Why can’t I get the results that I want?
That is the question many of us ask despite our best efforts at the gym. There is no better feeling than pushing yourself and feeling as if you have accomplished something. However, sometimes, we look in the mirror after one week, one month, one year even, and don’t feel like we’ve achieved anything.
That may sound a bit exaggerated, but it's a genuine dilemma that most gym-goers face sooner or later.
Why even desperate measures won’t work?
The ones who are not happy start tweaking their program as a countermeasure. Sometimes resorting to cardio training along with weight training, which can help, but would require much more consideration than performing the exercise itself.
Then some may even change their entire program if things aren’t going to plan.
The all-important question to ask is whether all those countermeasures and extra exercising are helping you gain muscle mass? We all want washboard abs and bulging biceps, however, In most cases, over-exercise can reduce muscle growth, maybe even reduce muscle mass as many also reduce food intake.
By overstressing your muscles and not providing the nutrients they need you are just throwing an open invitation to fatigue.
Getting to the core of the problem and the solution
There then comes that age-old saying that 80% of results come from your diet. But what many individuals also neglect to acknowledge is how valuable rest is.
With regards to reaching objectives, the majority pays focus to both exercise and nourishment yet neglect to focus on another key variable, recovery.
Why rest & recovery are crucial to muscle building?
All things considered, while diet and exercise unquestionably have fundamental roles to play, overlooking the recovery factor could hamper your efforts to lose or gain weight, build muscle and achieve god-like fitness levels.
At the point when the body is under strain, it will start an organic procedure to manage that pressure, recoup from it, and afterwards adjusts so it is better prepared to deal with similar stress factors again.
With regards to exercise, lifting weights puts your body, especially muscles and joints, under immense pressure. What's more, you're not gaining muscle mass while you're exercising. Truth be told, when you undergo weight training, the pressure it produces causes your muscles to break down.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise. The pressure of training may not itself lead to increased muscle mass or a stronger physique. However, it's central to initiating the procedure that does.
Subjecting your muscles to high-stress levels produces tiny tears to the fibres in your muscles. Once that occurs, allowing your body to repair broken muscle tissue is just as important.
DOMS
Before we jump on to the tips for improving recovery time, it is important to understand what DOMS is. If you are a seasoned fitness enthusiast, you ought to be well acquainted with the term DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness). Professional bodybuilders and sportsmen are usually well aware of the extent to which DOMS can affect their performance. Typically your body starts feeling the effect of DOMS within a day of your gym session and you will continue feeling it for up to three days after. For a gym newbie, this period of time may be up to a week!
DOMs can literally be a pain in the ass. As mentioned newbie gym-goers suffer the most so knowing how to speed up or shorten the length of time we have doms can really help.
Post-workout diet
The importance of post-workout protein shakes
Protein is viewed as the most essential part of the post-workout diet. When you ingest protein in any form, the amino acids (from protein) will undergo protein synthesis. As we know, muscle development relies upon protein synthesis countering the breakdown of protein within the muscle. If your body ingests protein effectively, it will make your muscles bigger much more quickly. Following exercise, your muscles will throb, sore and shout out for some protein to help repair the wear and tear that they just endured. To neutralize the breakdown of muscle protein, it is important to consume protein in some form right after your gym session - usually within 45 minutes from when your gym session ends. You could opt for something like Whey Protein because the body can process it and soak up the essential amino acids quickly without much effort.
Mr. Alpha's post-exercise protein shake gives your muscles a much-required boost of amino acids to kick off the recovery procedure while also providing your body with that much-needed protein intake.
Blending the benefits of carbohydrates and protein
It is no secret that including protein in your post-workout diet is a must. In any case, many individuals misunderstand the importance of having a combination of protein and carbohydrates after exercising. As you perform any exercise, you consume glycogen from your muscles to boost your ability to lift weights or run. So when you are done exercising, it only makes sense that your glycogen stores are essentially exhausted. To improve muscle recuperation it is fundamental to obtain that lost in glycogen, which helps lower cortisol post-exercise, builds insulin and guarantees you have adequate energy and power for the next gym session.
Glycogen is required to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which conveys chemical energy and sparks your muscles for speedy contractions. It likewise expands muscle cell volume. On account of the improved carbohydrate resilience and digestion of supplements post working out, your diet plays an important role in recovering glycogen.
It has been proven that by including carbohydrates along with protein in your diet, you give your body a better chance to recharge glycogen stores contrasted with just carbohydrates or protein alone. A measured quantity of carbs post-exercise lessens muscle irritation the following day. Experts recommend around .5 grams of carbs per 1LB body weight after exercising. You can vary this intake as per your fitness objectives and workout levels. Likewise various recommendations are made for daily protein intake, however, 1-1.5 grams per pound in body weight tends to be the most common. Again this varies on training goals, but 45-60 minutes post-workout is the most essential time to consume protein.
Pump your body with potassium
Potassium is one of the most significant minerals in our body as it plays an important role in the functioning of our heart and kidney among other organs. It is important to note here that the bulk of potassium particles in the body are situated in the muscle cells. So, it also assumes a vital role in the contraction and lengthening of our muscles.
Potassium facilitates the development of muscle tissue by encouraging the optimum consumption of the energy released as your digestive system metabolizes your diet. Inadequate quantity of potassium in the body creates greater vulnerability to burnout and muscle soreness. Food sources of potassium include bananas which are easy to consume on the go.
Hydration
Water is the most significant supplement your body requires - it has a key job in processing, retention, transportation, and utilization of supplements. Water is likewise accountable for generating energy and keeping your joints lubricated.
You are bound to lose a lot of water through perspiration while exercising. A 2% decrease in body weight from water loss can put your body under a lot of unwanted stress, hampering basic bodily functions.
It is suggested that your pre-workout and post-workout water intake should be at least 2 cups.
When you replace the lost fluids with an adequate amount of water, it accelerates the recovery process and enhances your future performance.
Post Workout routine to prevent burnout and muscle soreness
Limbering down
When you exert your body to the most extreme levels, metabolic waste tends to get accumulated in your body cells. The liquid that encompasses them—just as the vessels, veins, and lungs—should be thoroughly cleansed before you rest. The moment you complete a heavy-duty gym session, continue moving your limbs in some way instead of stopping altogether and resting (this also holds for in between sets). This way you allow your pulse to return to normal. By not letting your body limber down especially on leg day, extra blood that was brought into your lower body simply stays there which may lead to feeling light-headed.
Stretching
Stretching forms a vital part of both pre and post-workout routines. To prevent post-workout soreness it is crucial to stretch your muscles following your workout as your muscles are still in an active mode of tightness, stretching allows for a greater degree of flexibility.
Many people tend to overlook the significance of stretching in the context of muscle development. Nimble muscles and joints pave the path for enhanced performance and thereby, quicker growth. Your post-workout routine also plays an important role in decreasing the impact of DOMS. DOMS is presumably a result of muscle tissues sustaining damage due to protraction. Stretching also aids in increasing blood flow into the muscle which with it bring vital nutrients, but also remove any buildup of lactate
Unfortunately, you can't dispose of DOMS totally, yet you can reduce its impact by effectively cooling down and stretching after exercising.
There are two different types of stretching-
Static stretching exercises are done for normally 30 seconds to a minute maximum. In layman terms, you remain in a still position as you extend (stretch) a specific muscle.
The opposite to static stretching is dynamic stretching, here you remain active and stretch out a muscle slowly with a full range of motion.
It is generally done as a part of the limbering up process to prepare your muscles and body for exercising.
Sleep
Sufficient rest for muscle recuperation can't be overstated and is perhaps the most crucial part of the recovery process.
While sleeping, our pituitary gland releases a pulse of human growth hormone to facilitate the muscle tissue restoration process. It is also when we experience a significant increase in testosterone levels which likewise speed up the recovery of our muscles. When we rest, we naturally feed our body with performance-enhancing chemicals.
Lack of proper sleep leads to diminished immune and hormonal capacity which both play a crucial part in cellular recovery. As mentioned above, ample rest is the key to producing adequate quantities of key anabolic hormones including testosterone and growth hormone. Deficient sleep is known to lower testosterone levels and increase cortisol.
Mr. Alpha offers innovative hemp infused sleep tabs which have been created to help you sleep and aid the recovery process.
Dynamic recuperation
This is all about taking part in less strenuous activities, by and large, low-stress exercises that encourage increased blood circulation without putting the body under too much strain. If you feel you train enough or maybe get bored visiting the gym too often. You could alternatively go for a cycle or perhaps a swim. These are less weight-bearing exercises, they keep your muscles in motion and allow your body to dispose of the accumulated waste products. Consider dynamic recuperation as any activity you can manage without getting stressed or exhausting your muscles.
Alternative pain management techniques
You can opt for massage and foam rolling to deal with muscle soreness. Foam rolling is most beneficial when done right after completing your gym session as it reduces the impact of DOMS and accelerates tissue recovery. Both methods force blood through the muscle and a buildup of lactic acid out of the muscle.
Finding the correct balance between resting and exercising
How you balance out your exercising days with the rest days relies upon the intensity of your fitness routine, yet the key is to give your body adequate rest to recover. Experts recommend working out three times a week giving your body enough time to recover and repair muscle damage in between. A rest day doesn't mean you have to sit on a couch and do no physical activity the entire day. As mentioned above you could get involved in activities of less intensity. The focal rule is to not to put your body under immense stress on rest days.
In summary, If you are training extremely hard without the desired results, you are probably disregarding the recovery process. There is no universal fix for a quick recovery and to avoid muscle soreness. A key message often told but never taken seriously enough is, ‘listen to your body’.
However, if you implement the above-mentioned tips in your fitness routine keeping in mind your individual needs, you can train more diligently and accomplish your health goals much more quickly.
