The Post-Workout Routine Of Champions

Are you a champion? Yes, you are. We all are, AS LONG as we have the heart of one. It doesn’t matter where you are in your fitness journey – as long as you are progressing in the right direction! Now, our frequent contributor and motivational expert Samantha Olivier from Ripped.Me is here today to bring you a word of encouragement. May you gain much from this.

Everyone is pushing themselves in the gym harder and harder nowadays, struggling to reach a new personal best, increase their arms circumference by half a centimetre, or burn as much fat as possible before beach day rolls along. But the truth is, what you do in the gym will have little to no effect if your post-workout routine entails lounging all day on the couch eating chocolate frosting.

3dman_eu / Pixabay

It’s not a myth that 30% of your efforts should be spent at the gym and 70% on your post-workout recovery. This will entail everything from your nutrition, to proper rest, hydration, and using the right tools and supplements to help you come back stronger and bigger than before. Here is the post-workout routine of champions.

Eat more, but eat smart as well

There are two key components of nutrition you’ll need to incorporate into your lifestyle in order to see new, and faster results: you’ll need to eat more, and you’ll need to eat smart. One of the most common myths in the fitness industry says that to get big, you have to eat big. This timeless aphorism usually gets twisted and paraphrased, in the end reading more like “if you want to get big, you’ll need to eat a ton of crap”.

This is simply not the case, and it could cost you some hard-earned muscle mass. While you should increase your calorie intake if you want to see muscle growth, you should also pay attention where these calories are coming from, and how they are allocated in your diet.

More importantly, you’ll need to assess you daily macronutrient requirements, and draw your proteins, fats, and carbs from healthy sources in order to build muscle, and keep fat at bay in the process. Arnold Schwarzenegger himself followed a tailored, six-meals-per-day eating routine, and if you want to achieve faster results, you also want to take a calculated approach to nutrition.

Optimize your sleep cycles

Following a hearty meal plan is great, but it’s just a piece of the post-workout recovery puzzle. Another crucial element is sleep. Going to bed at the same time every night, sleeping for seven to nine hours, and waking up at the same time each morning is essential in ensuring your body is well-rested in anticipation of the next training session.

Maximize your recovery

Along with sleeping properly and eating plenty, you also need to use the right recovery tools and supplements to help your body build muscle faster, and your CNS recover in time for your next workout. To that end, you want to follow a structured stretching and mobility routine on your off days, and you want to relax and rest properly as well.

One of the best ways to de-stress and allow your nervous system to relax is with the use of cannabis, essential oils, and even ice baths. However, be sure to find a trusted weed dispensary in order to ensure you get the right product with all of the benefits.

Stay active on your off days

A common mistake people make but champions always avoid is taking their off days too seriously. Instead of lounging on the couch all day long, you want to stay predominantly active throughout the day.

Don’t be afraid to go on an invigorating run, do a short bodyweight routine at home, or simply go out for a long walk. This will help supply blood to the muscles, helping you battle muscle soreness and eliminate CNS fatigue.

cdd20 / Pixabay

Give your body time to recover

Finally, your body needs enough time to recover. Your workouts should be 24 hours apart, with one or two 48-hour windows later in the week. Remember to follow a tailored workout program that allows you to push your limits but also allows you to recover properly in order to progress steadily, and avoid injuries in the process.

Recovering after a tough workout isn’t rocket science – you simply need to follow the steps laid out by the champs and you will have no problem achieving new goals and coming back to the gym stronger than ever before.

Once again, thank you Samantha for this motivational and informative article. Don’t forget to check out Ripped.Me as well as the other resources below. Cheers!

 

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Also published on Medium.