Recovery: The Long Lost MMA Conditioning Tip
Proper recovery is of paramount importance to your MMA conditioning. Use these tips to be able to train harder, longer.
Food: After working out, it's important for you to eat a protein source to feed your muscles. Muscles are made of proteins, and without consuming any protein quickly (in the first 45 minutes after a workout or earlier), muscles won't grow or recovery from any micro-trauma encountered during your training session.
Also, eating quality meals with a protein source, carbohydrate, and additional vegetable will help your body feel better after training. Don't sabatage your hard work in the gym by resorting to poor food choices: Healthy meals go a long way toward recovery.
Self-myofascial release and active release techniques (ART): This includes foam rolling, using a lax ball, Theracane, the Stick, or any other massage tool. When a muscle stretches near the point of injury, the Golgi tendon organ (GTO) tells the muscle spindles to relax. Foam rolling stimulates the muscle and works the GTO so the athlete can work in a more complete range of motion without the muscles shutting down. Also, ART techniques are helpful in fixing soft tissue adhesion and dissipating scar tissue build up.
Contrast showers and baths: There are different time sequences used, but a "standard" widely used is one minute as cold as you can stand followed by two minutes as warm as possible. Contrasting relaxes and excites the muscles, moves blood through, and shortens the restoration time.
Warm up, stretch, and relax: Stretching post-workout and on rest days will help recovery. First, during a workout, muscles contract and shorten. Stretching them after the workout insures the muscles range of motion and length.
Hydrate: Drinking water is crucial, but strict guidelines rarely work and will vary based on how much you sweat, if it's a rest, etc. Just drink. Bring water when you train and keep a bottle of water with you during the day. Don't mess with "recovery drinks" or stuff supposedly loaded with vitamins or minerals. Water is the most practical. Drinking on your rest days will help push toxins out and keep the muscles loose.
Relax (sleep): Actual sleep (not just "doing nothing" like surfing the Internet) is needed. Sleep is when the major repair work happens to all that damage inflicted during your training. You can fake your body out for a short time with gutting through it or using stimulants, but your body always knows the score. You can't abuse it for very long before something breaks down. You should be guarding your sleep time like you do your money.
Use these recovery methods as MMA conditioning tips and you'll not only be able to work out more and harder,but will be less sore for it as well.
Food: After working out, it's important for you to eat a protein source to feed your muscles. Muscles are made of proteins, and without consuming any protein quickly (in the first 45 minutes after a workout or earlier), muscles won't grow or recovery from any micro-trauma encountered during your training session.
Also, eating quality meals with a protein source, carbohydrate, and additional vegetable will help your body feel better after training. Don't sabatage your hard work in the gym by resorting to poor food choices: Healthy meals go a long way toward recovery.
Self-myofascial release and active release techniques (ART): This includes foam rolling, using a lax ball, Theracane, the Stick, or any other massage tool. When a muscle stretches near the point of injury, the Golgi tendon organ (GTO) tells the muscle spindles to relax. Foam rolling stimulates the muscle and works the GTO so the athlete can work in a more complete range of motion without the muscles shutting down. Also, ART techniques are helpful in fixing soft tissue adhesion and dissipating scar tissue build up.
Contrast showers and baths: There are different time sequences used, but a "standard" widely used is one minute as cold as you can stand followed by two minutes as warm as possible. Contrasting relaxes and excites the muscles, moves blood through, and shortens the restoration time.
Warm up, stretch, and relax: Stretching post-workout and on rest days will help recovery. First, during a workout, muscles contract and shorten. Stretching them after the workout insures the muscles range of motion and length.
Hydrate: Drinking water is crucial, but strict guidelines rarely work and will vary based on how much you sweat, if it's a rest, etc. Just drink. Bring water when you train and keep a bottle of water with you during the day. Don't mess with "recovery drinks" or stuff supposedly loaded with vitamins or minerals. Water is the most practical. Drinking on your rest days will help push toxins out and keep the muscles loose.
Relax (sleep): Actual sleep (not just "doing nothing" like surfing the Internet) is needed. Sleep is when the major repair work happens to all that damage inflicted during your training. You can fake your body out for a short time with gutting through it or using stimulants, but your body always knows the score. You can't abuse it for very long before something breaks down. You should be guarding your sleep time like you do your money.
Use these recovery methods as MMA conditioning tips and you'll not only be able to work out more and harder,but will be less sore for it as well.
