to 30 percent of your total carbohydrate intake. Our bodies are primed to absorb carbohydrates after a workout. In addition to having a good amount of carbohydrates, you want to consume 25-50 grams of protein. I prefer this source of protein to come from a whey isolate to help ensure adequate leucine content and faster protein uptake. Your post-workout meal should be under 10 grams of fat. The higher the fat content of a meal the slower the absorption. Keeping this meal under 10 grams will ensure quick uptake by your body.
2- TAKE BCAAS:
Proper recovery does not just happen after a workout, it needs to occur for hours before and after. Consuming BCAAs in between meals will help your muscles recover. Five grams of BCAAs in between meals will ensure protein synthesis is spiked through out the day. When choosing a BCAA product, make sure it is properly dosed. Your BCAA product should contain around two grams of leucine, one gram of isoleucine and one gram of valine.
3- TAKE MULTIVITAMINS:
Vitamin C, D, E and ALA are all important for the recovery process. These vitamins help to prevent damage done by free radicals and help strengthen up your immune system. After a workout free radical levels are higher in our muscle cells. These vitamins help to break these free radicals apart. Multivitamins are looked at as an "insurance plan" for your body. Taking a multivitamin will help to prevent any nutritional deficiencies as well.
4- HYDRATE:
Muscle soreness occurs from lactic acid build up in a muscle. Drinking adequate amounts of water will help to flush out toxins from your muscles. Our bodies need water to function; a one percent dehydration will result in a 10 percent reduction in strength. Proper hydration also helps to keep our joints lubricated. Drinking water will lead to improved gym performance and fuller muscles.
5- BALANCE YOUR DIET:
A properly balanced diet is extremely important to your goals. Whether you want to lose body fat or gain muscle, it wont happen with training alone. Consuming a well-balanced diet will help give your body the nutrients it needs to recover from training. If your diet is lacking even one macronutrient it will hinder your recovery ability. Try to keep your carbs, protein and fats all balanced. Avoid diets that are extreme, you will find yourself smaller and weaker.