I do 1000 chest sets in a week and then recover for the rest of the year in a medically induced coma. gains are over the roof. I call it the sleeper macrocycle
@@shughes5778 Same ratings would apply for managing injuries. Little to no reliable evidence that any sort of massage therapy, foam rolling, cold water immersion, etc will improve injury recovery outcomes.
Yeah I had an ongoing prob with my calves for almost a decade, they'd just cramp easily and would not heal. Neither resting nor moderate exercise nor heavy exercise fixed it. Sucks when you feel a cramp coming and have to wonder if it will get too bad to continue or what and could not easily get the calves in better shape properly. About 2 months ago, i got cheap massage gun and massaged my calves every other day on low setting for about 10 days for the amount of time that felt good and the problem has been gone since then. The problem lessened through the 10 days as well and I kept pressure just below the ouchie level, I figured I'd try the easy way first. Total game changer, maybe something about scar tissue or whatever, IDK but it worked. I've recently heard some yammer about muscle fiber alignment being important so maybe that's it. If that's a correct theory then it would probably only help if you had that specific problem. I actually don't use the gun much now, since the prob is gone but the cat does seem to like shoulder massages with the gun.
@OnceUponaTimeline hydration can also factor. And some people just have tight muscles. A friend of mine is always on/with some recovery device cuz he stiffens up easily. And he doesn't even lift to be jacked, just for his martial arts mobility.
I've always been told that I'm lazy and unmotivated. After watching this video, I just realized that I'm actually a professional recovery specialist! I am great, I am special, I'm a professional!!!!
Which former president do you refer to? As a European it gets a little too confusing following US politics at this point😂 (hopefully redundant /s) @@kilgoretrout321
I would love to see mike sloooow down that eccentric phase of his blinking and prioritize getting that deeeep stretch at the bottom in order to really maximize hypertrophy
The irony that I just need to relax more and not hyper fixate on consuming all of the information about training, recovery, nutrition, sleep, supps….whilst watching my 4th fitness video today was not lost on me at all and I appreciate it.
Any of the rest of y'all feel kind of grubby going to bed with Dr Mike like that? Because I regularly end up doing the same thing, but then feel kinda dirty & ashamed when I think of what he'd say & the look i know would be on his face if he knew...
Kinda crazy how dr Mike still makes videos on topics that STILL haven’t been covered in the depth they should be. Happy to hear the people’s questions finally being answered by someone honest and of certification
Tier List: S - Sleep and Food, Stress Management (inferred) A - Deload B - C - Sauna D - E - Foam Rolling, Massage Guns F - Cold Water Immersion Hey Scott the Video Guy, can we get a Tier List graphic next time? Love you guys, thanks.
I broke my back and tailbone in a hiking accident august 15th, and I couldn't hardly move for 2 weeks. Other than the horrific pain, the two weeks I spent resting after six months of hardcore weight loss and lifting actually did lead me to having bigger muscles. I couldn't believe it. People were actually telling me how big my arms were lol. I just started working out again, and I credit my not destroying myself wholly to Dr. Mike's videos. Partially for keeping me sane, and mostly for the good advice. Thanks dude! 400 pound to 245 in 18 months. I was hoping to hit 200 by christmas but now who knows, but I'll keep going.
When you're gigantic, the first bunch of pounds come off at such a crazy rate. Then it will start to slow down. I went from 350 to 200 really fast, and then like a year to reach 170 I got back up to 330lbs after kiddo was born and I stopped working out. Started working out and got to 270 real fast.....but now it's stalling like crazy. The first time I lost weight I was too poor to afford food, now not so. I wonder what could be stalling me out? 😅
Diet. It's really that simple: no amount of exercise will ever compensate for bad eating habits and poor psychological coping mechanisms. This is like, the root problem most obese people face. The journey....NEVER ends. The entire idea of a 'weight loss journey' is complete nonsense. If you want to keep the weight off for the rest of your days, you cannot ever not keep at least an eyeball on the scale. If not weekly, at least monthly weigh ins.
I love that you guys still explain the athlete perspective I’m a casual weightlifter, my wife is a professional ballerina. I want to maximize muscle growth for my own well being, she NEEDS to maximize performance and recovery for her career. You never under deliver in educating us about both aspects, thank you! 🙏
Something that an experienced retired pro cyclist in my city always told me is “Sometimes, less is more.” As a young cyclist, excited for racing and learning a lot I never really knew that limit… Training hard doing recovery bullshit, studying and working at the same time and hitting a wall every few months. Now that I’m done with the hard studying part and take more time to really JUST relax, eat and sleep properly my numbers and results are way better and consistent. It doesn’t have to be complicated, sometimes doing the basic stuff well done is all there is to it!!
Apparently the farther you go the less important the actual training becomes and things like recovery take up more and more of your total ressources. Dennis Kohlruss (several times germanys strongest man, several times WSM competitir) said in one of his videos that the most important thing at the level he is on actually is to not suffer an injury. And what do you do to not suffer an injury? Make sure everything is recovered properly and never max out unplanned etc.
@@richardmiddleton7770 Since we’re going over things that cyclists do, please tell us the reason that you and your buddies insist on blocking traffic by riding two-four abreast. We know the reason, but we want to hear you say it.
I wish stretching was mentioned only for that fact there there is a HUGE misconception that stretching helps with recovery and reduces soreness. When the reality is closer to the opposite. Stretching when done with the intensity required to have any effect at all causes a significant amount of soreness and will ALSO require its own recovery 😂 Stretching is useful for gaining range of motion temporarily and in the long term (with proper volume) but it’s definitely an F tier way of recovering. (I guess you could use stretching as a deload… but why not just do the same exercises you’re used to but lighter?)
There's the difference between dynamic stretching and static stretching too. Static stretching is exactly like what you said, and in terms of resistance training/hypertrophy is both useless and even detrimental, studies have shown people who do static stretches before their weightlifting workout will end up lifting 3% - 5% less than usual. Dynamic stretching however is beneficial, and has benefits similar to warm ups lifts before the big lift, they loosen your muscles and get them ready to work.
@@elephantoflight3362 Literally nobody has said stretching is bad for you. A. Stretching is very good for you. B. Stretching for the sole purpose of trying to recover is a bad idea. Both of these things can be correct at the same time.
As a runner you will benefit from massage, foam rolling, cold plunge and sauna, as well as passive or active stretching. However, nothing mentioned here does help you to _build muscle_. That is the complexity in the recovery discussion; What are you recovering from? Overall cardio helps to recover from stress. At the same time cardio work is generally rather monotonic and tires certain muscles "too much". So if you want to progress in running, you need to find ways to 1) recover sport specific muscles (whatever that helps you to run tomorrow) 2) recover from the overall aerobic load (overall training planning) 3) recover from the anaerobic load (adequate amount of hard training)
I had a physical therapist tell me about trigger points, but it was for help recovering from an old injury. Sounded crazy, but she pushed on one spot, and the majority of the pain in another spot went away. Pain was in lower right back from and old car accident. Doctors were no help. PT pushed on a spot in the butt CHEEK, and the pain went away after a few seconds. She had me roll around on a tennis ball on the ground to work the spot, then showed me some things to do to work it related muscles. Years of pain were suddenly no longer a big deal. Sadly, she was wearing a ginormous engagement ring.
The massage gun is my baby, but I have never thought it was going to help me grow. I have Fibromialgia and full body arthritis it is very helpful in relaxation to assist in being able to move easier.
I do a physical job and suffer terrible muscle tension in my shoulders afterwards that leads to neck pain. Theragun is brilliant before bed to relieve it. If I ever pull a muscle or anything it loosens things up and pains are usually gone the next day.
Have you tried a good Thai Masseuse? Deep tissue massage therapy for my back and sciatica is great. I use a massage gun when the gluts start choking the nerve but a good massage, can't beat it.
I don't have anything as serious as you, but my neck tends to get so stiff that it starts giving me a migraine, especially during the hot summer months when everywhere I go there is a draft from a fan, open window or AC unit. The massage gun helps relieve basically all of that tension, which in turn allows me to go harder in the gym. Do I think the massage gun itself is gonna make me jacked? F**k no, it's a piece of plastic that goes 'brrrr'. Does it allow me to put in the work to get more jacked by removing pain as the limiting factor? Yes, yes it does. Also doing it doesn't exactly leave me with less time to relax, since 90% of the time I'm using is while I'm watching TV anyways.
@@FyerBear I guess it would already be towards the injury direction, but with small chronic injuries/stresses the two kinda mix. I have to massage my foot a lot. It cramps up wildly after doing a lot of footwork for my sport. If I really get in there for a few minutes and massage it to bits it stops those cramps for the rest of the day. I'm certainly going to recover better without my foot doing involuntary workouts every 20 minutes 🤷♂️
10:24 I remember watching a John Cena Wired where he was asked about massage guns, and he was like, “Why would you punch yourself in your muscles over and over? How does that help?”
Brother if you haven't tried one you should I 100% guarantee you won't be disappointed Mike is just wrong here ever since I've gotten one it has made recovery more manageable along with the stiffness from working
@@qpghostqp9551 he's not wrong, if you find it enjoyable and relaxing it's good, if you don't it's bad. I love my massage gun for breaking up the lactic acid build-up, relaxing the muscles after some hard training. I find it deeply relaxing, so it's good for me.
Love the last part of this video! ... For best recovery, have a large meal, spend intimate time with your love ones, play game, get plenty of sleep. Best recovery, longevity, and general success in life. THANK YOU!!! 🙏🧡
@rgh622 Get a firm foam roller. Lay on the foam roller on the floor. Use your heels to roll the foam up and down your entire spine. I usually do 8-10 times. My back cracks within the first 3.
@haraldbull1558 Team 3D Alpha talks in great lengths about recovery. He says for maximum performance 3 full body workouts weights. Then 2-3 cardio days alternating is best way. As to also maximize rest days. Not doing weights every day allows nervous system to heal.
After my workout , I come home and eat a decent post workout meal. I am tired and wore out after that workout. So I eat and take a one hour nap. This is one of the best things I have found for my recovery.
@@ivettesantana4319Definitely try it. Even if I'm in uni for 4 hours, I still come home, eat, sleep for an hour/90 minutes then go train. Same thing if I'm working. I tend to avoid, if I can, training directly after working a 6/8 hour shift.
Doing day on day off changed my life. I do about 2 / 3 hours heavy, come home eat a big meal and that night get about nine hours sleep. The next day my biggest output is walking the dog. Again eat well and nine hours sleep, then back to it. The 24 hours of rest is of equal importance to the work, imo.
in the Andrew Huberman podcast he explains that cold showers don't significantly impact muscle growth, unlike full cold immersion, which can hinder muscle repair if done right after strength training. so you can stil take cold showers.
The only time you should immerse yourself in cold water is right after you get out of your sauna. And the only reason to do that is just because it feels good to cool off after being so damn hot.
Who could’ve predicted that boring old sleep, food, rest, relaxation is way better for recovery than fads, torturing yourself, and expensive gadgets? 🤯😂 Great vid!
I love how much knowledge I gain from Dr. Mike and this channel. My entire education on recovery, training, and diet is unbelievably different from 10 years ago. Looking back now, every coach and trainer I ever had was wrong. They all instilled cold tubs, foam rolling, etc. as being MANDATORY for muscle growth. As well as focusing on the wrong parts of muscle training….It’s just insane to me to realize how poor the information was back then and I believed it…. I have only followed/ implemented this RP channel’s information for a few months, and I have already seen insanely large improvements in my training, muscle growth, and strength …. I’m very happy…. but also, slightly irritated that it took me so long to find out the proper information. If I had this understanding at 18, I would’ve been leaps and bounds from where I’m at now, at 26…. Ngl it feels like I wasted a lot of years training/ recovering improperly, and that sucks man…..
I really appreciate how dr mike is so knowledgeable about the field that he can lead an interview in a way that matches what the desired outcomes of the video are
As a registered massage therapist in Canada, I agree wholeheartedly on the talk about massage. There's always this perception that we can fix biomechanical / physical issue like a surgeon and the practice is just full of therapists who love to encourage the bs by perpetuating that narrative to patients. Unfortunately, the truth tends to hurt business because it's not the "sexy" fix people are looking for.
Glad to see someone honest. I love a massage, but I’ve always thought it was the relaxation that really did anything. Of course a Thai massage is extremely relaxing, until you get divorce papers.
I completely disagree. I am currently a massage therapy student. You all need to do more research on the neurophysiological effects that actual massage therapy can have on stimulating the GTO’s (Golgi Tendon Organs), the flower spray receptors, nerve stimulus rerouting etc. I by no means am saying that massage therapy can help you get jacked, but it can have a tremendously beneficial impact on recovering from injury. I also am sick and tired of people always comparing massage THERAPY to rub and tug, “Thai girls”, and references to prostitution. I understand that it’s all in fun and about the Lols but as someone who has already been able to help a client with life long scoliosis to function better without pain, (while still a student)I feel that these references are quite insulting. I agree that most so called massage “therapists” don’t actually do proper therapy and are just performing relaxation techniques which gives proper massage therapists a bad name. I am also from Canada and by your comment it just shows the vast difference in the quality of education offered in different massage therapy colleges.
@@tylerjohnson6451 I’m quite certain the PhD’s in this video did the research (seeing as they mentioned literature a number of times), and came to the conclusion they made, based on that research and evidence (again, seeing as they cited literature). You don’t get “Dr” in front of your name, unless you know how to do research. As for the insult- grow up. It’s a joke. Nowhere does that joke imply that massage therapists are useless, nor that all massage therapists are working the local Asian spa. The joke means the Asian spa goes above (or below) and beyond a massage…..
Just wanted to drop by and say I used reps in reserve for the first time this week and am actually recovering enough to get more volume in instead of being sore all week. Amazing that I had never been taught this anywhere before, but definitely a learning curve.
There is an old bit of advice, to "leave some in the tank", and I think that applies in general to anything in kinesiology. When you train for hypertrophy or endurance, you never want to go to 100 percent.
I'm a massage therapist, an analogy i frequently make with clients that are sensation seeking i.e. want deep tissue work and to be sore for a few days is "that if I hit my thumb with a hammer there would undoubtedly be a change in the tissue of my thumb; afterwards, there would be a large amount of pain which would gradually reduce. Now I could attribute that pain reduction to the hammer, but did it though?" I rephrased this analogy from Dr Mike's, comparing failure training to jacking off with sandpaper, I guess my client demographic responds better to it. Either way, I 100% agree that most of the benefits of massage come from the stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system via compassionate touch and that a general relaxation massage is what most people should be getting.
To be clear you guys are talking about recovering for better muscle gains and not treating dysfunctional tissues right? I refuse to believe my current massage therapist is as good as my old one. Tbf my issue is different from then but what my old therapist helped me with was more comprehensive and longer dealt with. The current girl is younger and more attractive and talks about how I’m in a safe space and all that but she isn’t getting into my gristly tissue and torturing me like the old gal and it’s quite obvious that I don’t feel as loose and relaxed afterward. It now feels much more like I’m coming for a spot of placebo and chilling out which it does do, sure. Also it was never about being sore afterward. It seemed like she knew how to get in there and help it muscles release to the extent it was actually possible and moved on without going overboard. That doesn’t mean it was pleasant (until the muscle actually chilled out).
@@jmass4207 There are some specific applications that manual manipulation and bodywork can be effective as interventions but far less than most massage therapists would care to admit. Nothing wrong with placebo as long as the dollars make sense.
14:47 LMT here! There is no need to get twice a week massages for someone who is not injured or in pain. Also, not all massage therapists are trained in all modalities. Make sure you find someone who is knowledgeable about what you need. Pain does not mean it's working better.
I second this!! Sounds like you haven’t had a good experience with a good therapist. I see 100’s of clients with positive results and they continue to come back monthly. It’s a little sad that yall are so closed minded on holistic approach’s that have worked for thousands of years.
I listened to this entire thing while I cleaned my kitchen. Learned a ton and laughed out loud at least three times. Damn a video!!! I love this so much.
Awesome info here. Have you ever thought about an episode where you talk about posture and posture myths? I noticed you and your guests never slouch, so it must be at least a little important to you guys. But of course, I only want to do the minimal that's necessary, so please tell me what's BS!
I ask my clients all the time what they do to relax during our sessions and they always tell me they workout, or do yoga or go for a run and then i say yea but all of that is doing something... what are you doing to relax? and they just look at me weirdly and never have an answer. its kinda crazy how stress is so much apart of our lives that it just became second nature for most people, and the thought of relaxing and doing nothing for the rest of the day is so foreign.
I’ve recently gotten back into lifting after years out of the gym. My excitement for the eventual change makes me want to go super hard super fast. I want the gains now. But this was a great reminder that the rest is important too.
Sports med “soft tissue” guy here. There is so much info out there explaining why what does what in this field (massage/stretching/ect) but one thing that makes it all make more sense is that if you feel better after the therapy, turns out you will be able to perform better. Take maxing out after a deload/peak week, walking in with “fresh” feeling legs rather than feeling beat up. Systemically you’re the same, maybe at most 5% in better shape, but if you feel 80% better, you might be able to squeeze out 50% more performance. A ton of mental, and we need to know that, but there are so many therapists caught up in their school of thought it’s so common to see people exaggerating the 1% differences and making that their sales pitch. Just like this vid with some of the info. 95% correct, however if the 5% makes the athlete be able to squeeze out 2 more reps every workout say 150 workouts a year, that’s a big diff “A” tier or F tier
Not everything is gonna be demonstrated perfectly in “sports science” studies, that are usually very short in length and almost never performed on highly trained athletes. There’s too much practical and anecdotal evidence among professional athletes that consistent massage treatments improve athletic longevity and reduce wear and tear injuries.
@@BGeezy4sheezy100%, I believe in a a good amount of the theories they would probably shoot down because of my first hand experiences. Even Mike said he gets his fair share of massage, if it didn’t serve a pretty reasonable purpose to him I’m sure he wouldn’t invest in them like that, then again he may value a different aspect of therapy
To your point, I get intensive muscle spasm that limited my range of motion that involved any sort of knee flexion, battled it for years. The only thing that has addressed these is foam rolling. So for recovery, sure foam rolling might not help, but as you increase in training age (and injuries, and run into 'mobility' issues) it becomes invaluable.
@@Skylarhoosmediahe specifically even mentions folks who enjoy getting a hard massage, which he does not seem to want, and suggesting they keep on. What he wants to differ are the benefits of relaxation and placebo from the efficacy of the treatment itself, and the cost of massage for most people is prohibitive (money and time wise) to have every workout... but good news is you don't need massage to aid in recovery. Expectation and relaxation are amazingly powerful for recovery.
There are many types of pain that people can experience and describe that cannot be technically attributed to any kind of biomedical pathology by current diagnostic techniques. Notably, a lot of pain or discomfort in the musculoskeletal system can be very bothersome even though we can't say there's anything "wrong" with your muscles, tendons or fascia. If you've never been particularily bothered with these kinds of pains, you will also never have had the opportunity to experience the TREMENDOUS relief and improvement that can sometimes be achieved by a highly skilled massage therapist. Will they be able to magically give you better recovery or gains? Most probably not. There certainly is a strong case to be made for adhesions and trigger points as a very real phenomenon, but accurately identifying it and verifying any standardizable treatment modalities seems to be rather difficult.
Physio is a must if you push yourself very hard or suffer from postural aches. I over-strain different muscles every month (at the gym or from sitting all day) and physiotherapy can eliminate the issue in one or two sessions. If I ignore it, it will hurt for weeks or months, even years. I will avoid doing certain movements to avoid pain, which will limit my mobility etc. People who don't need deloads, won't benefit from it as much as I do. During periods of not training to failure, I don't overload my joints/muscles as much. Even if you feel no pain, you can still benefit from it. I was running with a cramped calf for 2 years until physio noticed and fixed it, which increased my endurance. My hammies were a bit stiff and after one session I gained an increased range of motion permanently plus I was able to isolate my glutes better. Similarly one of my quad heads was cramped and once fixed, I gained an instant 5-10% strength boost in leg extension machine. Proposed explanation was that it enabled me to activate muscle fibers more efficiently. Losing physio virginity is very painful and creates DOMS but after a few sessions you get used to it and it will feel good & relaxing. If you can afford it, find yourself a good physio for a long-term support. It's worth more than any other activity you can do for recovery. Once or twice a month is enough as maintenance, I book extra sessions during deloads - I can afford extra tissue damage. Depending on your country, physio can also help you with your exercise form, identify your weak points, mobility issues, postural problems and general well-being. It's not just for recovering from injuries.
@exerciserelax8719 As dr.Mike said, nobody really knows why it works but it does. A few popular theories are: better blood flow (especially when it comes to tendons), fascia & deep tissues repair (by applying pressure it goes back to normal like a dehydrated compressed sponge after getting wet) or you simply stop registering the original pain after you experience greater spot pain from physio. it's not a placebo, at least not for most people. I didn't believe in a magic touch myself, until my neck pain went down by 50% after 5 minutes during my neck strain injury :o In my country it's a bit more expensive than a massage. Physio is a medical 5 years university degree here, they have to practice thousands of hours on patients under supervision, study anatomy etc. just like doctors. They can (legally) do more advanced techniques than masseuses, diagnose you and prescribe a treatment.
Personally, I have made different experience. Physio never did anything for me. And I´ve been training heavy for a long time. I also had quite some annoying overuse injuries. Physio was never the answer. In my opinion, people try to compensate for bad technique and overloading their body with physio, foam rolling, etc. It is mostly a mental thing, that doesn´t really do much. That being said: If it helps you, keep doing it obviously. Personally, I´ll spend my time and money somewhere else.
@@hermann5347 It's just like with psychotherapy, there are dozens of techniques and only a few will work on you. I worked with several different physios over the years and most of them did nothing or very little for me. I will give you the same advice as they give for finding a good psychotherapist: try until you find the one you click with, it may take 5-10 tries.
Physiotherapist is just like a psychotherapist, you may need to try a few until you find the one you click with. They can alleviate your pain temporarily but if you keep fucking yourself up, it will keep coming back. Half of the work is on you, willingness to do your rehab exercises and watching your posture every day. I showed my 'video form check' to my trainer and two physios, everybody noticed a different little thing that I can improve. They actually saved me from bad technique, improved my bracing, posture, joint-stacking etc. I got lucky with getting the best therapists in my city though so I completely understand the general skepticism. My average therapist experience before was that half of them didn't do much for me, the other half did something and only 1 in 5 made a noticeable improvement in my well-being. There are different techniques that work differently on different people depending on their problem. Sometimes you just gotta try a few until you find what works in your specific situation so don't give up!
If a massage gun feels great to you, that's probably good news, you probably don't have troublesome spasms and knots in your muscles. Any time I go to my therapist and he uses the massage gun on my calves, the pain is so unbearable that it makea me want to scratch all the skin off my face and gouge my eyes out with a fork just to feel something else outside of that excruciating pain in my calves. The lightness you feel after makes it kinda worth it though. So yeah, people who really need a massage gun will probably not enjoy it when it's used properly and those who do enjoy it probably don't need it that much.
@@germanbushin9723 In the same boat when it comes to calf massages here. They are easily one of the most painful things I experience, but they keep me from waking up, screaming in pain when my calves cramp up at night. I'd rather take the massage pain over the cramp pains.
My recovery is listening to those lowkey podcasts with Dr. Mike! His confidence, humor and clarity of explanations really help me find a mental save heaven🫶🏻
Foam rolling pre leg workout helps be be limber enough for my technique to feel more “right”. I tend to feel off balance or like 1 side tightness is making it hard to maintain decent technique, and foam rolling equalizes it and makes the technique muchhhh easier to do
Oh goodie golly gee, youtube is deleting my replies. Hey algorithm gods, I was sharing my experience with foam rollers, nothing negative or provocative in any way shape or form (this too will get deleted).
Hey Mike! I wanna say thank you for providing so much information regarding optimal recovery for muscle growth. I competed in D1 crew for the past three years and now recently got back into hypertrophy/calisthenics training, and if it weren't for one of your other videos talking about taking a month off to resensitize your muscles, I wouldn't be having the phenomenal growth I'm having now. Thank you for you advice!
If you watched that section you know there are no such things as "knots". As for tightness, stretching and mobility drills would do 1000% more and its free. I like massage guns simply because they feel nice.
I think part of it is, if my back hurts too much to lift (from injury at 4), then I lose consistency - which is most important. All these things mentioned don’t really give you any advantage over doing the work, but gets me over chronic pain that de-motivates me
The physical therapy massage stuff works when you're recovering from something traumatic like surgery. After I had my shoulder repaired, I couldn't move my arm on its own and the physical therapists performed movements for me to get me started, but for the majority of the six weeks I attended, they took more of a coaching role to guide me to rebuild all the necessary muscles to get my full strength and range of motion back. As soon as I cleared their "course", I stopped attending and haven't gone back. If you *need* it, though, it's useful.
I think a lot of these have a lot more benefit than what science at this point and time can validate. As always great points made here no doubt. I personally don’t find rolling, gun, and sauna to be extra work/stress at all, to me it’s another form of stress management, for that alone I’ll continue. Psychological and parasympathetic nervous system benefit is often under appreciated.
This is awesome. I am always super sleepy whenever I'm sore and I always questioned whether I should be doing something else on my rest periods. Now, I can go hard and rest just as hard with confidence.
@@bytefuhe loves cold plunging and sauna aka contrast therapy. I think he does it for non-hypertrophy reasons though but it does sounds and look gimmicky.
Huberman has given the same advice you moron. Please do the world a favor and live in a cave for the rest of your life. I do not mean this metaphorically; I do not want anyone to come in contact with you to avoid the chance that you might say something to them and they overdose on stupidity. Jk just shut your mouth
I'm 12 weeks into post medial meniscus root tear surgery physical therapy. Obviously, I'm converting the guidance in these videos to fit my situation. I'm also 5 months into muscle building and calorie management to achieve necessary massive fat loss. I'm so grateful to have found science based guidance here.
The cold water immersion studies all discuss cold water immersion immediately or shortly after weight training. Furthermore ,there are several studies that found no deleterious effects on hypertrophy when cold water immersion when done more than 4 hours after your workout and there’s no evidence that cold showers decrease hypertrophy at all. I do think adding 10-15 minutes of CWI, say prior to training, is not deleterious and may actually help by increasing cortisol and increasing arousal immediately prior to exercise. Furthermore few of the studies showing bad effects were in very trained lifters.
Correctly placed k tape saved my knee for 2 months while I waited for a meniscus surgery. It did nothing to heal, but, well placed, it did provide a fractional amount of stability that helped me get through each day. Each tool has its place. Tape is not a recovery tool.
Hallow from Bulgaria. Great video! I love to drink a couple of IPAs for a week. I know this is not good for me health, but I love to meet with my friends and drink some beers at the end of the week. Ore to have a beer after a 40-60km. of cycling in the mountains.
The massage gun was helpful for me for one use. About 9 months ago i got heavy into lifting again i had a lot of issues with my knee for 3 months. Talking to docs and coaches i found out it was my IT band. Used the massage gun along the length of the connecting muscle, outer thigh up to glute area for like 10 minutes and stopped having the knee pain from then on.
Great job. Thank you. Would love a video with an expert on WHY common injuries happen (pulls, strains, etc). In my experience it’s always been a common combination of overuse, dehydration and poor form. If I’m hydrated it seems like I can get away with a lot more, but the two grade 1 tears I experienced in my life happened with too much coffee and not enough water.
I hear all these studies where cold water is not ideal yet endless top level athletes and strength athletes swear by it. I've been doing it for about 2 months and haven't felt this good in ages.
Trigger points/knots/spasms can certainly be relaxed with manual therapy or trigger point injections/tendon sheath injections (which work best). I’ve had awful contractions/trigger points that released with TPI/TSI. There are neurologists that provide these treatments.
I do 1000 chest sets in a week and then recover for the rest of the year in a medically induced coma. gains are over the roof. I call it the sleeper macrocycle
Hyperbolic time chamber type shi
😭😭 ts just made me laugh
Homie out here pranking the newbies into getting rhabdo
Aahhh, the Mentzer style routine poutine
Can confidently say I tried this and promptly had my arms amputated afterwards
I appreciate they reiterated multiple times this is recovery for muscle growth & not recovery for preforming or injury recovery
same, the title could/probably should be reworded to indicate that
I really wish they could mention every now and again if it actually is helpful for injury, or just BS for both.
@@shughes5778 Same ratings would apply for managing injuries. Little to no reliable evidence that any sort of massage therapy, foam rolling, cold water immersion, etc will improve injury recovery outcomes.
Yeah I had an ongoing prob with my calves for almost a decade, they'd just cramp easily and would not heal. Neither resting nor moderate exercise nor heavy exercise fixed it. Sucks when you feel a cramp coming and have to wonder if it will get too bad to continue or what and could not easily get the calves in better shape properly. About 2 months ago, i got cheap massage gun and massaged my calves every other day on low setting for about 10 days for the amount of time that felt good and the problem has been gone since then. The problem lessened through the 10 days as well and I kept pressure just below the ouchie level, I figured I'd try the easy way first. Total game changer, maybe something about scar tissue or whatever, IDK but it worked. I've recently heard some yammer about muscle fiber alignment being important so maybe that's it. If that's a correct theory then it would probably only help if you had that specific problem. I actually don't use the gun much now, since the prob is gone but the cat does seem to like shoulder massages with the gun.
@OnceUponaTimeline hydration can also factor. And some people just have tight muscles. A friend of mine is always on/with some recovery device cuz he stiffens up easily. And he doesn't even lift to be jacked, just for his martial arts mobility.
I've always been told that I'm lazy and unmotivated. After watching this video, I just realized that I'm actually a professional recovery specialist! I am great, I am special, I'm a professional!!!!
So brave 🎉😂
That's some former-Presidential logic, right there
Which former president do you refer to? As a European it gets a little too confusing following US politics at this point😂 (hopefully redundant /s) @@kilgoretrout321
Now you just have to start lifting as well.
Haas the exact same realization
I would love to see mike sloooow down that eccentric phase of his blinking and prioritize getting that deeeep stretch at the bottom in order to really maximize hypertrophy
I've always taken my recovery very seriously.
My last workout was in 2015. Train smart folks! 💪
I lifted a weight once, still haven't fully recovered
bought lunch today, still not financially recovered! remember financial recovery too
Let me guess, you follow Mike Mentzer's training philosophy. 😂
Hey, I started my fitness journey in 2015! But I'm taking a break since 2014.
@@gregd4391 nah just his preworkout
The irony that I just need to relax more and not hyper fixate on consuming all of the information about training, recovery, nutrition, sleep, supps….whilst watching my 4th fitness video today was not lost on me at all and I appreciate it.
One more video bro, the next one will unlock secret gains
It's hypertrophy for the brain
I am really digging the longer videos. They are great to fall asleep to and then I wake up and watch them all the way through.
I love doing this
Bro I do this all the time lmao
Any of the rest of y'all feel kind of grubby going to bed with Dr Mike like that? Because I regularly end up doing the same thing, but then feel kinda dirty & ashamed when I think of what he'd say & the look i know would be on his face if he knew...
Kinda crazy how dr Mike still makes videos on topics that STILL haven’t been covered in the depth they should be. Happy to hear the people’s questions finally being answered by someone honest and of certification
It's cool for sure. Though Mike has covered all of this in depth over the years in his previous lecture style videos.
@@gerongrahamgg oh okay, I’ve only started watching within the past 3 to 4 months
Tier List:
S - Sleep and Food, Stress Management (inferred)
A - Deload
B -
C - Sauna
D -
E - Foam Rolling, Massage Guns
F - Cold Water Immersion
Hey Scott the Video Guy, can we get a Tier List graphic next time? Love you guys, thanks.
Scott was not involved with this video shoot, he was taking a cold plunge and had a massage session scheduled.
Joe Rogan: Surprised Pikachu face
Thanks!
@@chris-3 and andrew huberman
👀😬
I broke my back and tailbone in a hiking accident august 15th, and I couldn't hardly move for 2 weeks. Other than the horrific pain, the two weeks I spent resting after six months of hardcore weight loss and lifting actually did lead me to having bigger muscles. I couldn't believe it. People were actually telling me how big my arms were lol.
I just started working out again, and I credit my not destroying myself wholly to Dr. Mike's videos. Partially for keeping me sane, and mostly for the good advice. Thanks dude!
400 pound to 245 in 18 months. I was hoping to hit 200 by christmas but now who knows, but I'll keep going.
When you're gigantic, the first bunch of pounds come off at such a crazy rate. Then it will start to slow down. I went from 350 to 200 really fast, and then like a year to reach 170
I got back up to 330lbs after kiddo was born and I stopped working out. Started working out and got to 270 real fast.....but now it's stalling like crazy. The first time I lost weight I was too poor to afford food, now not so. I wonder what could be stalling me out? 😅
Diet. It's really that simple: no amount of exercise will ever compensate for bad eating habits and poor psychological coping mechanisms. This is like, the root problem most obese people face. The journey....NEVER ends. The entire idea of a 'weight loss journey' is complete nonsense.
If you want to keep the weight off for the rest of your days, you cannot ever not keep at least an eyeball on the scale. If not weekly, at least monthly weigh ins.
Mike and I met in a lockerroom one time.. I've never recovered.
You need some compassionate touching
What happened?
@@21uziman He dropped the soap
@@vn5774 Which one of them dropped the soap?
@@rjmari Mike. He then proceeded to do a full ROM glute spread with a slow eccentric
I love that you guys still explain the athlete perspective
I’m a casual weightlifter, my wife is a professional ballerina.
I want to maximize muscle growth for my own well being, she NEEDS to maximize performance and recovery for her career.
You never under deliver in educating us about both aspects, thank you! 🙏
Something that an experienced retired pro cyclist in my city always told me is “Sometimes, less is more.” As a young cyclist, excited for racing and learning a lot I never really knew that limit… Training hard doing recovery bullshit, studying and working at the same time and hitting a wall every few months. Now that I’m done with the hard studying part and take more time to really JUST relax, eat and sleep properly my numbers and results are way better and consistent. It doesn’t have to be complicated, sometimes doing the basic stuff well done is all there is to it!!
Apparently the farther you go the less important the actual training becomes and things like recovery take up more and more of your total ressources.
Dennis Kohlruss (several times germanys strongest man, several times WSM competitir) said in one of his videos that the most important thing at the level he is on actually is to not suffer an injury.
And what do you do to not suffer an injury? Make sure everything is recovered properly and never max out unplanned etc.
Stay in the bike lane
Buy a motorcycle
@slee2695 where all the parked cars, broken glass, sticks, stones are?! No thanks.
@@richardmiddleton7770 Since we’re going over things that cyclists do, please tell us the reason that you and your buddies insist on blocking traffic by riding two-four abreast. We know the reason, but we want to hear you say it.
I wish stretching was mentioned only for that fact there there is a HUGE misconception that stretching helps with recovery and reduces soreness. When the reality is closer to the opposite.
Stretching when done with the intensity required to have any effect at all causes a significant amount of soreness and will ALSO require its own recovery 😂
Stretching is useful for gaining range of motion temporarily and in the long term (with proper volume) but it’s definitely an F tier way of recovering.
(I guess you could use stretching as a deload… but why not just do the same exercises you’re used to but lighter?)
There's the difference between dynamic stretching and static stretching too. Static stretching is exactly like what you said, and in terms of resistance training/hypertrophy is both useless and even detrimental, studies have shown people who do static stretches before their weightlifting workout will end up lifting 3% - 5% less than usual.
Dynamic stretching however is beneficial, and has benefits similar to warm ups lifts before the big lift, they loosen your muscles and get them ready to work.
Proper stretching is a preventative and management modality. So, please stop talking about something you obviously don’t understand.
@@elephantoflight3362 Literally nobody has said stretching is bad for you.
A. Stretching is very good for you.
B. Stretching for the sole purpose of trying to recover is a bad idea.
Both of these things can be correct at the same time.
@@chroprs Stretching is very good for you, is your defensive of all the misinformation?
@@elephantoflight3362 What misinformation?
As a runner, I've used foam rolling/intense messaging on my calves to help alleviate tightness and it does seem to help a lot.
Training opposing muscles can work just as well
Well yeah, that is going to help ‘loosen’ the muscles. The point of the video is for muscle growth recovery not recovery for that kind work out
Yeah, wish they had talked to the potential benefits on injury prevention or tendon recovery
As a runner you will benefit from massage, foam rolling, cold plunge and sauna, as well as passive or active stretching. However, nothing mentioned here does help you to _build muscle_. That is the complexity in the recovery discussion; What are you recovering from?
Overall cardio helps to recover from stress. At the same time cardio work is generally rather monotonic and tires certain muscles "too much".
So if you want to progress in running, you need to find ways to
1) recover sport specific muscles (whatever that helps you to run tomorrow)
2) recover from the overall aerobic load (overall training planning)
3) recover from the anaerobic load (adequate amount of hard training)
@@slee2695my guy the opposing muscles of the calves are the tibial muscles and a runner is already training that by running
I had a physical therapist tell me about trigger points, but it was for help recovering from an old injury. Sounded crazy, but she pushed on one spot, and the majority of the pain in another spot went away. Pain was in lower right back from and old car accident. Doctors were no help. PT pushed on a spot in the butt CHEEK, and the pain went away after a few seconds. She had me roll around on a tennis ball on the ground to work the spot, then showed me some things to do to work it related muscles. Years of pain were suddenly no longer a big deal.
Sadly, she was wearing a ginormous engagement ring.
The massage gun is my baby, but I have never thought it was going to help me grow. I have Fibromialgia and full body arthritis it is very helpful in relaxation to assist in being able to move easier.
That is one of the few practical uses of a massage gun, however this video is about recovery, for which it is not very useful for
I do a physical job and suffer terrible muscle tension in my shoulders afterwards that leads to neck pain. Theragun is brilliant before bed to relieve it. If I ever pull a muscle or anything it loosens things up and pains are usually gone the next day.
Have you tried a good Thai Masseuse? Deep tissue massage therapy for my back and sciatica is great. I use a massage gun when the gluts start choking the nerve but a good massage, can't beat it.
I don't have anything as serious as you, but my neck tends to get so stiff that it starts giving me a migraine, especially during the hot summer months when everywhere I go there is a draft from a fan, open window or AC unit. The massage gun helps relieve basically all of that tension, which in turn allows me to go harder in the gym.
Do I think the massage gun itself is gonna make me jacked? F**k no, it's a piece of plastic that goes 'brrrr'. Does it allow me to put in the work to get more jacked by removing pain as the limiting factor? Yes, yes it does.
Also doing it doesn't exactly leave me with less time to relax, since 90% of the time I'm using is while I'm watching TV anyways.
@@FyerBear I guess it would already be towards the injury direction, but with small chronic injuries/stresses the two kinda mix. I have to massage my foot a lot. It cramps up wildly after doing a lot of footwork for my sport. If I really get in there for a few minutes and massage it to bits it stops those cramps for the rest of the day. I'm certainly going to recover better without my foot doing involuntary workouts every 20 minutes 🤷♂️
10:24 I remember watching a John Cena Wired where he was asked about massage guns, and he was like, “Why would you punch yourself in your muscles over and over? How does that help?”
Little does he know this is the best, most relaxing type of massage. I love getting my muscles punched.
Effing love it.
Brother if you haven't tried one you should I 100% guarantee you won't be disappointed Mike is just wrong here ever since I've gotten one it has made recovery more manageable along with the stiffness from working
@@qpghostqp9551 he's not wrong, if you find it enjoyable and relaxing it's good, if you don't it's bad. I love my massage gun for breaking up the lactic acid build-up, relaxing the muscles after some hard training. I find it deeply relaxing, so it's good for me.
@qpghostqp9551 ya, I disagree on a couple of points.
Foam rolling too. That shit is painful as hell when I'm in it.
But afterwards? 🎉🎉
Is DR Mike listening to my thoughts? I swear RP always knows what to post to get me to click.
FR😄
You're both just sheep who will like anything Dr. Mike
yap 😂
That's because he likes to sneak into your room at night, lean in real close, and just *smell* all your fear and anxiety. . . . . . .
Based
Love the last part of this video!
... For best recovery, have a large meal, spend intimate time with your love ones, play game, get plenty of sleep.
Best recovery, longevity, and general success in life. THANK YOU!!! 🙏🧡
I use foam roller just to crack my back. I dont use it for anything else. It works incredible for that
Same here
Absolutely!! Did it for the first time the other day and holy hell, I’ll never stop!
Explain the method. Need to crack back.
Agreed. Feels amazing
@rgh622 Get a firm foam roller. Lay on the foam roller on the floor. Use your heels to roll the foam up and down your entire spine. I usually do 8-10 times. My back cracks within the first 3.
So basically just relax and have a good time for maximum recovery.
@haraldbull1558 Team 3D Alpha talks in great lengths about recovery. He says for maximum performance 3 full body workouts weights. Then 2-3 cardio days alternating is best way. As to also maximize rest days. Not doing weights every day allows nervous system to heal.
After my workout , I come home and eat a decent post workout meal. I am tired and wore out after that workout. So I eat and take a one hour nap. This
is one of the best things I have found for my recovery.
Love food and nap
I was thinking in the same thing I take 15 mins naps and I feel renew
I might try that. I can barely sleep and still push myself to work out.
@@ivettesantana4319Definitely try it. Even if I'm in uni for 4 hours, I still come home, eat, sleep for an hour/90 minutes then go train. Same thing if I'm working. I tend to avoid, if I can, training directly after working a 6/8 hour shift.
Doing day on day off changed my life. I do about 2 / 3 hours heavy, come home eat a big meal and that night get about nine hours sleep. The next day my biggest output is walking the dog. Again eat well and nine hours sleep, then back to it. The 24 hours of rest is of equal importance to the work, imo.
Not the information we were looking for but the information we needed to hear. LOVE IT!!!!
I love getting confirmation bias on cold immersion cause I am a sissy who doesn't want to do that nonsense.
same lol. cannot stand cold exposure, feel like my heart is gonna stop
in the Andrew Huberman podcast he explains that cold showers don't significantly impact muscle growth, unlike full cold immersion, which can hinder muscle repair if done right after strength training. so you can stil take cold showers.
@@casperbvonk4434that's just because the cold shower has almost no effect on anything
The only time you should immerse yourself in cold water is right after you get out of your sauna. And the only reason to do that is just because it feels good to cool off after being so damn hot.
@@letmeeatcake7836 Improved Immune Function, Enhanced Circulation, Improved Mood, Better Skin and Hair, Stress Resilience, Fat Loss.
Thanks!
Who could’ve predicted that boring old sleep, food, rest, relaxation is way better for recovery than fads, torturing yourself, and expensive gadgets? 🤯😂
Great vid!
All of fitness is so simple it's really just a couple of basic ideas about how a biological machine works. Somehow it's a goliath of an industry.
"What do you mean 'stop touching yourself'? I'm recovering, bro..."
I love how much knowledge I gain from Dr. Mike and this channel. My entire education on recovery, training, and diet is unbelievably different from 10 years ago. Looking back now, every coach and trainer I ever had was wrong. They all instilled cold tubs, foam rolling, etc. as being MANDATORY for muscle growth. As well as focusing on the wrong parts of muscle training….It’s just insane to me to realize how poor the information was back then and I believed it…. I have only followed/ implemented this RP channel’s information for a few months, and I have already seen insanely large improvements in my training, muscle growth, and strength …. I’m very happy…. but also, slightly irritated that it took me so long to find out the proper information. If I had this understanding at 18, I would’ve been leaps and bounds from where I’m at now, at 26…. Ngl it feels like I wasted a lot of years training/ recovering improperly, and that sucks man…..
I havent recovered from eating a banana without chewing
I can easily
@@mr_wright_official_ Ha Gay!
@@mr_wright_official_let me test that bro 😂
Gyyyaaaaaayyyyyy
Eating a banana without chewing is my form of recovery.
I really appreciate how dr mike is so knowledgeable about the field that he can lead an interview in a way that matches what the desired outcomes of the video are
As a registered massage therapist in Canada, I agree wholeheartedly on the talk about massage.
There's always this perception that we can fix biomechanical / physical issue like a surgeon and the practice is just full of therapists who love to encourage the bs by perpetuating that narrative to patients.
Unfortunately, the truth tends to hurt business because it's not the "sexy" fix people are looking for.
Glad to see someone honest. I love a massage, but I’ve always thought it was the relaxation that really did anything. Of course a Thai massage is extremely relaxing, until you get divorce papers.
I completely disagree. I am currently a massage therapy student. You all need to do more research on the neurophysiological effects that actual massage therapy can have on stimulating the GTO’s (Golgi Tendon Organs), the flower spray receptors, nerve stimulus rerouting etc. I by no means am saying that massage therapy can help you get jacked, but it can have a tremendously beneficial impact on recovering from injury. I also am sick and tired of people always comparing massage THERAPY to rub and tug, “Thai girls”, and references to prostitution. I understand that it’s all in fun and about the Lols but as someone who has already been able to help a client with life long scoliosis to function better without pain, (while still a student)I feel that these references are quite insulting. I agree that most so called massage “therapists” don’t actually do proper therapy and are just performing relaxation techniques which gives proper massage therapists a bad name. I am also from Canada and by your comment it just shows the vast difference in the quality of education offered in different massage therapy colleges.
@@tylerjohnson6451ya your education is trying to make you feel better about being a massage therapist
@@tylerjohnson6451 I’m quite certain the PhD’s in this video did the research (seeing as they mentioned literature a number of times), and came to the conclusion they made, based on that research and evidence (again, seeing as they cited literature). You don’t get “Dr” in front of your name, unless you know how to do research. As for the insult- grow up. It’s a joke. Nowhere does that joke imply that massage therapists are useless, nor that all massage therapists are working the local Asian spa. The joke means the Asian spa goes above (or below) and beyond a massage…..
It's nice that some of you still offer the "sexy" fix we're all looking for.
Bulgaria mentioned! Good and educational vid, thank you rp team.💪
RUclips interrupted the discussion of why cold water immersion isn't good for recovery to show me an ad for an "ice barrel" ice bath. LMAO
Just wanted to drop by and say I used reps in reserve for the first time this week and am actually recovering enough to get more volume in instead of being sore all week. Amazing that I had never been taught this anywhere before, but definitely a learning curve.
There is an old bit of advice, to "leave some in the tank", and I think that applies in general to anything in kinesiology. When you train for hypertrophy or endurance, you never want to go to 100 percent.
As a Physio I LOVED this episode. So evidence based💪🏻
That is awesome, I illustrated that Raskol Tee. Happy to see it getting some love and being used. - Berto (Orozco Design)
I'm a massage therapist, an analogy i frequently make with clients that are sensation seeking i.e. want deep tissue work and to be sore for a few days is "that if I hit my thumb with a hammer there would undoubtedly be a change in the tissue of my thumb; afterwards, there would be a large amount of pain which would gradually reduce. Now I could attribute that pain reduction to the hammer, but did it though?" I rephrased this analogy from Dr Mike's, comparing failure training to jacking off with sandpaper, I guess my client demographic responds better to it. Either way, I 100% agree that most of the benefits of massage come from the stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system via compassionate touch and that a general relaxation massage is what most people should be getting.
To be clear you guys are talking about recovering for better muscle gains and not treating dysfunctional tissues right?
I refuse to believe my current massage therapist is as good as my old one. Tbf my issue is different from then but what my old therapist helped me with was more comprehensive and longer dealt with. The current girl is younger and more attractive and talks about how I’m in a safe space and all that but she isn’t getting into my gristly tissue and torturing me like the old gal and it’s quite obvious that I don’t feel as loose and relaxed afterward. It now feels much more like I’m coming for a spot of placebo and chilling out which it does do, sure.
Also it was never about being sore afterward. It seemed like she knew how to get in there and help it muscles release to the extent it was actually possible and moved on without going overboard. That doesn’t mean it was pleasant (until the muscle actually chilled out).
@@jmass4207 There are some specific applications that manual manipulation and bodywork can be effective as interventions but far less than most massage therapists would care to admit. Nothing wrong with placebo as long as the dollars make sense.
I'm not a body builder but this is why I like this guy, the science shown her put across simply. These things go way beyond simple recovery.
I don't do cold plunges, but I do a 1 min semi cold shower at the end of a 10-15 min warm shower. Helps me wake up and it feels amazing.
I sometimes do one mid shower if someone turns the hot tap on downstairs
Well that's a fun fact about you, but has nothing to do with musculoskeletal recovery
@@WithTheBears and they didnt posit that it did. Bring it down a notch.
@Chachibenji right, but that's what the entire video is about right? What we are here to listen to and discuss?
Agree, it's always hell but you feel great afterwards which may help you mentally to deal with stress etc which may improve recovery
great video thank for clearing up the suna i really enjoy it after training it helps me relax
14:47 LMT here! There is no need to get twice a week massages for someone who is not injured or in pain. Also, not all massage therapists are trained in all modalities. Make sure you find someone who is knowledgeable about what you need. Pain does not mean it's working better.
I second this!! Sounds like you haven’t had a good experience with a good therapist. I see 100’s of clients with positive results and they continue to come back monthly. It’s a little sad that yall are so closed minded on holistic approach’s that have worked for thousands of years.
Love this!!! & ❤❤ the ending. Listen all the way through.
12:00 So you mean I have to find a girlfriend to recover properly??? I am cooked 💀💀💀
your not alone
I think it time to have a wife
I will say my muscle growth has been better than ever since getting married
Find a bro at a gay bar
Lol not if she causes you stress. It's a max risk venture 😢
I listened to this entire thing while I cleaned my kitchen. Learned a ton and laughed out loud at least three times. Damn a video!!! I love this so much.
Awesome info here. Have you ever thought about an episode where you talk about posture and posture myths? I noticed you and your guests never slouch, so it must be at least a little important to you guys. But of course, I only want to do the minimal that's necessary, so please tell me what's BS!
this content is nice to watch, love seeing DR.Pak on as well! :)
I ask my clients all the time what they do to relax during our sessions and they always tell me they workout, or do yoga or go for a run and then i say yea but all of that is doing something... what are you doing to relax? and they just look at me weirdly and never have an answer. its kinda crazy how stress is so much apart of our lives that it just became second nature for most people, and the thought of relaxing and doing nothing for the rest of the day is so foreign.
I’ve recently gotten back into lifting after years out of the gym. My excitement for the eventual change makes me want to go super hard super fast. I want the gains now. But this was a great reminder that the rest is important too.
Sports med “soft tissue” guy here.
There is so much info out there explaining why what does what in this field (massage/stretching/ect) but one thing that makes it all make more sense is that if you feel better after the therapy, turns out you will be able to perform better. Take maxing out after a deload/peak week, walking in with “fresh” feeling legs rather than feeling beat up. Systemically you’re the same, maybe at most 5% in better shape, but if you feel 80% better, you might be able to squeeze out 50% more performance.
A ton of mental, and we need to know that, but there are so many therapists caught up in their school of thought it’s so common to see people exaggerating the 1% differences and making that their sales pitch.
Just like this vid with some of the info. 95% correct, however if the 5% makes the athlete be able to squeeze out 2 more reps every workout say 150 workouts a year, that’s a big diff “A” tier or F tier
Not everything is gonna be demonstrated perfectly in “sports science” studies, that are usually very short in length and almost never performed on highly trained athletes. There’s too much practical and anecdotal evidence among professional athletes that consistent massage treatments improve athletic longevity and reduce wear and tear injuries.
@@BGeezy4sheezy100%, I believe in a a good amount of the theories they would probably shoot down because of my first hand experiences. Even Mike said he gets his fair share of massage, if it didn’t serve a pretty reasonable purpose to him I’m sure he wouldn’t invest in them like that, then again he may value a different aspect of therapy
To your point, I get intensive muscle spasm that limited my range of motion that involved any sort of knee flexion, battled it for years. The only thing that has addressed these is foam rolling. So for recovery, sure foam rolling might not help, but as you increase in training age (and injuries, and run into 'mobility' issues) it becomes invaluable.
Agreed. The performance benefits are likely mental, which is awesome.
@@Skylarhoosmediahe specifically even mentions folks who enjoy getting a hard massage, which he does not seem to want, and suggesting they keep on. What he wants to differ are the benefits of relaxation and placebo from the efficacy of the treatment itself, and the cost of massage for most people is prohibitive (money and time wise) to have every workout... but good news is you don't need massage to aid in recovery. Expectation and relaxation are amazingly powerful for recovery.
loved the section about stress management, great podcast!
There are many types of pain that people can experience and describe that cannot be technically attributed to any kind of biomedical pathology by current diagnostic techniques. Notably, a lot of pain or discomfort in the musculoskeletal system can be very bothersome even though we can't say there's anything "wrong" with your muscles, tendons or fascia. If you've never been particularily bothered with these kinds of pains, you will also never have had the opportunity to experience the TREMENDOUS relief and improvement that can sometimes be achieved by a highly skilled massage therapist. Will they be able to magically give you better recovery or gains? Most probably not. There certainly is a strong case to be made for adhesions and trigger points as a very real phenomenon, but accurately identifying it and verifying any standardizable treatment modalities seems to be rather difficult.
This was great
I needed to hear all of this
Physio is a must if you push yourself very hard or suffer from postural aches. I over-strain different muscles every month (at the gym or from sitting all day) and physiotherapy can eliminate the issue in one or two sessions. If I ignore it, it will hurt for weeks or months, even years. I will avoid doing certain movements to avoid pain, which will limit my mobility etc.
People who don't need deloads, won't benefit from it as much as I do. During periods of not training to failure, I don't overload my joints/muscles as much.
Even if you feel no pain, you can still benefit from it. I was running with a cramped calf for 2 years until physio noticed and fixed it, which increased my endurance. My hammies were a bit stiff and after one session I gained an increased range of motion permanently plus I was able to isolate my glutes better. Similarly one of my quad heads was cramped and once fixed, I gained an instant 5-10% strength boost in leg extension machine. Proposed explanation was that it enabled me to activate muscle fibers more efficiently.
Losing physio virginity is very painful and creates DOMS but after a few sessions you get used to it and it will feel good & relaxing. If you can afford it, find yourself a good physio for a long-term support. It's worth more than any other activity you can do for recovery. Once or twice a month is enough as maintenance, I book extra sessions during deloads - I can afford extra tissue damage.
Depending on your country, physio can also help you with your exercise form, identify your weak points, mobility issues, postural problems and general well-being. It's not just for recovering from injuries.
What are they doing that fixes things? And how much does it cost?
@exerciserelax8719 As dr.Mike said, nobody really knows why it works but it does. A few popular theories are: better blood flow (especially when it comes to tendons), fascia & deep tissues repair (by applying pressure it goes back to normal like a dehydrated compressed sponge after getting wet) or you simply stop registering the original pain after you experience greater spot pain from physio. it's not a placebo, at least not for most people. I didn't believe in a magic touch myself, until my neck pain went down by 50% after 5 minutes during my neck strain injury :o
In my country it's a bit more expensive than a massage. Physio is a medical 5 years university degree here, they have to practice thousands of hours on patients under supervision, study anatomy etc. just like doctors. They can (legally) do more advanced techniques than masseuses, diagnose you and prescribe a treatment.
Personally, I have made different experience. Physio never did anything for me. And I´ve been training heavy for a long time. I also had quite some annoying overuse injuries. Physio was never the answer. In my opinion, people try to compensate for bad technique and overloading their body with physio, foam rolling, etc.
It is mostly a mental thing, that doesn´t really do much.
That being said: If it helps you, keep doing it obviously. Personally, I´ll spend my time and money somewhere else.
@@hermann5347 It's just like with psychotherapy, there are dozens of techniques and only a few will work on you. I worked with several different physios over the years and most of them did nothing or very little for me. I will give you the same advice as they give for finding a good psychotherapist: try until you find the one you click with, it may take 5-10 tries.
Physiotherapist is just like a psychotherapist, you may need to try a few until you find the one you click with. They can alleviate your pain temporarily but if you keep fucking yourself up, it will keep coming back. Half of the work is on you, willingness to do your rehab exercises and watching your posture every day.
I showed my 'video form check' to my trainer and two physios, everybody noticed a different little thing that I can improve. They actually saved me from bad technique, improved my bracing, posture, joint-stacking etc.
I got lucky with getting the best therapists in my city though so I completely understand the general skepticism. My average therapist experience before was that half of them didn't do much for me, the other half did something and only 1 in 5 made a noticeable improvement in my well-being. There are different techniques that work differently on different people depending on their problem. Sometimes you just gotta try a few until you find what works in your specific situation so don't give up!
Thank you, this was an excellent conversation
People "hate" sports massage with a massage gun??? What?!
I have a Hypervolt that I use at home and it feels fkin amazing!
If a massage gun feels great to you, that's probably good news, you probably don't have troublesome spasms and knots in your muscles. Any time I go to my therapist and he uses the massage gun on my calves, the pain is so unbearable that it makea me want to scratch all the skin off my face and gouge my eyes out with a fork just to feel something else outside of that excruciating pain in my calves. The lightness you feel after makes it kinda worth it though. So yeah, people who really need a massage gun will probably not enjoy it when it's used properly and those who do enjoy it probably don't need it that much.
@@germanbushin9723 In the same boat when it comes to calf massages here. They are easily one of the most painful things I experience, but they keep me from waking up, screaming in pain when my calves cramp up at night. I'd rather take the massage pain over the cramp pains.
@germanbushin9723 Agreed, I have to scream in a pillow when my partner does my hamstrings.
I’m an orthopedic physical therapist, and I wish more people knew about this info!
My recovery is listening to those lowkey podcasts with Dr. Mike! His confidence, humor and clarity of explanations really help me find a mental save heaven🫶🏻
original video had a thumbnail of a dude in a icebath and mike looking pissed
I love that Mike has TWO Casting couches
Massage therapy is not created or used to create muscle growth at all, but it will help to recover from injury, stiffness, soreness for sure.
This was some spectacular shit Dr. Mike. One of the few guys that can actually be trusted with the most basic, straightforward and honest advice.
Foam rolling pre leg workout helps be be limber enough for my technique to feel more “right”. I tend to feel off balance or like 1 side tightness is making it hard to maintain decent technique, and foam rolling equalizes it and makes the technique muchhhh easier to do
I assume massage works the same way for most
helps my feeling of knee stability a ton to work on IT band, hips and tibs a bit before squats
Oh goodie golly gee, youtube is deleting my replies. Hey algorithm gods, I was sharing my experience with foam rollers, nothing negative or provocative in any way shape or form (this too will get deleted).
This was phenomenal . Thanks guys!
Dr. Mike, I know you're hiding some secret easy biohack. I won't rest until I find it!
Serious amounts of steroids. That's where all his performance and gains come from. His "methods" have not done much
The secret ingredient is crime
Hey Mike! I wanna say thank you for providing so much information regarding optimal recovery for muscle growth. I competed in D1 crew for the past three years and now recently got back into hypertrophy/calisthenics training, and if it weren't for one of your other videos talking about taking a month off to resensitize your muscles, I wouldn't be having the phenomenal growth I'm having now. Thank you for you advice!
I never viewed foam rolling or a Thera gun as a method for recovery I use those more to get tightness and knots out of my back
If you watched that section you know there are no such things as "knots". As for tightness, stretching and mobility drills would do 1000% more and its free.
I like massage guns simply because they feel nice.
@@DawgFLstretching is not the same thing as massage for chronically tensed muscles lol what are you talking about
@@hastyscorpion you're right its not. stretching is effective.
I think part of it is, if my back hurts too much to lift (from injury at 4), then I lose consistency - which is most important. All these things mentioned don’t really give you any advantage over doing the work, but gets me over chronic pain that de-motivates me
12:10 so, what you’re saying is I need to get a girlfriend to cuddle with for the gains?
Blud thinks I can realistically get a girlfriend.
Or a Dr. Mike body pillow.
Matthew effect.
The physical therapy massage stuff works when you're recovering from something traumatic like surgery.
After I had my shoulder repaired, I couldn't move my arm on its own and the physical therapists performed movements for me to get me started, but for the majority of the six weeks I attended, they took more of a coaching role to guide me to rebuild all the necessary muscles to get my full strength and range of motion back. As soon as I cleared their "course", I stopped attending and haven't gone back.
If you *need* it, though, it's useful.
I think a lot of these have a lot more benefit than what science at this point and time can validate. As always great points made here no doubt. I personally don’t find rolling, gun, and sauna to be extra work/stress at all, to me it’s another form of stress management, for that alone I’ll continue. Psychological and parasympathetic nervous system benefit is often under appreciated.
Dr Mike has been so helpful and informative on a range of topics, but this might be the most important video yet.
13:00, dam why he gotta say that. i just broke up
This is awesome. I am always super sleepy whenever I'm sore and I always questioned whether I should be doing something else on my rest periods. Now, I can go hard and rest just as hard with confidence.
THE THINGS I'D DO FOR REFERENCES LINKED IN THE BIO
that guy with the dented head wrote a whole book about it
this was a super informative video, changed my view on a few things.
I'd love to watch a full video of Dr. Mike talking in his bro voice 15:30 😂
As someone with chronic anxiety, the last 10 mins were extremely refreshing to hear
Huberman in shambles, how dare you pak and mike
Huberman who had Zuckerberg on as a guest as an expert on mental health 😬. Huberman will promote anything someone pays him to promote.
Elaborate please.
@@bytefuhe loves cold plunging and sauna aka contrast therapy. I think he does it for non-hypertrophy reasons though but it does sounds and look gimmicky.
@@raven-19x So not really in shambles. I think he is educated enough to not use it right after training.
Huberman has given the same advice you moron. Please do the world a favor and live in a cave for the rest of your life. I do not mean this metaphorically; I do not want anyone to come in contact with you to avoid the chance that you might say something to them and they overdose on stupidity.
Jk just shut your mouth
I'm 12 weeks into post medial meniscus root tear surgery physical therapy. Obviously, I'm converting the guidance in these videos to fit my situation. I'm also 5 months into muscle building and calorie management to achieve necessary massive fat loss.
I'm so grateful to have found science based guidance here.
My wife have some massage guns and she loves them . She even say i should have one.
she probably means on her clit not for physical recovery
I bet she does 😂
The segment on deloading makes me feel a lot better about getting sick this week and being on call next week.
The cold water immersion studies all discuss cold water immersion immediately or shortly after weight training.
Furthermore ,there are several studies that found no deleterious effects on hypertrophy when cold water immersion when done more than 4 hours after your workout and there’s no evidence that cold showers decrease hypertrophy at all.
I do think adding 10-15 minutes of CWI, say prior to training, is not deleterious and may actually help by increasing cortisol and increasing arousal immediately prior to exercise. Furthermore few of the studies showing bad effects were in very trained lifters.
You are crushing the content brother Mike!!! Keep it up!
12:15 So im missing out on gains due to lack of girlfriend 😢
😂
Great video. Would be interesting to hear their thoughts on Active Release Techniques, Osteopathy and Chiropractors.
Foam rolling for me has been wonderful. A most and blessed find.
Correctly placed k tape saved my knee for 2 months while I waited for a meniscus surgery. It did nothing to heal, but, well placed, it did provide a fractional amount of stability that helped me get through each day. Each tool has its place. Tape is not a recovery tool.
Hallow from Bulgaria.
Great video! I love to drink a couple of IPAs for a week. I know this is not good for me health, but I love to meet with my friends and drink some beers at the end of the week. Ore to have a beer after a 40-60km. of cycling in the mountains.
The massage gun was helpful for me for one use. About 9 months ago i got heavy into lifting again i had a lot of issues with my knee for 3 months. Talking to docs and coaches i found out it was my IT band. Used the massage gun along the length of the connecting muscle, outer thigh up to glute area for like 10 minutes and stopped having the knee pain from then on.
Love the full body compassionate touch after back and legs day. Its mind body soul recovery.
crazy that this is free content, thanks!
Dr Mike, thank you for your content! Could you please make a video about building muscle during pregnancy and nursing?
Great job. Thank you. Would love a video with an expert on WHY common injuries happen (pulls, strains, etc).
In my experience it’s always been a common combination of overuse, dehydration and poor form. If I’m hydrated it seems like I can get away with a lot more, but the two grade 1 tears I experienced in my life happened with too much coffee and not enough water.
41:23 God damn.... called out. What an eye opener.
Stress management section just gave me a new Outlook thanks guys good shit
I hear all these studies where cold water is not ideal yet endless top level athletes and strength athletes swear by it. I've been doing it for about 2 months and haven't felt this good in ages.
veery good vid, something else finally
RP your vids are good
Trigger points/knots/spasms can certainly be relaxed with manual therapy or trigger point injections/tendon sheath injections (which work best). I’ve had awful contractions/trigger points that released with TPI/TSI. There are neurologists that provide these treatments.
Wow, just the video I needed