Recovery the “Cool” Way

Anybody who knows me knows that one of my least favorite parts of weightlifting is the recovery side. I’m terrible at disciplining myself with mobility work and I’m even worse at sleeping as much as I should. However there is some really cool folks in Dallas that made this process much easier for me (not the sleep part.  I wanted to introduce you all to a couple different techniques and therapy options for your training. These will be especially useful each week during the Opens as you will need to recover during the week especially if you are going to complete the workout twice.

One of my first lines of defense against overtraining is consistent chiropractic and active release therapy. Landan Webster of Webster Chiropractic and Rehab is my go to guy and has been for a while.  Take a look around your area. Look for somebody certified in active release therapy as that work can be the most beneficial for keeping you moving and functional on a day-to-day basis. Landan has kept my shoulders, knees, and quads in working order for over a year. If you’re in Dallas definitely check him out.  I literally would not have even gone to the American Open without him.

Secondly massage therapy is pretty crucial. I USED to love massages.  Then I was introduced to the type of massage that is actually beneficial for training. Erin Clark of Kinetics Sports Therapy is my go to. She literally has turned what used to be a pleasant experience into something that closely resembles a root canal. I literally would rather get a root canal weekly than experience the pain she puts me in. However, the day following her massage therapy and mobility work, my body is thankful. She literally could tell you every part of my body that needs work and consistently each week could tell you what kind of training I’m doing based on how my body feels. Look around your area for a good massage therapist. “Good” being defined by somebody who understands active release therapy, mobility, and deep tissue work. Her sessions are a combination of all three and ultimately she is one of the major reasons I am able to work out with the volume that I do. If you’re in Dallas certainly check her out but if you’re not find somebody who does what she does. Your PR’s Well thank you.

Lastly one of the best recovery techniques I’ve found to date I stumbled upon this past six months. CryoUSA provides a type of cold therapy that is hard to describe until you experience it. Essentially it has taken the place of the ice bath but works a hundred times better. I HATE ICE BATHS, let me reiterate I would rather do 20 reps backsquats eight times a day than sit in an ice bath. I may even hate ice baths more that I hate the Florida Gators. Maybe. CryoUSA has made it so that I never have to take them again.  Cryotherapy uses a chamber filled with -300 degree nitrous gas to aid in recovery.  The chamber essentially decreases the temperature of the skin to a low enough level that the body freaks out and sends all the blood in the extremities into the heart at a rapid rate and shrinks the blood vessels in the process.  The blood in the heart is then cleaned and rapidly filled with oxygen.  Then when you step out of the chamber the blood rushes back into the rapidly expanding blood vessels healing the muscles and pushing out toxins.  For a better and more detailed description read this.  On top of that CryoUSA just added NormaTec to their services.  Check these pants out…

Basically I sat in a massage chair and these pants filled with pressurized air and for 30 minutes air pumped in and out of the pants compressing my legs.  I got up after 30 minutes and felt like I had new legs.  It was like a 30 minute nap while someone took a foam roller to my legs.  Awesome.
Bottomline, smart athletes focus on recovery with consistency.  There are a ton of good folks out there.  Look around and let your numbers speak for the results.