Fitness
5 Recovery Methods You’re Not Using, but Should | Men’s Journal
Published
2 years agoon
By
Terry Power
This article was produced in partnership with Original Hemp
You have your workout splits and your progressions dialed—but if you’re not equally focused on optimizing recovery, you’re doing a disservice to your efforts.
Recovery is the workhorse of muscle and cardiovascular development. It’s what clears metabolic waste from broken-down fibers and brings in fresh, nutrient-rich blood to help your fibers build back stronger and faster; it’s what helps reduce inflammation so you’re less sore the next day (or two or three) so you can get back to the gym or track sooner; and it’s what helps your systems and muscles sustainably rebuild and repair to keep you injury-free in the long run.
Here, five methods that would be über helpful to add to your recovery routine if you aren’t already incorporating them.
1. Red Light Therapy
A technique loved by Olympians, red light therapy utilizes light on the red spectrum to stimulate cell regeneration. Because of this, it can help your muscles recover from exercise, heal injuries like tendonitis, and you sleep better, according to researchers. This, in turn, allows you to train harder and more frequently.
Using a red light therapy device during your warmup or after your workout has been shown to improve athletic performance. Optimize your muscle recovery even further by adding a few drops of Original Hemp Advanced CBD Therapy Relief+ 2000mg Drops to your post-workout smoothie, which feature anti-inflammatory Cavacurmin Curcumin Complex (turmeric) and pain-relieving White Willow Bark Extract, in addition to the Broad Spectrum Hemp Extract and additional cannabinoid CBC Active Distillate.
2. Cryotherapy and Ice Baths
Ice baths and their more frigid big brother, cryotherapy chambers, both use full immersion in cold temperatures (50-59°F for an ice bath and -184°F to -200°F for cryo) to trigger your fight or flight response. Once you’re out, your body rushes oxygenated blood to your extremities to help with healing.
The clinical studies on the effectiveness of cryotherapy are mixed, but anecdotally, the support is high. Athletes from Lebron to Mayweather to Ronaldo swear by cold therapy to optimize muscle recovery and energy. Leading researchers in the field say ice baths and cryotherapy are effective at “decreasing and replenishing muscles and other soft tissues” after a hard workout.
Pop some CBD, like Original Hemp’s Advanced Relief Capsule, before you head in, too, to double up on the relief ahead.
3. Pneumatic Compression Devices
While it’d be great to get a massage after every workout to loosen tissue and increase localized blood flow, you can achieve the same effect with an at-home compression device like Normatec Legs or Therabody RecoveryAir JetBoots.
These systems fill with air to create intermittent pneumatic compression and increase blood flow throughout your legs, bringing fresh nutrients in to help your muscles heal. These devices help reduce post-workout soreness and help tired legs feel fresh faster, so much so that pretty much every major sports team keeps these devices on hand.
Add to the relief by rolling on Original Hemp’s Advanced CBD Therapy Relief+ Roll-On, which utilizes the medicinal hemp compound to further reduce muscle pain after a workout.
4. CBD
Supported by some research and a whole lot of anecdotal evidence, CBD has been shown to help lower inflammation, relieve pain, reduce anxiety and stress by calming your body’s fight or flight response, and help you sleep better at night. You can pop a CBD capsule before your workout, use an infused topical roll-on or eat a pain-relieving gummy after your workout, or put drops of a CBD tincture under your tongue before bed. They all add up to one thing: less muscle soreness and a faster recovery.
While you can get CBD capsules everywhere nowadays, we love Original Hemp because they boost the power of CBD by incorporating powerful natural ingredients, carefully dialed to work synergistically with the cannabinoid. For example, their Relief+ Capsules use turmeric and Chaga Mushrooms to further increase the anti-inflammatory properties; their Cool Relief+ Roll On leverages pain-relieving menthol and capsicum; their Relief+ Gummies feature calming ashwagandha and muscle-loosening magnesium; and their Advanced CBD Therapy Relief+ 2000mg Drops rock anti-inflammatory Cavacurmin Curcumin Complex and pain-relieving White Willow Bark Extract, and Bioperine. Original Hemp’s products are also all doctor formulated and use some of the highest-quality, whole-plant CBD extracts to maximize cannabinoid absorption and ensure clean, accurate formulas.
Together, these aspects craft especially potent formulations compared to what else is on the market. Current customers are raving about Original Hemp’s powerful products, with many people adding the products as another supplement to their recovery routine.
The easiest way to see the recovery power of CBD is to opt for Original Hemp’s 7-Day Relief+ Trial Kit, which gives you seven days worth of capsules, drops, gummies, and a mini roll-on for just $25.
Bonus: Once you find which formulas fit into your life best, you can score a discount on a monthly auto-fill subscription.
5. Rest and Sleep
If your first thought on seeing this final recovery method is that it’s too simple—well, then you really need to listen up. Taking rest days and prioritizing sleep is hands-down one of the most important things you can do to promote muscle recovery and elevate your training, experts agree.
Proper sleep allows your central nervous system—which controls muscle contractions, reaction time, response to pain, etc.—to recover so it fires at full speed, allows your endocrine system and hormones time to work, and allows your body time to repair cells and muscle fibers. Similarly, taking a day off from taxing, fiber-tearing exercise allows your systems to fully recuperate better.
The best thing you can do to improve rest and recovery is optimizing your potential to actually, physiologically relax. That means avoiding habits that disrupt your sleep quality (e.g., watching TV before bed) and adopting those that help it, like reducing noise and light while you sleep, eating your last meal at least one to two hours before bed, and incorporating CBD before bed, like Original Hemp Advanced CBD Therapy Relief+ Capsules, which is a new and improved formula that further enhances a good night’s rest by incorporating sleep-inducing valerian root and calming chaga mushroom powder into the formula.
Find what product works for you to maximize recovery—now. Use code RELIEF20 to save 20% off at originalhemp.com.
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There’s no doubt when the weather turns colder as we settle into winter, stouts take center stage. And while we enjoy all its iterations: standard stout, imperial stout, and robust barrel-aged stouts, we think this malty, chocolate-filled beer’s close cousin deserves a little respect as well. Of course, we’re talking about the oft-overlooked porter. And the best porters, oh buddy, they’ll have you rethinking your seasonal bevvie of choice.
For those uninitiated, the porter style had its genesis in England like many other iconic beer styles. It first appeared in the 1700s and is (you guessed it) named after porters—individuals tasked with transporting luggage.
A confusing origin story
“Stout is the direct descendant of porter. In the 1700s, it was common to use the word ‘stout’ to refer to a bolder, higher-alcohol version of any beer style, much in the same way we use the word ‘imperial’ today,” says Zach Fowle, advanced cicerone and head of marketing for Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, AZ. “Porter was the most popular beer of the day, and over time, “stout porter” became a popular variant. But by the late 1800s, demand for regular porters evaporated, and stout porter shortened simply to stout.”
But more has changed between the 1800s and today than just our penchant for wearing top hats. “Today, most brewers seem to market beers as either stout or porter based on vibes, rather than on any notable stylistic differences,” he says.
Specifically, porters are known for their dark, almost pitch-black color and rich, sweet flavor profile. If you were to drink a porter and a stout side by side, you might even have difficulty discerning the differences between the two.
Stout versus porter is an enduring topic of discussion in the brewing industry. “While there’s no debating the porter came first—and stout used to be called stout porter, so it was a stronger version of a porter—the lines have become very blurred over the years,” says Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Brewing in Richmond, CA.
“I would venture that even among professionals, a blind taste test would often yield inconclusive results,” says Lightner.
The difference between porters and stouts
Porters tend to be on the milder, more chocolatey end of the spectrum, Lightner says, whereas stouts are typically a little stronger and more roasty. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule
Fowle agrees, “Porters tend to be fruitier, sweeter, and less bitter than stouts, with cocoa and caramel flavors in balance with dark malt bitterness. And stouts are usually hoppier, drier, maltier, and more coffee-forward—and may even have a touch of acidity.”
Whether or not they fit neatly into boxes, one thing’s for sure: both make for incredible cold-weather brews.
“As the nights grow longer, drinking a light, summery beer just doesn’t seem right,” says Fowle. “Porter is the perfect style for the transition to winter: warming and toasty yet not too heavy, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and pie crust that correspond with autumn weather and holidays.”
It’s the perfect time to broaden your repretoire. Sweet, robust, warming, and well-suited to the season, here are the best porters to drink now.
1. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
There are few porters more well-respected than Deschutes’ iconic Black Butte Porter. It’s brewed with Cascade and Tettnang hops as well as 2-row, Chocolate, Crystal, and Carapils malts as well as wheat. This 5.5% ABV year-round offering is great for cold-weather drinking because of its mix of roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. It’s a robust, subtly sweet beer perfect for imbibing on a crisp fall night.
[$10.99 for a six-pack; deschutesbrewery.com]
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Fitness
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Published
2 years agoon
9 November 2022By
Terry Power
The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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Fitness
The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout
Published
2 years agoon
9 November 2022By
Terry Power
If you haven’t picked up a jump rope since elementary school, you’re missing out on a fantastic cardio workout. Not only will you burn a ton of calories in a short amount of time—200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes—but jump ropes can also improve your coordination and agility. Better yet, jumping rope doesn’t require much space, so it’s easy to do at home, and it’s often more mentally stimulating than jogging or swimming.
Choosing a Jump Rope
When deciding which jump rope is best for you, it’s important to determine what your goals are. While lightweight speed ropes are popular for cardio-focused training, weighted or drag ropes will be best for those focused on strength training.
No matter what your training goals are, we’ve got you covered with this roundup of 10 jump ropes from top brands including Crossrope, TRX, Rogue, and more.
The Best Jump Ropes of 2022
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