Exercise recovery should NEVER be downplayed.  The importance of recovery is very significant when it comes to exercise performance.  In fact, exercise recovery may be more important than your nutrition and your exercise routine(!). Yes, you read that right.  Why?  Because it's how well you rest that will determine how well your body will perform.  You can't expect to train hard if you don't give your body time to recover, period.  You'll actually do more harm than good if you shortchange your rest time between workouts.  Inadequate recovery will inevitably lead to overreaching and ultimately to overtraining over time in which case your body will be in a state of perpetual fatigue.  
      Here are the key concepts you should practice daily to recover optimally:

• GET PLENTY OF SLEEP--aim for seven to eight hours per night
• EAT HEALTHY OFTEN--if you want to perform optimally, you need to fuel your body with healthy ingredients
• STRETCH OFTEN--your muscles and joints tend to get tighter with age so maintaining flexibility is essential to reduce injury risk
• GET MASSAGES--periodic massages will help your body to relax and operate in a more optimal state
• TAKE NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS--only take supplements when your diet is on track.  Recommended supplements include whey protein, glutamine, BCAAs, creatine, vitamin C, and vitamin B complex

Brian Danley, CFT
"Motivation is what gets you started.  Habit is what keeps you going."

408-688-1586 (cell)
briandanleyfitness.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandanleyfitness
https://www.facebook.com/BrianDanleyFitness ​​

     A common mistake many gym goers make when working out is to mindlessly swing the free weights when curling or bouncing the weight off the chest when bench pressing. People subconsciously do this because it's their body's way of conserving energy and therefore makes the lift easier.  But easier is not always better!  Not only does this look utterly ridiculous to the casual observer, but more importantly, it's a complete waste of time!  Why?  Because swinging and bouncing weights allows too much momentum to take effect, which forces the joints (not the muscles) to bear most of the brunt of the work.             Allowing momentum to take over is counterproductive because it doesn't allow your muscles to feel the contraction and tension needed for strength and/or hypertrophy to occur. Unnecessarily swinging and bouncing weights will inevitably cause joint wear and tear over time which could lead to injury.  The faster you swing or bounce the weight, the more momentum occurs and the more force is exerted onto the joints, not the muscles.
    Avoid the temptation to quickly perform a movement and instead take your time.  Learn to control the speed of each repetition.  Think about squeezing the muscle as you lift. A good rule of thumb:  perform the concentric (contraction) and eccentric (stretching) portions of the lift in two and four seconds, respectively.  Slow down and practice awareness throughout each repetition.

​BOTTOM LINE:  Ultimately, what matters is not how much weight you can hoist (check your ego out the door) but how you can lift the weight with good form and feel the muscle working.  Your purpose in the gym, whether it's to get stronger, leaner, more muscular, etc., is to lift safely while achieving your fitness goal.  Train your muscles, not your joints!

Brian Danley, CFT
"Motivation is what gets you started.  Habit is what keeps you going."

408-688-1586 (cell)
briandanleyfitness.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandanleyfitness
https://www.facebook.com/BrianDanleyFitness ​