Recovery

• It is an important concept to realize that we do not actually improve our strength & fitness levels during a workout. Our fitness levels improve after the completion of your workout. The workout simply provides a stimulus to improve.

 

• The amount of volume and the type of work performed during the training session will dictate how long it will take for strength & fitness levels to improve.

 

• Your initial fitness levels will also dictate how long it will take for your fitness levels to improve (i.e. the higher your work capacity, the quicker you will recover from workouts).

 

• The graph below shows Hans Selye's GAS (General Adaptation Syndrome) principle. The Alarm Stage occurs after a training session. During the resistance stage the body is recovering, and if the body can not recover back to baseline levels, the exhaustion stage occurs. The exhaustion stage indicates that overtraining has occurred.

 

• The goal of training is to time training sessions accurately so that the next training session coincides with the Supercompensation stage. This term means that our strength & fitness levels have increased above our initial levels.

 

• If insufficient recovery time is not given between training sessions, the athlete's strength & fitness levels will drop further below baseline and more time will then be needed for the athlete to supercompensate.

 

• If too much recovery time is given between training sessions, the athlete may have already passed the supercompensation phase and the original training session would have been pointless.

 

Other factors that impact recovery are:
- Stress (school, boy/girl friend)
- Nutrition (skipping meals, fast food fixes)
- Lifestyle (heavy drinking, late nights)

 

Recovery Routines:
Static Stretch
Foam Roller Series
Rope Stretch
Upper Body Stretch
Wall Stretch Series
Bench Stretch Series

 

Static Stretch

 

Always contract opposing muscle groups

Lateral Lunge	x30 sec
Reverse Lunge - Knee on floor	x30 sec
Spider Lunge - back leg straight	x30 sec
Quad	x30 sec
Glute - back leg straight	x30 sec
Toe in Hamstring	x30 sec

 

Switch legs

 

Foam Rollar Series

 

Hip

 

Piriformis (Right over Left)

 

Hamstring (3 Way Foot)

 

Glute Med

 

IT Band

 

Hip Flexors

 

Quad (3 Way Foot)

 

Bent Leg Quad

 

Groin

 

Calves

 

Switch Legs

 

Upper Back - hands on head/elbows together

 

Lats

 

Chest

 

Rope Stretch

 

Always contract opposing muscle groups

Calf Stretch	x30 sec
Bent Leg Calf Stretch	x30 sec
Hamstring Stretch	x30 sec
Figure 4 (ankle on knee)	x30 sec
Leg Out to Side	x30 sec
Over and Across	x30 sec
On Side Quad (ankle on knee)	x30 sec

 

Switch Legs

 

Upper Body Stretch

 

Always contract opposing muscle groups

3 Way Pec on Wall	x10 sec ea
1 Arm Lat Stretch on bar	x20 sec ea
2 Arm Lat Stretch on bar	x30 sec
Arm Across	x20 sec ea
Tricep Stretch w/ Side Bend	x20 sec ea

 

Stagger Feet

 

Wall Stretch Series

 

Always contract opposing muscle groups

2 Leg Hamstring	x2:00
2 Leg Groin	x2:00
1 Leg Figure 4	x1:30 ea
1 Leg Quad/Hip Flexor	x1:30 ea

 

Bench Stretch Series

Glute	x40 sec
Toe in Hamstring	x40 sec
Groin	x40 sec
Hip Flexor	x40 sec
Quad	x40 sec

 

Switch Legs

 

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