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HOW TO MAXIMIZE & KEEP YOUR GAINS (post-workout)

I'll be the first person to admit that recovery has not always been a priority. It was fear, in the beginning, that stopped me from sitting my ass on the couch once or twice a week and taking a rest day. I was in college when I started livin' that fit life, so between studying for exams, writing papers, trying to have something close to a social life, and an empty bank account... adequate recovery wasn't really at the top of my list. That was until I kept doing my research and found out that overtraining and poor recuperation would do me more damage than resting. If I didn't start making a conscious effort to help my body bounce back, I'd eventually be forced into my worst nightmare: taking a real break from the gym, whether it be to heal from injury or replace my sanity. 

Here's the thing: exercise breaks you down (in a positive way, of courseeee); recovery gives you the means to build yourself back up. Improved recovery = improved workouts = improved & sustained GAINS. So you can go as hard as you want in the gym every day of your life for hours and hours, but you're wasting your time if you don't do what you're supposed to be doing outside the gym. Now that I've beat you with the reason why recovery is so important, let's talk about when it's important. Like I said, constantly being aware of how you take care of your body is what will get you the best overall results, but today we're going to focus on POST-WORKOUT RECOVERY. This involves nutrition, supplementation, stretching/SMR, and sleep. We'll start with stretching and SMR (self-myofascial release), or foam rolling for those who literally hate anything that sounds like I'm pretentiously trying to flaunt my knowledge. Most of us use time as an excuse to not stretch. "But I've got to get to class, I don't have time to stretch!!!" or "I've been at work all day, I'm too tired to stretch." If you have time to complete a workout, you've got time to stretch- I promise. During your workout, your muscles are constantly be shortened; stretching post workout will help lengthen your muscles after being under that constant tension. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. Self-myofascial release (SMR), or foam rolling, can be coupled into your stretching routine. Not only does SMR relieve soreness, but it can correct some muscle imbalances. While SMR (paired with dynamic stretches, which we'll cover in another post)pre-workout can be benefitial to get the blood flowing in your muscles, I also focus on it after simply because of the science behind it. Foam rolling triggers something called autogenic inhibition, which means that the stimulation from the foam roller inhibits the shortening of muscle spindles and decreases muscular tension. Whoa, science. Basically, it is relaxing your muscles. Roll out each muscle group for one to two minutes until you find the painful spots, and when you do, rest on those spots for 30-45 seconds. It's important to know that SMR isn't going to be the most delighful part of your workout. Most days I'll face the wall lest anyone see my face contort as I roll out. Do this after every workout and even on your rest days and you'll start to see improvements in your range of motion, which means better form, which means a smaller probability of injury and a higher probability of GAINS. Next we'll talk about post workout nutrition, probably the most important aspect of immediate recovery and my personal favorite because food. The formula is simple: lean protein + fast-acting carbohydrate. Once you familiarize yourself with what consititutes as a lean protein and as a fast-acting carb, you'll be able to throw a post-workout meal together without even having to think about it. Have you ever finished a workout, left the gym to run an errand, and next thing you know it's two hours later and you feel like a zombie? That's because your body completely depleted itself during your workout and you didn't replenish it. Your body needs food (aka fuel) post workout. The combination of lean protein and fast-acting carb is important in order to get the fuel to your muscles as fast as possible. Protein is what will make your muscles grow. Fast-acting carbs are going to quickly replenish your glycogen (storage form of carbs that your body uses during exercise) and boost your insulin. Since we know that glycogen (a type of glucose) is used as fuel during your workout, it isn't surprising that carbohydrates (makes up glucose) is your body's main source of energy. Energy = glycogen, glycogen = carbs, carbs = energy. Your lean protein will be transported to your muscles faster if you pair them with these fast-acting carbs. So you've got that, but there seems to be an abundance of different protein and carb sources out there. Which are the right ones? Whey protein has been proven to be one of the best for post workout because it is absorbed quicker into the muscles, but any lean protein like chicken or egg whites will do. Pair that with a fast-acting carbs like white rice, sweet potato, or fruit. Usually after a workout my appetite is at zero, so I'll go for something liquid like a protein shake blended with some fruit and almond milk. Now for supplementation. This is a topic that I'll talk about sparingly on this blog simply because I don't think supplements are completely necessary. BCAA's and protein powder are the two post workout supplements that I find most effective. Yes, protein powder is considered a supplement even though it may be a daily or even twice daily part of some peoples' diet. The real reason we're here talking about post workout supplementation is so I can rant about how incredible BCAA's are. Branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) are the building blocks of proteins and one of the only supplements I swear by because they provide so many benefits. Not only do BCAA's stimulate protein synthesis, but they slow down protein breakdown. So go on and tear those muscles up in the gym, just remember to drink your BCAA's afterwards to help build them back up efficiently and avoid catabolism (muscle breakdown). Less muscle damange = less soreness = quick recovery. While BCAA's are supplements, meaning they should be used as an accessory to your daily nutrition, they contain three of the nine essential amino acids (essential because your body cannot create them, so they have to be supplemented into your diet), so I would definitely recommend investing in some tasty BCAA's. Last but certainly, certainly not least, sleep. I won't go too deep on this because we all know how important it is even though we pretend like we don't. Your body repairs itself while you're sleeping, so why would you deprive yourself of that? I know that I need around six to seven hours of sleep in order to function the way I want to- any less than that and I'm either useless or delusional. Set a bed time, put your phone down thirty minutes before that time, turn out the lights. I feel like I shouldn't have to tell you to sleep. Alright y'all, we made it. These are just some of my tips for post workout recovery and how to adequately maintain and enhance your GAINS, which is really what we all want...right?

xoxo, Fitter Meg

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Meg is a ROCKSTAR trainer! I took 10 sessions with Meg to kick off my 2017 with an intense weight training series. Meg has three major attributes that make her awesome at the job: - Incredibly knowledgeable - she talks through nutrition and training throughout the work out so you feel like you are getting a personal trainer and life coach at the same time. - Goes above and beyond for her clients - very flexible even during the holidays, wrote out all of the work outs, and put in extra time before and after to set up weights and chat through our program. - Takes an innovative approach to exercises - creative and dynamic motions and manipulation to standard sets made me feel like I was working hard and smart. I would recommend Meg for weight training or general conditioning. She would be supportive for any training goal you have in mind. Most importantly Megan is very personable and makes training fun! Will S, 23

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Where do I even start?

It's the new year. 2017. You've promised yourself time and time again that you're going to get fit one of these days. One of these days you're going to make a greater effort towards your mental and physical health...but where the hell do you start?

Really, you've already begun. Recognizing the difference between where you are currently and where you want to be is the first step. Once that idea is planted in your head, it'll grow. It can bloom and flourish into healthier habits and a deeper appreciation for yourself, but it can also spread like weeds of self deprecation and comparison if you let it sit too long. And we all know what weeds do: choke life out of the garden. So how are you supposed to avoid all that negativity? How can you go from thoughts to actions to results? 

Step one: have a goal. I can not stress this enough. All progress you see is relative to the goals you set for yourself. Your goals should be smart... literally. Specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and time-sensitive. SMART :) Be detailed when outlining what you want to achieve. Make sure you measure and record your progress so you can revisit every once in a while (this is one of the most motivating parts for me; I love seeing where I was two, four, eight weeks ago and reassuring myself that I'm progressing). Action-oriented means exactly what it sounds like- you've got to actually do something. Something different than what you have been doing. The meat and potatoes of any goal. No pain, no gain. Alllll that. Being realistic is hard for this generation; trust me, I know. You see crazy transformations and girls with fake booties and cinched waists every day on every social media platform, so yes...being realistic may be the toughest piece. If you're trying to look like Jen Selter, every ounce of progress you make wont seem like enough because you're striving for an unrealistic and unattainable goal. You understand what I'm getting at here? Time-sensitive will give you that extra motivation to push yourself hard every day. Giving yourself an end date, circle it in your planner (my favorite is the Passion Planner, but I understand not everyone is a control freak like me... still good to have a place to empty your thoughts/accomplishments/to-dos). Write that shit wherever you need to so that end date is in your face every day, begging to be met.  

Step two: baby steps. Once you've set your smart goals, you'll have an idea of the things you need to do to achieve them. Figure out if you're a gym person or a home-workout person. Personally, I find the gym motivating. You walk in and know that you're here for one reason- to put in work. I know you're reading this and waiting for me to spell out exactly how you need to workout and eat to be "healthy". Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that ain't gonna happen. Besides the fact that a lot of fitness and nutrition is very individual,  it took me a long time to figure out how I wanted to train myself, and I still don't know. I'm constantly evolving and changing things up; it keeps me on my toes and perpetually interested in this whole "fit life." There's no magic workout and nutrition program sent from Jesus that will get you to the specific goals you're looking to achieve. At least not one that I've found or can sum up in a readable blog post. However, here's a few things I think are worth compiling for the beginners out there. Starting with nutrition: ⦁ Calories in vs. calories out: the amount of calories that you burn relative to the amount of calories you consume will determine weight loss or gain. Caloric surplus (eating more calories than your body burns) = weight gain Caloric deficit (eating less calories than your body burns) = weight loss Eating the same amount of calories that your body burns = maintenance ⦁ Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) tells you what your body burns by simply existing and while you're living your life at your activity level. Finding this will help you determine how much food you should be eating in relation to your goals. Here's a link to a TDEE calculator that I trust. ⦁ While tracking your food isn't necessary, I think there are some benefits in knowing exactly what you're putting into your body. Counting every single calorie is unnecessary and burdensome- that's the truth. At first, try keeping a food log of the things you eat AND drink throughout the day. This will help you see where the problem in your nutrition lies. ⦁ Balancing the macronutrients: Protein, Carbohydrate, and Fat Carbs and protein are both 4 calories per gram while fat is 9 calories per gram. I understand this is getting real technical, but this is important to know. Fats use more calories, so a smaller portion of your daily calories should be going to fat while you can portion a bigger chunk of calories to carbs and protein. Now for training: ⦁ Resistance training: yes... getting in the squat rack or picking up a pair of dumbbells is going to be more difficult than the elliptical. Facts. But I'm hoping the benefits of weight training will overcome the fear or anxiety of being in the free weight section. Strength training builds muscle. Muscle burns more calories, even when you're at rest, than fat burns. Increase the amount of muscle on your body, speed up your metabolism. ⦁ Cardio: Cardio gets your heart rate up and blood circulating through your body, so it is definitely necessary to incorporate in your routine. Your heart is a muscle and just like any other muscle- you have to work it to keep it strong, which is why you should be doing at least some type of cardiovascular exercise even if weight loss isn't your goal. If weight loss is your goal, consider this: the higher the intensity of the cardio workout, the higher calorie burn and increased metabolic rate. Keep your cardio workouts short, sweet, and to the point. Treadmill sprints, bleachers, burpees, etc. Throwing in a short steady-state session at the end of your workout can improve your recovery time and help lessen the dreaded DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

So now that I've given you a bit of an idea, I challenge you to get out there and try things; see what works best for you, make a plan, and take off. Don't get comfortable in the grey area of hating mirrors. You have total control over this journey; start and carry it out with conviction. Make the effort, water your garden, and watch it bloom. Good luck :)

xoxo, Fitter Meg