Rest and recovery is something that’s not often appreciated enough in between physical workouts. As many women are now embracing weight training they must also understand the importance of how to optimise results. In a scientific capacity it is essential for achieving goals like toning and building muscle density. It’s called muscle synthesis:
Fifty percent of this process is by lifting weights which creates a stimulus and load to challenge the muscle fibres.
The other fifty per cent that completes the loop is how you allow the fibres to rest and repair.
If you go back into the gym too soon and the muscles have not recovered fully, you won’t be able to push as hard as you want to, as you simply won’t have the energy from the weakened muscles. More significantly you will also then be more prone to injury.
So how do you rest and repair?
Well, there are a 4 easy ways that will make a big difference.
Firstly, most of us now know that protein is a priority nutrient that we should be consuming at every meal during the day. But do we all know how much protein we should be eating? An easy way to calculate is to multiply your body weight in kilogrammes by 0.8 grams. So if you weigh 65kg (approx. 10st 3lbs) you should be eating 52g of protein a day. This could be split across 3 meals by having 2 eggs (12g) for breakfast, a 56g tin of tuna in water (14g) at lunch and a 100g breast of chicken (24g) for dinner. Add in a small serving of nuts and you’ve already hit your target!
Please note, this is a minimum target. If you are lifting heavy weights and trying to achieve muscle growth and density then you should be looking at 1 to 1.2grams. And don't worry, you won't bulk up! That requires a very specific exercise regime and a serious amount of protein. Think 5 eggs for breakfast and a lot of meat and poultry together with top level weight lifting. Most women want tone, density and mobility for a longer stronger life.
If you are not sure about the various sources of protein, I would urge you to do your homework and find out how much protein there is in different types of food especially if you are vegetarian or vegan. You can eat more foods like Greek yoghurt, tofu, pulses, beans etc. And this should always be the main component of your meal, complemented with a small amount of healthy fats and a lot of fibre in the form of vegetables and grains. The amount of starchy veg like potatoes and pasta should normally be considered to support the amount of extra energy you are using via movement and exercise.
Secondly, in addition to protein, to also help muscle recovery in women, we can increase blood flow by walking, stretching and doing what I call a loosener workout. This is a no weight more cardio based workout. This helps the muscles relax and move without putting more stress and load on them. It'll definitely aid recovery quicker so that you can get back to the weights again. The worst thing you can do is sit all day and tense up as that will only lead to DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness).
Third, we have another technique by using hot and cold water. This stimulates blood flow and the cold shocks the system into removing waste products like lactic acid away from your muscles. It also helps reduce inflammation in the tissue fibres. Start with a warm shower and then gradually turn it colder. Begin with 10 seconds of cold if that's your limit. And then each time you do it, build it up longer and aim for one minute. Use deep breathing to help keep your nervous system calm.
And forth and finally, consider getting a good deep tissue massage. This will really boost your circulation and get the blood flowing to the tired muscles. It will also relax the muscles to release any tension still held from previous exercise. This definitely speeds up recovery so you can head back to the gym.
Of course, a mix of all four techniques is the ideal scenario for muscle recovery for women, so see what you can incorporate and what works best for you.
Please contact me for any further advice such as resistant training, or to book a sports massage.
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