This is the second part of a two-part article series on basic recovery techniques.
In my last article, I talked about the importance of post-workout nutrition in aiding recovery and allowing you to get the most out of your workouts. However, post-workout nutrition is only half the battle when it comes to being able to recover properly. The other side of the story is the activities you do after your workout to prepare your body for your next training session.
Many people still perform static stretches before their workouts, trying to lengthen cold or slightly warmed muscles in a futile attempt to prevent injury and enhance performance. Not only does this activity fail to accomplish the desired goals of the individual, but these same principles are also often not applied at a time when the aforementioned goals can be accomplished (i.e. after a workout). Static stretching along with self-myofasical release, massages, and contrasting temperature environments such as hot and cold whirlpools, saunas, steam showers, and snow rooms are all means to rid your body of unwanted byproducts of exercise while preparing you to be able to attack your next workout harder and stronger.
Pre-workout static stretching isn’t ideal due to the decrease in power output that occurs and the possibility of injury from attempting to increase the length and range of motion of a cold muscle. However, post-workout static stretching is a beneficial recovery technique because it increases blood flow to the working muscles, delivering the much needed nutrients talked about in Recovery 10: Nutrition. It also helps to remove metabolites from those working muscles. Three alternatives to static stretching that when applied properly can be just as effective as a post-workout recovery technique are passive stretching, isometric stretching, and PNF stretching.
Passive stretching is often mixed up and used interchangeably with static stretching. While during static stretching an individual is actively lengthening the muscle and then holding that lengthened position, during passive stretching, some external force is stretching the muscle whether it be a machine, a partner, or the individual himself pulling on his own elbow or leg to stretch the triceps or hamstring.
Isometric stretching is done by lengthening a muscle until a good stretch is felt and then isometrically contracting the muscle by attempting to concentrically contract it while another person or apparatus resists the contraction with equal force. A very common isometric stretch is the wall stretch for the calves whereby an individual is literally trying to press through the wall with a staggered stance. Because the individual is unable to press through the wall, the gastrocnemeus and soleus of the back leg are being isometrically stretched. By forcing the muscle fibers to isometrically contract while already in a lengthened or stretched position, the muscle spindles are numbed just enough so when the isometric contraction finishes the muscle can be stretched beyond its previous length.
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching is a combination of isometric stretching and passive stretching. This technique involves a brief passive stretch of the muscle followed by a ten-second isometric contraction of the stretched muscle, a two-second relaxation of the stretched muscle, and finally a 20-second passive stretch of the muscle. A variation of this routine is to isometrically contract the antagonist muscle for ten seconds after the two-second relaxation period of the agonist muscle. The isometric contraction of the antagonist will further lengthen the agonist through reciprocal inhibition. This isometric contraction should be followed by a 20-second relaxation period before performing another ten-second isometric contraction of the passively stretched agonist.
Massages are a great post-workout recovery tool in addition to stretching. There are two main types of massages that are beneficial post-workout—those performed by yourself and those performed by others. One of the best types of massages an athlete can receive is a sports massage. Over the last three decades, the popularity of sports massages has really taken off among professional and Olympic athletes. Sports massages aren’t your average spa treatment relaxation technique. Quite frankly, they hurt. If done properly, these deep tissue massages will leave you feeling miserable for a few days after you have it done for the first time. This is because the point of sports massages is to improve tissue quality. To do that, you need to remove all of the toxins that have built up in the tissue from past workouts and daily diet. In order to remove these toxins from the tissue, the therapist has to really dig into the athlete’s body. This in itself is a painful experience, but the end result is absolutely incredible. Once you get through the first few days of mild illness while your body excretes all of the unwanted toxins, you feel remarkably refreshed and energized. While sports massages are an effective post-workout recovery technique, they may be better served when they’re performed on an off day from training. However, self-massages are very beneficial immediately post-workout.
Self-massages, known as self-myofasical release (SMR), are a great pre-static stretching activity after a training session. They can be performed using instruments such as a foam roller, a tennis ball, or the stick. These exercises are also beneficial as part of your warm-up routine because they promote blood flow to the desired tissues and loosen up tight fascia, which can inhibit optimal muscle elasticity and flexibility. Post-workout SMR is great for removing metabolite buildup as well as promoting blood flow and lengthening short and tight muscles. Three of the most effective places on the body to perform SMR are the gluteus medius, the IT band, and the arch of the foot. Using a tennis ball and/or foam roller to roll out these areas pre- and post-workout will relieve much of the pain felt in the joints of the lower body.
Once I roll out and static stretch after a training session, I like to hop in a cold whirlpool for ten minutes or so followed by a steam shower. The 55-degree water in the whirlpool forces my muscles to contract and helps to squeeze out the unwanted byproducts of my last training session. It also ices down my entire lower body, which does wonders for any aches and pains I may have. Then the steam shower raises my core temperature and gets a lot of blood pumping to my outermost tissues, helping to remove those unwanted byproducts.
Saunas provide a similar experience post-workout, promoting blood flow and causing you to sweat out what your body has produced during your workout and doesn’t want. Snow rooms are also beginning to make their way on to the stage in many eastern European countries, especially at spas and hotels. Basically, a snow room is exactly what it sounds like—a cold room filled with snow. The temperature of the room varies depending on where you go, as some of these rooms are used more as relaxation techniques for the vacationing businessperson while others are used in conjuncture with saunas for various alleged general health benefits. Like sports massages, these extreme temperature environments are beneficial both post-workout and on an off day.
So if you’ve been struggling to make gains in the weight room, feel like you’re constantly underperforming on the field of competition, or aren’t getting the results you want from the gym, strongly consider looking at what you’re doing immediately after and in the hours following your workouts. There may be some little changes you can make in how you use that time that will lead to great improvements in your training. You have to allow your body to rest and recover properly because when rest is the only time when you actually get big. Remember, the time you spend in the gym only creates an environment for change, but it is what you do outside of the gym that truly allows your body to change.
Get big or die trying.