Muscle Recovery: Stop Wasting Your Workouts!

Proper muscle recovery is vital to achieving and maintaining the perfect physique you strive for and deserve!

Many men, especially when starting a new weight loss journey, want to go hard in the gym day after day.

But, without proper recovery, you will just constantly break down muscle without effectively building it back up.

Every time you work out, you create tiny micro-tears within your muscle fibers, which is necessary to stimulate muscle growth.

However, you also have to allow your muscles to rest between your strength training sessions so that these muscle tears can repair and rebuild.

Again, without proper recovery, you will just be constantly breaking down muscle without properly building it back up again.

This means you could be wasting all of that time spent in the gym!

Check out the following 15 highly effective tips for effective muscle recovery to get the most out of your workouts!

Here are the proper ways to warm up and get your muscles ready before a workout and cool down and stretch your muscles out afterward.

Top 15 Muscle Recovery Tips

Cross Train

Cross-training is an excellent way to prevent burnout and ensure you have the best chance of muscle recovery after your workouts.

Cross-training means you complete multiple different workouts to avoid doing the same exercises day after day.

This helps your body train various muscle groups, avoid overtraining, and get the most out of each workout.

Taking days off to rest is still important, even if you cross-train, but your chance of avoiding burnout and injuries is lower when choosing cross-training exercise plans.

To complete this type of workout, simply avoid doing two of the same weightlifting or cardiovascular workouts for more than one day in a row.

You might jog one day and bike or do rowing the next.

Work different muscle groups on different days too.

You might train your legs and glutes one day, back and shoulders the next, and chest and arms the day after.

Take a Day or Two Off to Rest

Your body needs time to rest and recover properly, which may take at least 24-48 hours — or longer in some cases — depending on the type and intensity of your workouts.

In addition to cross-training, take at least 1-2 days to rest from exercising.

You can still keep your body moving on those days (avoid sitting down for an entire day) by walking outside or doing house chores or yard work, but it's important to rest from your usual workout routine 1-2 days of the week!

Choose the Right Post-Workout Fuel

Getting the right nutrition in your body after workouts is the key to effective muscle recovery.

In addition to drinking a lot of water before, during, and after workouts, consume nourishment that contains some carbohydrates and protein within 30-60 minutes after intense or long-lasting exercise.

For example, you might drink a protein shake, or a small snack of fruit, hummus, nuts, beef jerky, or fresh veggies.

Within 2-3 hours, consume a well-balanced meal to further replenish your body stores after exercising.

This means filling half of your plate of food with non-starchy vegetables and the other half with fiber-rich starches and protein foods.

Add heart-healthy fat to each meal and consume 2-3 servings of fruit and 3 servings of dairy foods (or calcium-rich equivalents) daily.

Listen to Your Body

Listen to your body when planning workouts to maximize muscle recovery.

Even if you begin the workout you had planned, if you have extreme fatigue during exercise, switch to a different workout that's shorter or less intense.

If you feel like taking a day off from exercise is the right decision based on how you feel, it's important to listen to what your body tells you — especially if you have muscle soreness, painful joints, or an illness.

Be Smart When Lifting Weights

To ensure optimal muscle recovery, be smart when lifting weights.

Don't overdo it, and avoid working the same muscle groups two days in a row.

In fact, you may want to wait several days to let your muscles recover before training the same muscle groups again.

For example, you might work your legs on day 1, exercise your chest and arms on day 2, rest or do just cardio on day 3, work your back and shoulders on day 4, and train your legs again on day 5 to repeat the cycle.

Warm Up and Stretch Regularly

Warming up and stretching are important to reduce the risk of muscle soreness and injuries and make muscle recovery more effective.

Warm up for at least 5 minutes before you work out, cool down a bit, and stretch after you exercise for at least 5 minutes to aid in muscle recovery.

Do stretches that target the muscle groups you've just worked on, and stretch when those muscles are still warm.

Drink Enough Water

Having enough water in your body is vital for effective muscle recovery and optimal exercise performance.

Drink several cups of water during the hours leading up to your workout, drink water about every 10-15 minutes during exercise, and consume at least a cup of water after workouts to aid in muscle recovery.

If you've lost weight during exercise due to sweating, drink 2-3 cups of water for every pound of body weight you've lost.

Sleep at Least 7 Hours

Sleep deprivation is all too common, especially among men over 40.

To make sure you achieve sufficient muscle recovery post-exercise, get at least 7 hours of sleep during the night as your body works to repair tissues, heal, and recover.

If you struggle to get this much sleep, strive to set a regular bedtime.

Sleep in a dark cool room, avoid smoking and alcohol before bed, don't go hungry or too full, and keep your stress levels as low as possible.

If you need to, use a white noise machine to block out loud sounds.

Consider Massage

Massage is an all-natural method that reduces pain and speeds up muscle recovery after exercise.

It's also a stress reliever that can improve your mental health.

Massage trained muscles by scheduling a professional therapeutic massage or using a home massaging system.

You might also talk your spouse into massaging targeted muscle groups for you.

Doing so is a holistic way to manipulate soft tissues, improve blood circulation, and enhance your body's natural ability to heal and recover post-workout.

Try Heat or Cold Therapy

Sitting in a hot tub or sauna, or applying heat or ice pack to sore muscles, can also enhance muscle recovery.

Studies show that heat and cold reduce pain and muscle damage when used after exercise.

While cold packs enhance muscle recovery like hot packs do, you may prefer heat therapy over cold treatments as a more relaxing, comfortable option.

Take Certain Dietary Supplements

In addition to protein, carbohydrates, and heart-healthy fats, your body needs vitamins and minerals for proper post-exercise recovery.

Take a multivitamin supplement as directed by your doctor, and consider trying dietary supplements designed for optimal muscle recovery.

The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) recommends the following supplements for post-workout muscle recovery: protein supplements, creatine supplements, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), fatty acid supplements, magnesium supplements, tart cherry juice extract, and citrulline malate supplements.

Check with your doctor before trying a new dietary supplement to ensure it's safe for you — especially if you take any medications.

Avoid Smoking and Excessive Alcohol

Smoke and alcohol are toxins that can inhibit your body's natural ability to heal and recover properly after intense workouts.

Avoid smoking altogether and if you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation.

To maximize muscle recovery, don't drink alcohol after working out.

Studies show that alcohol impairs post-exercise recovery, glycogen replenishment after prolonged exercise, and protein-building after workouts.

Consume Electrolytes During and After Long Workouts

In addition to drinking electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc.) after long workouts, consume these minerals during prolonged exercise to maximize performance and speed up recovery post-exercise.

If you're exercising for more than an hour, consider an electrolyte-containing drink or gel in addition to water to reduce the risk of electrolyte imbalances and unpleasant symptoms associated with it.

Try Compression Garments

Studies show that wearing compression garments, particularly compression tights that place pressure on targeted areas of your body, can enhance muscle recovery — especially after intense power or resistance-training workouts.

In addition to compression tights, you might choose compression socks, compression shirts or sleeves, or other compression gear to stimulate blood flow and muscle recovery after exercise.

Don't Overdo It

Overdoing exercise by working out too long, too hard, or too often, is a form of overtraining that can hinder muscle recovery and take your muscles a long time to heal.

Avoid overdoing it by warming up properly, going at a comfortable pace, using good form during weightlifting, and listening to your body.

Cool down after exercise and stretch to maximize muscle recovery.

If your body is yearning to take a day off to rest, do so to reduce the risk of injuries and other complications.

*Please know that weight loss results and health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on muscle recovery.