You go all out when training (well some of you) but you forget all about recovery & nutrition. In addition to a diet that supports your goals and atleast 8 hours of sleep to make all kinds of gains, you might want to consider these 3 recovery techniques from time to time.

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i) Active recovery – This originates from the concept of recovering more efficiently when you are physically active. Light physical activity following a day of heavy workouts will elevate muscle blood flow and can turn out to be a recuperative procedure. If you bench pressed 350lbs, doing dumbbell presses of 10 15lbs would be helpful, and please use your brain when implementing this.

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ii) Contrast baths – This is where you immerse a part of your body or your entire body in alternating cycles of hot and cold water. The warm water causes vasodilation, and this is followed by vasoconstriction of cold water. The favorable inflammatory effect supports in expediting recovery. Charlie Francis recommended 3-minute cycles, 3 minutes of as hot as an athlete could stand followed by its cold counterpart. He recommended 2 cycles and to finish it off with a cold immersion. But remember, individual circumstances would demand for different conditions, these are guidelines after all.

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iii) Massage -   Deep tissue massages are a principle of many IFBB pros. Massage works by applying mechanical stress to soft tissue, which in turn can increase your joint range of motion, improve your muscle stiffness and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). But remember to opt for a professional licensed therapist with a sound knowledge of anatomy and physiology.