Wholistic Fitness

Overtrained or Under-Recovered?

10 surefire fixer uppers to save you from the Under Recovery Dragon:

By Steve ilg, USCF Coach

Are you feeling over trained, or are you feeling Under-Recovered?

It is probably the latter.

Back a long time ago in the fabled athletic fantasyland of Boulder,

Colorado, my first certified WF Teacher, Randy Owens, came up with a saying, �There is no such thing as Overtraining…there is only Under-recovery.�

That�s my boy for you…coming up with one of those gems that just stick to the inside of your mind like batter on a griddle. If your batter is starting to speak to you about hints of over training� here are 10 surefire fixer uppers to save you from the Under Recovery Dragon:

1) Monitor your waking heart rate. If it is more than 10 beats above normal, then take the day off from any CV or ST work. Instead, practice some yoga and meditation. If you don�t know how to monitor your waking heart rate, let me or a WF Certified Teacher know.

2) Fill your Glycogen Window. Within 30-45 minutes after a workout,

replenish depleted muscle glycogen stores with carbohydrates. Potatoes, rice, or pasta are traditional examples of a post workout meal. If rushed, eating a SUNBAR whole food bar or even a PowerBar or PowerGel can do the trick. Remember, you gotta fill that magical Window WITHIN 30-45 minutes after the workout!

3) Drink! Rehydrate or Die! During the workout, I like using the bodyfat dwindling elixir; Sunrider�s Fortune Delight with Sunnydew. Conventional sports drinks tout the fact that drinking their engineered solutions will carry electrolytes, carbohydrate energy, and muscle rejuvenating amino acids will maximize hydration and restore lost body fluids. I think it is more a matter of what and how you eat during daily life, then during the workout itself. But, you should experiment for yourself. Remember, to drink every 20 minutes of training!

4) Get bodywork and do Yoga! Deep massage and yoga both activate the body�s garbage disposal, the lymph system, rinsing the cells clear of accumulated fatigue toxins from training and providing a sudden rush of blood, oxygen, and nutrient flow into suffocating� tissues.

5) Make SURE your recovery workouts are just that. As my friend and World MTB Champion,�Deadly Nedly� Overend has stated, �Most athletes go too hard on their easy days and not hard enough on their hard days.� Active recovery means keeping that heart rate within Zone 1 preferably…below 65% of Max Heart Rate.

6) Naps. Nuff said, baby. Get em in…Siesta Time + Quality Training =

Podiums and inner Peace!

7) Kick up the intake of Amino Acids and antioxidants. Both will protect post training muscle damage. Sunrider�s NUPLUS is great for this because it is a whole food formula.

8) Make sure that you drink fluids containing sodium, potassium, and

magnesium not just DURING training (see Number 3) but also afterward! Yes, filling your Glycogen Window (see Number 2) is your FIRST priority, but then, make sure you support the electrical activity of the cells by taking in an extra dose of electrolytes afterward. You can use the same intake suggestion as in Number 3 above.

9) Do Yoga. Especially if you are not getting in the naps and/or the

massages! Yoga will achieve the benefits of both of those recovery tips

plus, it is a mind/body practice that will set the stage for…

10) RELAXATION!!! The body and mind and spirit can only heal when it is calm. Learn yogic and Wholistic Fitness Lifestyle techniques and principles so that you are not stressing your physiology during daily life. You can only heal when you are calm, so take breath, adjust your posture and learn how to let go of mental stress.

Steve Ilg, a USCF Coach and Founder of Wholistic Fitness� Personal Training, is a best-selling book author and was named, �Fittest Person In The World� by Ultra Cycling Magazine. Go to www.wholisticfitness.com for info on online training services and products.