What do you do post-workout?

[Tuco]

You've just completed the last rep of your last set of your last lift. What do you typically do to complete your workout? Do you do a post-lifting exercise? What do you eat/drink? Do you take a hot bath? Ice bath?

I ask because after lifting I've always gotten sore for an extended period of time. Even after lifting for a few months doing the same type of exercise I will still get sore for up to a week afterwards. Then I see plans people use that have me working that piece of shit muscle 2-3 times a week.

Here's what I do:

1. No post-lifting exercise.
2. Drink my protein/carb/creatine shake + multivitamin.
3. Take a hot bath/shower.
4. Eat a carb/fat/protein heavy meal.
5. Rest for a few hours.
6. Eat a big meal just before I go to bed.

Is there anything I'm doing wrong? What do you other lifters do?

[Vatoreus]

Is stretching good afterward?

[Gigfc]

Originally Posted by Vatoreus

Is stretching good afterward?

Yes. Take your time and do good stretches, do not just rush through them like most people do.

[Vatoreus]

Then I'd say that is probably the problem, unless you do stretch afterward.

[Gigfc]

Originally Posted by Tuco

You've just completed the last rep of your last set of your last lift. What do you typically do to complete your workout? Do you do a post-lifting exercise? What do you eat/drink? Do you take a hot bath? Ice bath?

I ask because after lifting I've always gotten sore for an extended period of time. Even after lifting for a few months doing the same type of exercise I will still get sore for up to a week afterwards. Then I see plans people use that have me working that piece of shit muscle 2-3 times a week.

Here's what I do:

1. No post-lifting exercise.
2. Drink my protein/carb/creatine shake + multivitamin.
3. Take a hot bath/shower.
4. Eat a carb/fat/protein heavy meal.
5. Rest for a few hours.
6. Eat a big meal just before I go to bed.

Is there anything I'm doing wrong? What do you other lifters do?

Carbs before bed is bad, since they aren't getting used they will turn into fat. Before I go to bed I take casein protein. It's slower digesting then other kinds (whey, for example) and will help keep your muscles fed for the night.

[kcxiv]

I lift at night, and when i am done i get hungry as fuck, but i just eat a bowl of shredded wheat or raisin bran.

[arkk91]

Originally Posted by Gigfc

Carbs before bed is bad, since they aren't getting used they will turn into fat. Before I go to bed I take casein protein. It's slower digesting then other kinds (whey, for example) and will help keep your muscles fed for the night.

Carbs before bed is not "bad", especially if you are trying to put on size or weight. Having a cup of brown rice with a bedtime meal is not going to kill anyone, and it isn't going to turn right into fat. Nonsense. If anything it will prolong your anabolism while you sleep because carbs are protein sparing.

Casein protein is probably one of the biggest scams going in the supplement biz. The quality of the actual casein 99% of the time is dogshit.

30-40g of protein from a casein shake isn't going to keep you fed throughout the night. Stop reading flex magazine. Eating enough protein throughout the day will ensure you don't go catabolic.

A good bedtime meal would be some form of protein and natural peanut butter.

Casein = money sink/scam.

[OhSeven]

Pre workout is important as well. I'm never sore after even a really hard workout for a long time. I take about 30g of protein before I leave for my workout, which usually takes about 60-90 minutes, then I take 30g of protein after. I take a long steaming hot shower and make sure to keep the area I worked that day very hot to help the blood flow. I eat a protein heavy meal and drink ALOT of water before bed.

Reason I drink alot of water before bed is so I naturally wake up in the middle of the night and take another 30g of protein when I go to the bathroom.

Stretching is also very important before and after a workout.

I also personally like to do 10 minutes or so of light-moderate cardio to cool off after hitting it hard. Treadmill or bike on any arm/back/chest day and a short swim on leg day (My gym has an indoor pool).

[arkk91]

Originally Posted by Tuco

Is there anything I'm doing wrong? What do you other lifters do?

When I am trying to put on size I have a shake within 5min of completing my workout with 75g of Waxy Maize, 5-10g BCAA, 5g Creatine and 2g Beta Alanine. Maybe some ALA if I have it.

Then 30min later once I am home, I have a Whey Shake with like 40g protein and about a cup and a half of brown rice.

You aren't doing anything *wrong*. Just stating what I do.

If you are sore for up to a week afterwards, either you are doing way too much in the gym or your nutritonal plan sucks. Most people without an auto immune system deficiency should recover from a workout within 4-5 days tops. If you are sore for 7 days you are doing something wrong.

[arkk91]

Originally Posted by OhSeven

Stretching is also very important before and after a workout.

You can hurt yourself from stretching cold muscles. There is really no reason to do so at all.

After a workout you should stretch the muscle you just trained for a minute or so until it is actually painful and you have to stop. This helps stretch the fascia of the muscle right off the bat. Intense stretching can do alot for your physique if done post-workout and properly for 3-4 months at a time.

[Scorp]

Casein = money sink/scam.

This is basicly true, unless you can get a decent casein.

And you won't go catabolic if you're diet is anything better then.. dog shit. 4-5 balanced meals.

Anyways, post workout I do the following:

1) Cardio if I'm cutting
2) Stretch. Don't stretch cold muscles, good way to injure yourself.
3) If you don't count cardio as post workout, then I immediately drink a whey protein shake with 12 oz of milk. BSN Syntha-6 Strawberry ftw.
4) Drive home, or walk upstairs depending on if I went to the gym or just did it in my house, anyways when I am finally in the living area I toss the shaker in the sink, and go upstairs and shower.
5) Out of shower, dressed and eat something. Usually a chicken or other meat with potatoes and a random side. If I really don't have shit in the house, I throw down like 3 cans of tuna fish, and on occasion a Digiorno pizza. 320 cals per serving and 6 servings in one pizza, one person can easily kill of a whole pizza is a great bulk meal.
6) Sit around, do shit I need to get done.
7) Last meal of the day, whatever I have in the house, varies.
8) Before bed I usually drink a glass of milk and have a PB&J sammich.
9) 8-10 hours of sleep ftw.

Yeah, I know my diet isn't perfect, but luckily I have a very fast metabolism and I'm a generally healthy person so it doesn't need to be for me to see solid gains and strength increases. I could eat McDonalds daily and not have to worry about becoming obese, wouldn't be healthy but I wouldn't get fat like most people would.

[Tuco]

I think I'll try stretching post-workout (I usually stretch the muscles lightly as I work them out) and maybe 10m on a treadmill.

[Elurin]

Originally Posted by arkk91

You can hurt yourself from stretching cold muscles. There is really no reason to do so at all.

After a workout you should stretch the muscle you just trained for a minute or so until it is actually painful and you have to stop. This helps stretch the fascia of the muscle right off the bat. Intense stretching can do alot for your physique if done post-workout and properly for 3-4 months at a time.

QFT, sorta. There have been numerous studies the last couple of years that say stretching isn't really all it's cracked up to be. What ends up happening is your stretched muscles then become loosened up too much, and can't contract. Think of a muscle as a piece of rubber. You stretch it continually and it becomes flabby. It can no longer tense up like it could before being stretched out; it can't spring back to it's original shape. In addition, stretching cold muscles can lead to tears and strains.

Stretching till it hurts is a bad idea. After about 15 seconds of stretching, the body starts thinking that the muscle is damaged. This causes blood to rush to the area, then inflammation, and finally scar tissue to be formed. The scar tissue causes other tissues to adhere to eachother which then causes loss of movement.

[Blumpster]

I masturbate. I think it's a great thing for post-workout. You orgasm like 10x harder and it keeps your heart rate up for a good 10~mins after you finish your workout so your heart gets a lot more work. Plus it's a lot funner than jogging or whatever. Then I eat some fruit and protein, most of the time it's apples and peanut butter. Other times it's eggs and bacon/sausage and an orange or grapefruit.

[Everlast]

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