Here\u2019s a secret no one is telling you\u2026<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for fast results, you also need fast recovery<\/b> between workouts. Tough, intense workouts cause stress on your body, and will take its toll over time if you don\u2019t have the right recovery strategies in place.<\/p>\n5 Mistakes That Slow Down Recovery<\/b><\/h1>\n
You will slow down your recovery between workouts if you:<\/p>\n
Yes, I know why you skip stretching.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s boring.<\/p>\n
Fair enough, I\u2019m guilty of sneaking out early once in a while. But over time, you\u2019re wearing down your body and putting yourself at increased risk of injury.<\/p>\n
You need to think of stretching and foam rolling as you would flossing your teeth. Sure it takes extra time, but once you get in the habit, it comes naturally and will remarkably improve your health.<\/p>\n
When you do high intensity workouts, it\u2019s common to wake up feeling tight and sore some days. Mind you, it\u2019s a problem if this happens EVERY single morning.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t you don\u2019t bother with a warm up, not only do you increase the risk of injury, but you won\u2019t be able to perform and give your maximal effort.<\/p>\n
I hate to be a party pooper, but indulging in too many beverages between your workouts will slow your progress. I made this mistake when I lived back in Australia. You see, beer is not the right type of carbohydrate to be refueling your body with post workout. It\u2019s a shame, I know…<\/p>\n
The main problem is alcohol promotes inflammation, and between intense workouts, you want to be reducing inflammation as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n
You also get dehydrated from the booze. This is a problem the next day when you train and you\u2019re dehydrated before you start your workout\u2026<\/p>\n
Add heat and humidity and your chances of tearing a muscle skyrocket.<\/p>\n
You know water is essential to keep your body hydrated. But how much do you need?<\/p>\n
Aim for \u00bd your bodyweight in ounces of water as a bare minimum.<\/p>\n
Coffee, while delicious, has the opposite effect on your body, as does alcohol.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re most likely to be dehydrated first thing in the morning. Here\u2019s a quick tip to beat it: Try drinking 1L of water when you wake up (add lemon if you wish).<\/p>\n
Remember if you\u2019re hydrated, your muscles are less likely to tear. Yay!<\/p>\n
A high intensity interval session for fat loss should never go over 20 minutes. If you find your interval sessions going over 20 minutes:<\/p>\n
A) You need to remember to sprint as hard as you can in the work period, so you can’t do any more<\/p>\n
B) Check if your stopwatch is broken<\/p>\n
If your workouts are clocking in at over 60 minutes, please stop. You\u2019re interfering with your recovery time and increasing the risk of getting injured.<\/p>\n
Unless you\u2019re training for an endurance event or the Olympics, you need to cut your workout time to 30-45 minutes.<\/p>\n
Four interval sessions per week<\/b>\u00a0is the max. Pro athletes don\u2019t train more than this, so why should you?<\/p>\nDynamic Warm Up<\/b><\/h2>\n
Think of the warm up as an investment in your health.<\/p>\n
Warming up doesn\u2019t have to be the same moves every single time, or totally bore your brains out. In fact, a quick dynamic warm up is a great way to get your head in the game. In other words, mentally prepare yourself for the torture\u2026 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n
My warm ups are harder than some people\u2019s entire workouts. New clients often stare back at me gob smacked when I say…<\/p>\n
\u201cOK, warm up is done. Let\u2019s get into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
They think I\u2019m kidding\u2026 Muhahahaha <= insert evil laugh<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The best warm up is a combination of bodyweight movements, stretching the \u201cright\u201d muscle groups and mobility exercises. If you\u2019re really tight or just getting back into training, these moves can be tougher than the workout itself.<\/p>\n Over time, my warm up has evolved from 5 minutes walking on the treadmill to a more effective combination of hybrid moves. You get the blood flowing to the muscles, neural pathways activated and increased range of motion so your body is ready to train.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a quick video that shows you 3 mobility moves you can use to warm up with the TRX.<\/p>\n