The common misconception is that progress is made during a hard workout when the truth is that progress is made the day or two AFTER a taxing workout as your body has a chance to rebuild from the stress it endured.
With that being said, the excellent question is,
"Do you put as much emphasis on recovery from a workout as you do on the actual effort during a workout?".
Recovering from a strenuous workout starts as soon as you leave the gym. Get some quality calories in shortly after that session, which should include some form of protein and carbohydrates.
Good examples are a glass of chocolate milk, a protein shake, an apple, or a complex energy/protein bar.
The 24-48 hours after that workout should then be a time when you highlight quality sleep, plenty of water, as well as light movement in the form of a walk, stretching, light jog, or even some low-intensity strength work and/or body weight movement.
This is a quick caveat for those wondering if you should avoid back-to-back days of working out...the answer is absolutely NOT. The rule of thumb, though, should be to stagger the intensity.
If you do a really hard workout on Monday, then go a bit easier and focus on recovery on Tuesday. Maybe take a rest day on Wednesday or go for a walk and then start that cycle again on Thursday.
Now go off and get those tough workouts in, knowing that the day or two after is the time to recover and truly reap the benefits of the effort you put forth in the gym!
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