Weightlifting with free barbells and dumbbells, in an ergonomic fashion, is one of the most worthwhile fitness regimes you can keep up with. Not only are these tools designed to work with your body in an ergonomic fashion, but they can help you better reset the architecture of your body and muscle development compared to efforts like cardio workout – which are important, but have less of a foundational effect.

 

That said, weightlifting can often take a lot out of us, especially if we’re following a beginner’s program like Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5 x 5. For this reason, it’s important to make sure we focus on rest and recovery as much as we do giving it our all in the gym. Strength is often made in the kitchen, after all, and our gym efforts provide us the means to add stress, pressure, and the impetus for our muscles to break down and reform in a stronger fashion. With that in mind, let’s consider the following advice for properly resting between weightlifting sessions, so that you can prevent injury and your progress is near assured:

 

Proper Diet & Supplementation

 

Making sure you enjoy a proper and nutritious diet is of course important no matter what, but for weightlifting, high protein is needed. A gram per pound of bodyweight is recommended if you’re trying to gain weight and grow muscle.  You may also find that certain supplements, such as whey protein shakes, and especially asking ‘what do BCAAs do?’ can help you ensure that your muscles are fed and you return to the gym feeling fresh, capable, and healed.

Regular Sleep

 

Sleep is the most restorative process we know of, and is essential for your body to rebuild itself after a tough gym session. In some cases, more than eight hours may be required thanks to the added pressure you’re putting on your system. Eight hours of relatively undisturbed sleep, kept up with regularly, is essential however, and can make a major difference in both your cognition and wellbeing. Over time, you’ll no doubt feel and look stronger thanks to this effort, as sleep gives the chance for your repair systems and dietary nutrition to work its magic.

 

Ice Baths & Stretches

 

Cold showers can help replicate the benefits brought on by ice baths, which athletes take in order to prevent inflammation and to promote healing and repair of their muscles. You’ll also find that static stretching can provide the most competent means of ‘warming down’ after a workout, giving you the chance to to resume your day in a properly rested state, as opposed to never really coming down from the intense activity of your exercise. Stretches can also promote a worthwhile range of movement, especially in your joints, and that in itself can encourage quick and efficient healing for next time.

 

With this advice, we believe you’ll be able to rest between weightlifting sessions more readily. Just be sure to remain consistent, careful in your approach, and mindful of your body’s needs.