The Recovery

         

Coaches say the most important part of a workout is rest and recovery. Rest and recovery is crucial for a few reasons. One, letting the muscles repair and recover is how they shape, build strength and utility. Without proper recovery technique the work and training you do can be lost in a matter of days. This is why trainers recommend switching routines every other day. I’m sure you’ve heard or seen the movie Anchorman when Will Ferrel’s character, Ron Burgundy, makes the claim that “Tuesdays are arms and back.” It’s funny because, Ron, Isn’t in the best shape, but the claim gives him the appearance he is working a sound workout schedule. Rest and recovery of muscle groups by alternating where they fall on your weekly schedule is one example, but there are more.

Hydration is often talked about and rarely explained. I’ve heard commits made by folks in the gym, “How ever many minutes you workout is how many ounces of water you should drink.” or “Drink water all day.” or “Carry a water bottle with you everywhere, as a reminder to drink water.” These are not bad tricks to get you to drink water, and by no means and I dismissing their value. If you’re like me you don’t like to blindly follow advice. We need water, we need hydration. Here’s some reasons why; water is used by the body as a building material, lubricant, and helps regulate your body temperature. It is used by the body as a solvent and after digestion, water and blood are the means by which nutrients are carried to your cells and wastes are removed. Water serves as a building material in muscle cells when the cells are peaked at the highest water content. 70 percent! Water also serves as a lubricant in your joints. This is especially helpful to those lifting extreme amounts of weight, running, or any high impact exercise. I could write an entire article on hydration and probably will soon, but I want to get on with the assets of recovery.

Nutrients are needed by the body to repair, recover, and build strength. Nutrients for recovery are found in many forms, including shakes, bars, real food, and even pill form. I know I sell supplements, and I believe in the products I sell because they are made for real food with real quality. (www.trijake.com/products) I tell you that, to tell you this; You can not beat real food. I kick start my metabolize into gear in the morning with Shakeology, but I also eat fruits, vegetables, and grains throughout the morning. These foods help recover from yesterday’s workout, but also begin the fueling cycle for the workout to come. I love this stuff! It never ends, there is no finish line. Just like endurance sporting. Post workout, you want to recover with protein to repair muscle. Proteins can’t be built without vitamin A to glue together the amino acids. Vitamin A is found in most fruits and veggies (Carrots!!) Vitamin C is needed to repair tendon and ligament damage, and vitamin D for your bone structure. By the way, the most current research I read from Boston University Medical Labs state, the best way to get vitamin D in your system is sun exposer. Time to hit the beach!

The Dark Horse in recovery may come as a surprise. I log hundreds of miles on my feet, in the water, and on my bike. I expel thousands of calories a week. After a long run, hard workout, long ride or swim I am tired, dizzy, and disoriented. Some call it a euphoric athletic high. I agree, it is a high. So what’s my secret to holding it together? Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. Yup, it levels me out, gets my feet on the ground, and gives me a since of accomplishment. I feel like, “yeah, I’ve earned this pint!” Read this, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream is not a random selection, nor is it simply my favorite “good stuff” on the planet. I choose to recover with this tasty treat because of the “real food” ingredients. I listed the ingredients below, and in case you didn’t know, Ben and Jerry’s invented the cookie dough ice cream in 1984, anything else is an imitation. It is still the best, and my friends will tell you that if I want ice cream nothing else is a substitute for this classic.

Remember to rest the body to allow it to heal and correct itself. You can motivate the recovery time with stretching and self-myofascial release (foam rolling) e-mail me if you have questions. [email protected]

Ingredients for Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream: Cream, Skim Milk, Sugar, Water, Wheat Flour, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Egg Yolks, Butter, Salt, Soybean Oil, Chocolate Liquor, Coconut Oil, Vanilla Extract, Cocoa, Molasses, Guar Gum, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Carrageenan which is extracted from red seaweeds, and used for gelling.

Stay hungry my friends,

~TriJake