ActiveWorkoutsExpert reveals the 3 worst things to do after a workout if you want to build muscleNumber two may surprise youWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ActiveWorkoutsExpert reveals the 3 worst things to do after a workout if you want to build muscleNumber two may surprise youWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Number two may surprise you
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
When your goal is to build muscle (aka hypertrophy) you know you’re in for the long game, as it doesn’t happen overnight. But if you’re consistent in yourstrength training, hitting your protein intake and eating in a calorie surplus, then you’re on the right track to success. But as well as knowing what helps us build muscle, it’s important to also be aware about what prohibits it, as you may be doing things that are killing your gains without even realising.
In hislatest YouTube video, Strength and Conditioning CoachJeff Cavaliere, founder of Athlean-X, touches on exactly this and what youshouldn’tbe doing after a workout. Cavaliere actually identifies 10 different things you should avoid, but we’ve picked the ones that specifically relate to building muscle. So, if you want the best possible chance of maximising muscle growth, make sure you’re not doing these things…
1. Drinking alcohol
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
You may have had the best workout of your life and as a result want to reward yourself with a well-deserved bevy. But, when muscle growth is your goal Cavaliere suggests avoiding it altogether, as it affects muscle protein synthesis (the process of building muscle). A2014 studylooked into this and found that eight men who consumed alcohol after working out alongside a protein shake saw a 24% reduction in muscle protein synthesis. Clearly, that Guinness just isn’t worth it.
2. Getting in an ice bath
(Image credit: Diane Durongpisitkul / Stocksy)
(Image credit: Diane Durongpisitkul / Stocksy)
‘WHAAAT?!’.Yep, we thought this one may surprise you. While Cavaliere doesn’t disagree with the many benefits associated with cold water immersion, he says that if hypertrophy is your goal you need to considerwhenyou’re getting in an ice bath. It shouldn’t be straight after. “If we do this within four to six hours of training you get a blunting effect to the inflammatory response, productive for building muscle,” he explains in his video.
3. Doing cardio after your workout
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
A common question is ‘should I do cardio before or after weights for muscle growth?’. It’s 100% better to do cardio afterwards, because otherwise you’re just using up energy that you could be putting into your strength training. However, Cavaliere says that, really, you should avoid doing them concurrently and simply switch your cardio to a non-strength training day.
This is because doing cardio immediately after your strength training will dip into your recovery reserves which may prevent you from putting on muscle. “You’re just competing with yourself, the energy systems are clashing and you’re not going to get the best end result in either direction,” he says. Astudypublished in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research also supports this and found that doing resistance and endurance training on the same day resulted in a reduced size in muscle, strength and power, compared to when they were performed on separate days.
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