Video of Ryan Irwin deadlifting at the recent Iowa State Fair powerlifting meet

You rocked the event, do the victory dance and enjoy the moment, now what???

While it’s usually no surprise the amount of work required to get there and the dedication needed, one should (needs to) plan and consider the recover or “deload” period after such an event.  To progress, taper and peak then just drop back the intensity or diet overnight is a mistake.

Take a physique (bodybuilding or figure) competition for example.  Besides the rigorous lifting and cardio sessions that take place, these athletes are on a very restricted diets for weeks at a time.  After they enjoy a post contest victory meal, it is crucial to get back on their meal plan and do what I term “reverse dieting” to get their body back to normal.  When I work with clients, I warn them that this is the hardest part of the program, as only your will power (verses getting onstage) keeps you focused.  However by doing so, your metabolism speeds up and you stay leaner in the process.  A much better health scenario, plus makes getting ready for the next contest that much easier!

Likewise for training.  While 2-3 days off isn’t a bad idea, taking an extended time off of training is also a mistake.  After pushing yourself physically extremely hard then just becoming a couch potato, you can quickly lose progress and motivation.  Get back to training, but only go at 50% to allow the body to heal and recover.  This keeps your metabolism running high, helps the body heal by pumping blood into the muscles and joints, plus keeps you in good habits.

So next time you peak for a competition, start planning your recovery phase for after the event.  Your body will thank you for it and you will be that much ahead of the game for the next one!

For more information on how we can help you not only peak for your event but also plan an appropriate recovery plan, contact us today!

Ryan Irwin
Nutri-Sport & Full Potential Training
9992 Swanson Blvd
Clive, IA 50325
www.nutrisportfpt.com
515-331-2141

One aspect of nutrition that many individuals overlook is during their training.  It is critical to fuel the body throughout the day, especially what we call the four most important meals of the day (before/after training, breakfast and before bed).  However, by ingesting specific key nutrients during your workouts, you can accelerate your recovery and progress big time!

A recent study published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition once again proves this.  While pre and post workout nutrition is critical, one’s digestive system still needs to break down the foods before it can absorb the nutrients.  Even a shake (which we recommend due to it’s quick absorption) takes time, so one should allow at least 30 min before workouts to allow for this process.  During training, you don’t want to have solid food in your stomach as it could not only make you sick, but also makes your body pull blood and energy from your muscles while you want them to perform.

We recommend sipping on a mixture of simple carbohydrates and Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) during training.  This minimizes digestion, which gets the nutrients into your bloodstream and delivered to your muscles quickly, to begin the recovery process.  Performance will be enhanced as well (especially if one is not taking full advantage of pre workout meals).  As the research in this study shows, supplementing with this combo improves performance greatly over just drinking water.  For recommend 2 Tbsp of dextrose (20 grams of carbs) and 2-4 scoops of Scivation Xtend, depending on your weight and intensity of the workout.  Of course a sound post workout shake with the proper ratio of protein and carbs should be taken within 30 minutes to optimize growth and recovery.

Xtend from Scivation

Ryan Irwin, BS, CPT,
Certified Sports Nutrition Specialist

Nutri-Sport & Full Potential Training
9992 Swanson Blvd
Clive, IA 50325
515-331-2141
www.nutrisportfpt.com

I have competed at this event the past three years (last year taking third) and being in the judges seat verses onstage was tough, but very motivating!  It got me to re-ignite myself with my training.  It got me thinking too, ‘is there every really an offseason’?

I truly believe you need to listen to your body.  If you don’t give it a break now and again, you will go into “overtraining” and actually limit your progress.  However, cycling your training (and supplements) is key to avoid this stagnation.

No matter what your sport, bodybuilding, triathalon, wrestling, there should be a “de-training” period where you focus on some other aspect that is either an active recovery or a type of cross-training that isn’t going to take you a step backwards.  For example, here is a great article about triathletes increasing their weight training in the off season.

Work hard, but work smart and don’t give yourself an excuse to get lazy.