You just nailed down the workout of your life! You brutalized the muscle group with heavy sets. Then you dropped the weight and bumped up your rep range, torching those slow-twitch muscle fibers that are typically only activated after rep 12 or 15. You targeted the muscle group from every conceivable angle and at the end of the day, you know you have done your job. But the mission is only halfway complete. It’s now time to nail down those recovery factors needed to ensure your efforts in the gym don’t go to waste. Here are some post-workout steps that should be second nature after a brutal workout!

Shower

Immediately following your workout, you need to wash your body to remove the sweat and oil you have just accumulated during your hour long journey through the iron. This task is particularly important if you are a competitive bodybuilder. Skin quality can be the difference between 1st and 4th place when all other factors such as muscle shape, size, and conditioning are similar. Always shower with soap or body wash immediately after conclusion of your lifting session.

Shake

You should consume a whey protein shake immediately following your shower. Keep it in your locker, locked for safety. Two scoops of whey deliver 42 grams of protein, but three scoops (totaling over 60 grams) is always preferable! If you’re out of water, refill your water bottle in the water fountain on your way back to the locker room, where you will be neatly mixing your shake in the sink.

Nap

A quick 30-minute recharge immediately after arriving at home is a great way to let that protein shake work its way down, and to rest your body after such a tough workout experience. Just don’t sleep two hours – it’ll be time for your next meal soon, and you don’t want to be awake all night!

Meal

About 90 minutes after your workout concludes, it is time to eat! Be sure your meal contains two servings of protein, 1 to 2 servings of carbohydrates, and some healthy fat source (or EFAs on the side). This meal will go a long way to giving your body some slower-burning protein and carb sources not seen since prior to your workout.

Stretching

After the meal has digested, devote about five minutes to stretching out the muscle group you just trained. You should repeat this procedure every two hours for the next two days. This will alleviate soreness by breaking up the lactic acid and other toxins that accumulate in just-trained muscle groups.

Supplements

About an hour after your post-workout meal, it’s time to begin your supplement regimen for the evening (unless your supplement orders that it is to be specifically taken post-workout, at which point it should be consumed with your post-workout whey shake).

R & R

After your workout, you should knock out the above list. After that, you shouldn’t return to the stressors of life if you don’t have to. Your cortisol levels were elevated greatly during your torturous workout. Now it’s time to attempt to lower them, and a little rest & relaxation is certainly the way to do that!

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