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Prep Your Mind and Body for Sleep With These Nightly Workout Rituals

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Man doing yoga cat pose in front of a gray wall


The best time for a workout is a personal matter—geared toward that part of the day that provides a consistent, routine-like window of opportunity. For some, that’s first thing in the morning before life gets in the way. Others prefer to wait until after work to burn off stress before heading home. It’s all good—but few people give much thought to home workout routines before bed that jump-start recovery, improve sleep, and serve as training substitutes on busy days when regularly scheduled workouts didn’t happen.

These nightly wind-down rituals can be just as important as daily trips to the gym, track, or swimming pool. Not only do they add to your overall fitness, but they’ll also attend to your stress levels and sleep patterns at that crucial time—right before bed. Here are six brief routines to consider before calling it a day.

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1. Yoga

A full-blown yoga class can be as rigorous and challenging as any workout, but that’s not the goal here. Instead, we want to perform a few moves to lengthen and strengthen our muscles while resetting our posture from a day spent sitting too much behind a desk or steering wheel.

Begin with two rounds of cat/cow. Start on all fours with hands beneath your shoulders and knees on the ground. Inhale, dropping your chest as you push your hips and shoulder blades back into cow position. Lift your chin and chest and gaze forward. For cat, exhale as you draw your belly button to your spine and round your back toward the ceiling like a cat.

Next, perform the child’s pose. From a kneeling position, touch your big toes together and sit on your heels. Separate your knees about hip-width apart and lay your torso down between your thighs. Place your hands on the floor along your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. You should feel the weight of the front of the shoulders pulling the shoulder blades wide across your back.

Man using an orange foam roller on calf, closeup
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2. Foam Rolling

This “poor man’s massage” can work simple wonders—using deep compression to roll out muscle spasms. The compression causes the nerves to relax, gets the blood flowing, and helps the body recover from the stresses of the day—including your training regimen. Think of your body like clay. The roll softens up the clay so you can remold it into something more pliable and functional tomorrow.

Foam rollers have evolved from 20 years ago when they were simply 18-inch rolls of tightly packed foam roughly five inches in diameter. Now they come rigid, textured, and even with vibrating options. Whatever your preference, glide your sore muscles over the roller and hold on tender points for 30 seconds to flush by-products, alleviate soreness, and lengthen tight muscles. Use it anywhere you feel tight and in need of a massage.

closeup of foot stretch with a tennis ball under the arch
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3. Trigger Points

Trigger point exercises work similarly to a foam roller, but they make it easier to isolate and release deeper tissues. Use a tennis ball, lacrosse ball, or other hard ball to perform self-massage exercises that work areas such as your IT (iliotibial) band, thoracic spine, and the bottoms of your feet. Adjust your position on the ball until you find a sore “trigger” point. Hold on the spot for 30 to 60 seconds. Maintain as much bodyweight on the ball as possible. Don’t neglect your feet, which take a daily pounding. Try different balls along your arches ranging from a golf ball to a lacrosse ball.

4. AIS Stretching

Active-isolated stretching (AIS), developed more than 40 years ago by Aaron Mattes, requires an 8- to 10-foot length of rope, about the thickness of a jump rope. While on your back, wrap the rope around one foot at a time and perform a series of leg stretches—up, out, and across the body—that will stimulate your muscles to relax and contract through new ranges of motion. You won’t hold stretches for 10 to 30 seconds, as in traditional stretching. Instead, you’ll use the rope to gently assist in pulling the muscle a bit farther at the end of a stretch than your body would normally allow. Exhale during the assistance portion, allowing a deeper stretch. Then pull the leg back to the starting position.

Man using a massage gun on quad muscles, closeup
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5. Massage Gun

If foam rollers are the poor man’s massage, then a massage gun is the middle-class man’s routine. These contraptions proliferated in recent years and competition thankfully has brought down the price point. The devices look like radar guns with a vibrating ball (among optional attachments) at the end and have multiple speeds and settings. Use the gun anywhere you need a massage, including the back, neck, and shoulders.

Man sitting cross legged on bed doing breathing exercise
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6. Breathing

A consistent sleep ritual that involves going to bed at the same time, a dark room, and powering off electronics at least 30 minutes before turning off the lights is the key to falling asleep quickly and enjoying deep slumber. So, too, is breathing. Practice inhaling through your nose for six counts, holding for three counts, and then exhaling through your nose for six counts. Repeat four times to relax your mind and body and induce sleep.


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10 Best Porters to Drink Right Now

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A bottle of Deschutes Black Butte Porter




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Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength

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Barbell Back Squat


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

Marius Bugge

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

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts renegade row
Marius Bugge

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

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing renegade row Dumbbell Bentover Row in gym
Marius Bugge

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

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised 
Marius Bugge

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

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Marius Bugge

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

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Marius Bugge

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

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing pullup
Marius Bugge

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

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Marius Bugge

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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The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout

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The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout




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