Specific workouts to achieve your goals are key. But the body actually gets stronger, leaner and more fit in the time between workouts. That means that you need to optimize your recovery in order to see the outcomes you’re looking for. Without proper recovery, your workouts are in vain. Using the right recovery tools will help you get the most out of your workouts.
Recovering properly after your workout sets you up to lift more, run further or move faster in your next workout. Repeating this process for weeks, months and years at a time will lead to huge changes in your strength, fitness and body composition.
So, let’s take a look at 5 recovery tools you should be using between your workouts
#1 Recovery Shake
Taking a recovery protein shake after a workout is pretty common knowledge. Walk into any gym or fitness center and you’ll see most people finish their workout and immediately start chugging down a protein shake.
As I wrote about in dispelling the post-workout anaerobic window myth, you don’t need to have a shake right IMMEDIATELY after your workout. However, taking in some protein after your workout will help your body start rebuilding your muscles.
Getting this process started via a recovery shake is a good idea. Ideally, you should look for about 20 grams of protein in your shake. And if you are recovering from an endurance workout, you should aim for a 3:1 carb to protein ratio.
Personally, I mix a protein focused recovery shake like the Vega Sport Protein with Vega’s carb focused Recovery Shake. This gives me a solid mix of the protein and the carbs I need to get my recovery going – whether it is from a cycling workout or from lifting weights.
- Read more: How to recover between workouts on the same day
- Read more: Is the post-workout gains window real?
#2 Foam Roller + Mobility Balls
I feel like foam rolling and mobility tools have taken over the fitness community in the past 10 years. When I first started training in 2004/2005 nobody really rolled out. Now nearly everyone brings their own rollers to the gym, sport practice, and even on long flights.
Science supports this shift in mindset.
20-30 minute massage sessions, including foam rolling as “self-massage”, is the most powerful way to decrease DOMS after working out. (Dupuy et al., 2018). This leads to better range of motion at joints and improved ability to contact muscles.
Even foam rolling for a few minutes after workouts significantly decreased delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) symptoms (Laffaye et al., 2019).
Being able to move better and use your muscles to a greater capacity will lead to a better next workout
You can check out my article here If you’d like to read more about DOMS and why muscles get sore after working out.
I’m a big fan of foam rollers that vibrate. The vibration feels great (especially on the IT bands) and can help improve blood flow to the area. The Vulcan Vibrating Foam Roller available on Amazon is a great option.
A massage ball is great for the small areas that are tough to get with a foam roller. I love these for my mid and upper back and around my hips. The MobilityWOD Supernova 2.0 ball is the perfect combination of hardness and grip to work out the kinks
Plus anything with the MobilityWOD stamp of approval is a must have for me. Kelly Starrett, the creator of MWOD and later The Ready State is a wizard when it comes to mobility.
This foam roller and massage ball combo from TriggerPoint Performance is another great option.
#3 CBD oil
CBD oil has been the newest trend online fitness world. Every fitness influencer has a code to help you get CBD oil or gummies for a discount.
And a lot of the big names in functional fitness are sponsored by Beam – like @BrookeWellss shown below.
CBD supplements haven’t been studied much in sport-based scientific literature. So, the positive (and negative) effects of CBD have to be inferred from non-sport/training studies or anecdotal evidence.
In general, scientific literature suggests CBD can have a number of positive effects (Gamelin et al., 2020):
- Reducing pro-inflammatory agents
- Manage pain, inflammation and swelling from injury
- Inhibit sensitivity of joint pain receptors associated with joint degeneration (like osteoporosis)
- Minimize the negative effects of delayed onset muscle soreness
- Aid in managing overuse injuries
- Assist in sleepiness and sleep cycles
Training causes small amounts of inflammation, muscle swelling, and DOMS can cause pain around joints. Also, the body does much of its repair and regeneration while asleep. Therefore, it makes sense that CBD supplements could be a great tool to help you recover from workouts.
#4 Baths and Float Tanks
Warm baths have long been a go to relaxation and recovery technique after demanding exercise.
The pressure of the water and heat can help increase blood flow and the movement of waste products from previously worked muscles. Removing these by-products and increasing the flow nutritious blood helps the body repair and rebuild after tough workouts.
A lot of people love adding Epsom salts to their baths too. The jury is still out on whether Epsom salt actually improves recovery (Byerley, 2010) but plenty of people swear by it.
Recently float tanks have become a popular alternative. In addition to the warm, salty water float tanks typically include sensory deprivation too.
This can take relaxation to the next level – in addition to the decreased muscle soreness and improved recovery outcomes that come with traditional warm baths (Morgan et al., 2013).
The only real option for home float tanks is Zen Float. Commercial options cost upwards of $10,000, so the approximate $2000-5000 price tag on the Zen Float Tank and Tent is very reasonable.
#5 Compression Cuffs and Compression Clothes
Compression has been shown to positively influence recovery in a number of scientific studies.
The idea with compression cuffs and clothes is to provide similar benefits of massage. Massage can be used to increase blood flow to worked muscles and to help move waste products away from muscles.
Though compression clothes don’t work as effectively as massage, they do decrease delayed onset muscle soreness associated with workouts (Dupuy et al., 2018). As a result, they can help you recover from your workout and be prepared for your next session.
NormaTec is probably the world-leader in compression cuffs. It seems like every pro athlete uses NormaTec to recover from their workouts. The NormaTec Pulse 2.0 lower body system is most commonly used version. You can check the price on Amazon by clicking here .
2XU makes the best tights in the world. I know a number of Olympic and pro athletes that swear by their products during and after workouts. You can check out their line of recovery clothing here.
Implementing some compression as a workout recovery tool will help you get the most out of each of your training sessions.
Wrap Up:
You put in a ton of work in your training. You deserve to get the most out of it.
Implementing some workout recovery tools will help you reap the rewards of your hard work.
You don’t need to do all of the recovery, all of the time. But picking 2-3 of the above methods will help you see improvements in your fitness, aesthetics and/or athleticism. A small investment in these tools is more than worth it.
Happy gains!
References:
Byerley, N. (2010). The effect of magnesium sulfate on delayed onset muscle soreness. (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.
Dupuy, O., Douzi, W., Theurot, D., Bosquet, L., & Dugué, B. (2018). An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 9, 403. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00403
Gamelin, F.-X., Cuvelier, G., Mendes, A., Aucouturier, J., Berthoin, S., Di Marzo, V., & Heyman, E. (2020). Cannabidiol in sport: Ergogenic or else? Pharmacological Research, 156, 104764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104764
Laffaye, G., Da Silva, D. T., & Delafontaine, A. (2019). Self-Myofascial Release Effect With Foam Rolling on Recovery After High-Intensity Interval Training. Frontiers in Physiology, 10, 1287. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.01287
Morgan, P. M., Salacinski, A. J., & Stults-Kolehmainen, M. A. (2013). The Acute Effects of Flotation Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique on Recovery From Maximal Eccentric Exercise: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(12), 3467–3474. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31828f277e