Resistance training is a great way to build muscle, improve body shape and burn a whopping number of calories!

The only downside, is that it can leave your body feeling sore – this is what’s called DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This happens because muscles are stressed/torn during workouts, causing micro tears. Whilst this isn’t a bad thing, in fact, it means you’ve worked your muscles hard (which is good!), it does still cause some discomfort…

It’s important to recover as quickly as possible in between weights workouts, and that’s what we’re going to focus on in this post…

4 Effective Ways To Recover From Weight Training…

#1 CBD Oil

CBD oil is becoming increasingly popular, because it’s reported to have amazing benefits on recovery, mainly because it helps muscles to relax, and reduces inflammation.

When you lift heavy weights, it’s not only your muscles that get damaged, but also your joints and tendons too. It’s important to lower inflammation, and taking CBD oil can help speed up the recovery process.

It’s important to point out that CBD oil, isn’t to be confused with illegal marijuana, if you used marijuana during training, it’s better to follow THC Detox advice for better recovery. CBD oil is legal to buy in the UK. Lots of bodybuilders are supplementing their training with CBD oil.

#2 Foam Rolling

One of the best ways to reduce muscle soreness after a workout is to do some foam rolling…

For those of you who haven’t heard of a foam roller, it’s basically a cylinder shape, made of foam, which you use to roll over tight muscle tissue. If done correctly, it loosens off tight muscle tissue after resistance training, which helps to prevent muscle soreness, increases blood flow, and speeds up nutrient delivery – all which aid the recovery process.

You can foam roll most areas of the body, for example, the legs, shoulders, pecs, upper, and lower back. Spend 5-10 mins after each session rolling out tight muscles. Here are some foam rolling exercises to help you recover after a brutal weights session…

#3 Protein

Protein is key in helping your body to recover in between resistance training workouts. Ideally you need to consume between 50-60g of protein in your post workout meal. You could have a protein rich meal, foods high in protein are: chicken, steak, turkey, eggs, nuts, mince, cod, and salmon.

Another popular way of speeding up recovery after a workout is to have a protein shake straight after your workout. For example, you could have 50-60g of Whey Protein, and mix it with water or almond milk (if you fancy a milkshake taste!).

As well as consuming a good amount of protein post workout, it’s also important to consume protein with each meal. Your body needs a regular supply of amino acids, ideally every 4 hours – this will not only help your muscles recover, but also allow you to develop more strength. Aim to consume between 125-200g of protein per day, to reap the rewards of faster recovery.

#4 Sleep

One of the most (if not the most!) important recovery protocol. When you sleep well, the body recovers, and muscles repair. It’s important to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night (ideally 8 hours if you can).

Going to sleep in this day and age can be challenging, especially with the artificial light emitted from phones, TV and computer screens – this prevents melatonin from being released. Melatonin is a hormone that signals the body to get ready for sleep.

It also doesn’t help that many of us drink too much caffeine, coffee, tea, energy drinks, and pre workouts – keep us stimulated, and often make it difficult to relax.

Instead, reduce your caffeine (no more than 2 cups per day), and switch your phone off at least 1 hour before bed. Make your bedroom as dark as possible, and comfy. You want it to be a relaxing place to sleep. To further increase the likelihood of an even better nights sleep, you could also have a bath just before bed – this is perfect for muscle relaxation, and will encourage you to drift off into a peaceful sleep.