Bodybuilding can help you look great, increase muscle mass, and boost your confidence. It’s also a serious undertaking that can take a physical toll on the body over time. Intensive workout sessions over time without proper pre-and post muscle maintenance may damage muscle fibers. For example, and muscle glycogen (otherwise known as stored carbohydrates) depletes in the areas that are trained. Inflammation begins to occur, making performing workouts on the same muscle groups over the next 48 hours difficult.
This isn’t as bad as it sounds, though. Muscles grow not during training sessions but during the recovery period. That means making time for proper recovery is a crucial component of muscle building for bodybuilders.
This guide explains the need for effective workout recovery and offers some tips to help bodybuilders get the best possible results.
3 Ways to Supplement Your Workout
There are many ways to help your body recover after intense bootcamp workouts. One approach to consider is supplementation, which can boost workout recovery, increase muscle growth, and promote better overall health. Here are a few of the best supplements to help boost your post-workout recovery:
- Probiotics
Probiotics help you develop beneficial bacteria in your gut to keep your digestive and immune systems healthy and fully functioning. Strong digestive and immune systems help the body prevent illness and disease, but they also help it tolerate everyday stressors such as exercise, leading to a boost in recovery time.
- Collagen
The tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues are all made up of a protein peptide known as collagen. Keeping these connective tissues healthy is crucial for avoiding injuries during workout sessions such as tendonitis and torn ligaments. It can also support joint health and decrease pain.
- Whey Protein
Many bodybuilders include whey protein into their post-workout supplementation routine, and for good reason. Whey protein helps rebuild and repair muscle and is easy for the body to absorb and digest. It also has a high concentration of BCAAs, or Branched-Chain Amino Acids, which contain several recovery benefits, including reduced muscle soreness and fatigue.
Supplements should never replace good workout recovery practices, but they can help give the body a boost and significantly impact effective bodybuilding recovery. Adding these supplements into your recovery routine can help the body heal between bodybuilding sessions, boosting muscle growth and repair and giving you the best possible results from your workouts.
7 Tips for Bodybuilding Recovery
There are many effective practices that can help with workout recovery time to help you get the most out of your bodybuilding workout sessions. Adding in these recovery practices can help increase your gains and improve function and mobility throughout the body:
- Warm Up and Cool Down
Warming up your muscles before heavy lifting can help prepare them for the excessive strain you’re about to put on them. Warm up with light weights to get the blood flowing, and work the joints with fluid movements through the full range of motion. This approach can help prevent injuries and boost bodybuilding recovery.
It’s important after the workout to engage in a cool-down routine. Taking 15 minutes to go through slow movements and stretches can make a world of difference for proper recovery and muscle tension relief.
- Use a Foam Roller
Using a foam roller after working out allows you to apply concentrated pressure to specific muscles and connective tissues. It helps to roll slowly and stop in tender areas to work through tension spots. Use a foam roller for 5-10 minutes after your workout to stimulate blood flow, break up scar tissue, and massage the muscles you trained the hardest.
- Ice Muscles
Most personal trainers, coaches, chiropractors, and other professionals who specialize in muscle movement and mobility will tell you: Ice is crucial for effective workout recovery. Placing an ice pack directly onto the freshly worked muscles causes the blood vessels to constrict, which reduces swelling and inflammation post-workout. Bodybuilders who want a more intensive, full-body treatment can fill their bathtub at home with cold water and ice for an all-over recovery method.
- Get Into a Routine
Planning out your workout sessions is crucial to get max gains and effective bodybuilding recovery. Plan out which days to push yourself the hardest and when to do a lighter set, as well as rest and recovery days. This helps to improve overall fitness and endurance, enabling you to push yourself without wearing yourself out.
- Get a Good Night’s Sleep
The importance of sleep for bodybuilders is monumental. Your body needs seven to nine hours of quality rest to recover and repair your muscles fully after an intensive workout. Scheduling sleep into your routine is as important as scheduling everything else you have on your plate, including your bodybuilding workouts. Try to wind down at night around the same time and wake up around the same time. This will keep your circadian rhythm in check and give you the amount of sleep your body needs for complete rest and recovery.
- Healthy Eating
Your diet plays an essential role in how well your body recovers. The body needs protein, such as chicken and fish, and carbs, such as whole grains and pasta, to make up for the loss of spent muscle glycogen, reduce cortisol levels, and repair tissue. Eating healthy fats, such as olive oil and avocado oil, can also help maintain testosterone levels and keep your body energized.
- Stay Hydrated
Our bodies lose a lot of water through sweat when we work out, whether it’s weight lifting, cardio, kettlebells; affecting muscle function and other bodily systems. Drinking lots of water before, during, and after a workout can help you stay hydrated and enable the muscles to recover more quickly. Post-workout hydration drinks are also excellent options for an added boost to keep you hydrated and recovering quickly.
Putting these tips to use can help bodybuilders develop an overall approach that leads to increased workout gains, proper recovery, and better overall health. Your commitment to workout recovery should equal your dedication to a workout regimen, because it’s the way to get the most out of the hard work you put in at the gym.
Find Out More About Fitness
Bodybuilding and fitness can be complicated topics, but they don’t have to be. Come check out our gym in San Jose, CA and schedule a session with our personal trainers for more information about effective workout recovery and how to maximize your bodybuilding routine.
