Like with any other process, exercise and working out have three phases too. The pre-workout, the actual workout and then the post-workout phase. That’s right! If your workout is finished, doesn’t mean that your work is finished too. There’s more to do. If you don’t take care of the post-workout phase and just let it go as most people do, you will find that your workout isn’t giving you the results that you thought it would give. It might also create complications for you.

Most people take care of the things before and during workouts but tend to slip up when it comes to taking care of the after-workout routine. Sometimes we partake in a bad habit because we think that we have earned it, or we become just plain lazy and leave it, even though we know how important it is. Sometimes we justify it by saying how tiring the workout was and how we don’t have the strength left in us to do anything else. No matter how tired you are, how hungry you might feel, or how you think you have earned a reward, health is something that you should never take lightly. A workout doesn’t mean that you can leave your post-workout supplements and go straight for that six-pack of beer.

It has far-reaching consequences over our entire routines and our lives. So, make sure that you don’t wash away all your hard work, sweat, and tears. Keep track of the following things, and you will be good to go anytime.

Skip Stretching

Doesn’t stretching come before the workout? Yes, it does, and it comes after the workout as well. Most people don’t know that after your workout is done, you should stretch your muscles that you targeted in your exercise routine. And this will ensure that you stay limber and that your muscles don’t freeze over. Instead, it will help your muscles recover from the strenuous activity that they’ve just had, and it will boost their growth.

Perform Excessive Cardio

Cardio is good, it is great. And there is nothing wrong with doing a little bit of cardio after your weight training. Just make sure that it is a 20 to 30-minute session and not more. If you start doing excessive cardio after every weight training session, it could potentially lead to physiological and hormonal mechanisms which in turn could lead to extreme muscle hypertrophy. You will not look good with some of your muscles overdeveloped, and the rest of the body is another way. The entire body has to be proportionate to look good and feel good. So, if you want to do cardio, make sure that you do it a couple of hours after your weight training.

Wait Too Long to Eat

Waiting for a good deal before giving your body what it wants is always a bad idea. Remember that your body has spent a good time going through strenuous and intense workouts. It is in desperate need of nutrients. These include amino acids and carbohydrates, among others. Your body’s nutrition levels went down all through the workout, and now you need to replenish them so that your tired and exhausted muscles, as well as your nervous system, can get back to the optimum position. So, make sure that you feed your body the right kind of meal around 20 minutes after you’re done with the workout.

Don't Lose Your Whey

Like we mentioned above, your body needs to replenish its reservoirs of energy, and it needs to replenish them fast. The fastest way of giving your body the vital amino acids is through whey protein. It is digested rapidly, and it will deliver the amino acids to your tired muscles faster than any other protein source. Not using whey after an intense workout can keep you from achieving your goals of more muscles.

Down Too Many Fats

After you are done with your workout, you should take a meal that has both amino acids like we discussed earlier, and carbohydrates so that they can reach your muscle cells rapidly and effectively. Fats tend to takes longer time indigestion and including them in your diet is a big mistake, especially if it’s a post-workout meal.

Skip Supplements

When you add smart supplements to your post-workout meal, you can make sure that you are getting not just the proper diet and training, but also you are doing everything you can to make the process much faster. If you are big on gaining muscles or losing fat and weight, then supplements should be on your priority list. You need to take advantage of supplements like creatine, glutamine, among others, and you need to take advantage of them now. Consult your coach or mentor, and they will guide you towards the best supplements.

Skimp on Sleep

It is one of the most important things that you need to avoid if you want your workouts not to go to waste and have a good effect on your mind, body, and your entire life. Avoid any hard and physical activity after your workout. Take a little time to relax and sit somewhere so that you can enjoy your post-workout meal in peace. It will give your body the time to regain its strength and get rid of some of the exhaustion. Also, make sure that you get the proper sleep at night. We all try desperately to create a routine for ourselves where we can live off of just one hour of sleep, but that never works. So, make sure that your body gets the rebuilding time that it requires so that you are prepared for the next day.

CONCLUSION

We all work out for different reasons. Some of us are trying to reduce weight, some are trying to gain muscles, and some want to stay active and healthy. If we don’t take care of all the three phases of working out, we might find ourselves right where we started.