5 things you should be doing after a workout

At the end of a workout, there’s a tendency to want to head for the showers and rush back to the pressing issues of the day. But how you transition via a brief recovery period will determine how well your body repairs itself and responds in the coming days. . Use this simple checklist to kickstart your body’s recovery process—and get the most out of each workout.

1. Reflect     

It’s important to recognize what you’ve accomplished with your training and how it contributes to your long-term vision, not just for your physical well-being and athletic pursuits but how such commitment is fueling your success. You’ll feel great in the short-term regardless, but it’s important to reflect on how you feel and connect it back to your goals. That reinforces the behaviors you’ve chosen and is something people don’t do nearly enough.

2. Track     

There’s no shortage of gadgets and smart phone apps to log training and measure progress. It can be a simple spreadsheet or even paper. The important thing is to track your workouts, not only to give yourself a pat on the back, but also to have a reference point for the following workout, or to review months later.

3. Stretch    

Active-isolated stretching is most effective after a workout when the muscles are warm. This can range from a full routine to the three or four stretches that address any mobility issues you might have. You can also do some reflection while you stretch. What worked and what could you do better during the next training session?

4. Refuel  

To refuel you body after a workout, consume a mixture of carbohydrates and protein immediately afterward, preferably within 10 minutes of training. At this point, your cells are wide open and screaming for nutrients, and by drinking a shake or another balanced carb/protein small meal, you expedite the recovery process and maximize lean muscle growth.

5. Cool down

If you have access to a 55-degree “cold plunge” tub, spending 1 to 3 minutes in it is a great way to decrease post-workout inflammation. Alternating between a cold plunge and a hot tub (three to five minutes) stimulates bloodflow and muscle recovery with hardly an effort. If you don’t have access to a hot tub or a cold plunge, you can get the same effect in the shower by switching between hot and cold settings.
 

Tips and Advice courtesy of Core Performance

Why do we compete?

What is the point of sport?  Why do we compete?  Is it to win or is it to give it your best shot?

When we start off as kids I feel it’s more about health, fitness, socialization, learning life’s lessons and maybe more than anything else, it’s about having fun! But as we get older it becomes a lot more competitive. We begin to compete not just to play, but to make it to the next level.
Fun still is a huge part of it though, it takes an immense amount of work to reach the top level in sport (or any endeavor for that matter) and so you have to be doing something you love to do.
At Pro level, the higher you get the more is at stake, People want championships, it becomes a job to be the best. Athletes are expected to be at there best or risk being traded.
But at our level is it all about  winning? Sure everyone wants to win, but its not just about winning, its about trying to win.
There could only be one winner, so in races the odds of winning are slim, yet we still compete, we still try.. because we love what we do. It has to be more about winning, it becomes about the challenge and the effort to win.
So that is why we compete, to see if we can do it. To see how we fair against other like minded people. To push ourselves to our own personal limits and make it to the next level.

 So if you have never competed you should think about it, come out and give it your best shot, it gives you something to work towards and it will bring you to the next level.
Check out some of the Bad Ass Academy's up coming events and sign up, you will be glad you did!!

Bad Ass Academy

Should you train on an empty stomch in the morning?

A lot of people think its ok to train on an empty stomach every morning, but they are doing there bodies an injustice. While cardio first thing before breakfast can help you lose additional weight, for any real training its best to eat something.
If you don't eat before you train, your performance will suffer at higher intensities and longer durations. When you wake up, your body is in a fasted state. You might have trouble just turning on Sports Center without a cup of coffee, so you can't expect to perform your best without fueling up and hydrating first.

If eating early upsets your stomach, experiment with different foods rather than skipping breakfast entirely. Try food that's easy to digest like a bowl of cereal, two slices of toast with one tablespoon of peanut butter, a 16-ounce sports drink, or a glass of juice. Aim for 30-60 grams of carbohydrates for breakfast with 10-20 grams of protein and a little healthy fat to balance off your meal.
The body doesn't care what form the fuel comes in—a meal, gel, bar or drink. What matters is getting the nutrients necessary to support your training session. Make it a habit and you'll stay focused and power through your workout, increase strength and power, and burn more calories during your session.

Bad Ass Academy.. Who we are, what we do..

The Bad Ass Academy.. Who we are and what we are about.
 
 
We believe that hard work pays off in the end.
We believe that people have to push themselves to really find out their potential.
We believe getting out there and pushing your limits makes you stronger
We believe that working out just isn’t about lifting weights.
We believe quitting is not an option
We believe in teamwork
We believe that your body can take much more punishment then you think
And that you will come back stronger
We believe that even though it might hurt a little , its going to be fun.
 
Bad Asses are a bunch of people who love to get out and do something…anything. Some run, bike , hike, trail run, kayak, rock climb etc. They get out there everyday and do it, rain or shine, in the heat or the cold they are out there. They do it because they love it, they do it because it feels good.
 
The Bad Ass Academy brings it to the next level. Throughout the year we have several events that will help you push yourself. Each event is a unique challenge. Unless you have been to one of our events you really cant understand, you’ve never seen anything like it. Our goal is to have  people to come out, compete, have some fun, and leave with a smile.
 
So far we have had a 6hr Mountain bike endurance race and a 6hr endurance trail run. Each of these events had challenges within them, making it not your average ride or run.
 
I watched as one girl rode her bike up to one of our challenges. It was a teeter totter, she originally planned to dismount and walk past it, but something changed her mind. She backed up, concentrated for a minute, took a deep breath… then headed straight for it!!!
Going up she looked a little nervous, but as it started to come down she had the biggest smile on her face , it lasted for the rest of the day.
 
I also watched a guy attempt the larger teeter totter at full speed.. as he got to its peak he started going off the side, next thing you knew he was on the ground landing pretty much on his back. Everyone ran over to him to see if he was ok. He just bounced up with a huge smile and said “ that was awesome”, got back on his bike and rode away.
 
One guy finished a lap with 20 minutes left in the race, he was exhausted and could barely move. He could have stayed and relaxed for the last few minutes but he was here to race, and went back out to do another lap.
 
The stories are endless. But they all end the same way. Bad asses have heart, determination, and a desire to excel. We are different from the average person.
 
So check out our list of events on Badassacademy.com. Come race, suffer a little and have fun. I know you will leave with a smile on your face!!!
 
Our next event is The Bay Ridge Bad Ass Challenge on June 25th!!! It’s a two person %k race, with plenty of obstacles to slow you down, come check it out.!!!!!