The Popular Recovery Method That’s Hurting Your Muscle Gains—Plus 10 Others That Really Work

4. Foam rolling

If you’re like most Americans, you sit for a good portion of the day, so by the time you hit the gym, your body’s locked up and more prone to injury. Foam rolling helps increase your muscles’ range of motion and elasticity before a workout, and there are even more benefits after. You can relieve any post-workout tightness or pain, and help break up scar tissue or knots that could otherwise cause chronic aches and pains if left unattended.

Furthermore, vibrating foam rollers can maximize results by penetrating deeper into your muscles (think deep-tissue massage meets traditional foam roller). In fact, a study from the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation found vibration therapy after resistance training delayed the onset of muscle soreness and significantly recovered athletes’ ranges of motion (as compared to young men who didn’t receive any treatment). Foam rolling has also been known to help flush out waste products and increase blood circulation—so get rolling. 

Try RollingFWD High-Tech Vibrating Foam Roller, available in 36” full length or 18” travel size. It’s equipped with three speeds, soft touch foam, plus an 11-hour lithium ion battery. 

$199 for 18” and $249 for 36” via Kickstarter. Limited availability begins September 16th 2015.

10 foam roller moves for your entire body >>>

5. Compression

If you’re a sprinter, basketball player, or bodybuilder, compression gear can be incredibly advantageous, according to a review of more than 30 studies from the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. In situations where an athlete is engaging in explosive movements—like sprinting, leaping, and jerking—compression gear is definitely a go. Athletes observed improvements, though small to moderate, in their recovery of maximal strength and power (especially in vertical jumps), reductions in muscle swelling and perceived pain, and the presence of blood lactate. 

Try SKINS RY400 Men’s Compression Long Tights for Recovery. The gradient compression delivers more oxygen-rich blood to your resting muscles, reducing tenderness and delayed onset muscle soreness. 

$83.99, skins.net/usa

And don’t count out compression technology in your everyday life. ITEM m6 is the first-ever legwear brand to create fashion-forward, medical-grade socks (read: you won’t look like you walked out of a hospital, but you’ll feel the difference) that help improve the flow of oxygen through your entire body. From your morning commute to your flight overseas, these are for the man who does it all.

$34-$55, shop.itemm6usa.com 

6. Sleep

Your body’s natural production of growth hormone (muscle-building chemical) increases during deep stages of sleep, as does protein synthesis. That’s why you always hear how athletes get about eight to nine hours of shuteye every night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. You need that time to properly recover from a hard workout. 

The 10 best ways to get better sleep >>>

7. Post-workout protein

Throwing back a protein shake or eating a protein-filled meal after your workout ensures your body has enough fuel to rebuild and recover. The same goes for nighttime. According to research published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, casein protein ingestion immediately before sleep resulted in increased circulating amino acid levels, whole-body protein synthesis rates, net protein balance, and overall recovery in young men.

The top 12 protein-filled foods for your physique >>>

8. Chocolate milk

The perfect recovery ratio of carbohydrates to protein is 4:1, according to a growing roster of studies. So if you’re out of protein-shake mix, instead of throwing back a sugary sports drink, opt for chocolate milk.

Believe it or not—believe it, actually—your childhood favorite is a powerful recovery option, according to a study from the journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. Researchers found exercisers are able to retain more than twice the amount of fluid in chocolate milk than in a sports drink after a workout. In short, when it comes to chocolate milk, your body is able to absorb more protein in less volume.

9. Tart cherry juice

Jewel-toned fruits are generally the most nutritious because the bright colors come from nutrients. In this case, the red color in cherries comes from anthocyanins, which help reduce pain and inflammation, effectively improving exercise recovery time, reducing muscle damage, and oxidative stress, according to research from the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. Don’t go overboard, though; limit yourself to one cup a day at most and reap the benefits.

10. Water

When you work out, you need to replenish the water you lose from sweat, because exercising while dehydrated can damage your muscles and reduce your body’s ability to repair itself. If you’re thirsty, drink. If your pee looks like apple juice, drink. If you haven’t had a drink of water in a few hours…you get the gist.