5 Warning Signs of Inadequate Recovery

How do we know if we are fully recovered and ready for our next workout? Are we recovered when our muscles are no longer sore? Are we recovered when we feel we are mentally ready for our next workout? Many athletes are asking these questions, and finding no adequate answers. Finding answers to these recovery questions is important. More importantly – are we asking the right questions about recovery?

We don’t know if we’re fully recovered, if we don’t know what needs to be recovered! The body has two main systems that need to recover for optimal recovery: the Musculoskeletal system and the Autonomic Nervous system.

The Musculoskeletal system, your muscles, is what almost everyone thinks about when determining adequate recovery. The common thinking is, “If my muscles aren’t sore anymore then I am adequately recovered, right?” Although musculoskeletal recovery is an important part of optimal recovery, it is not the most important indicator of optimal or even adequate recovery.

The Nervous System is the other main body system that needs to adequately recover from training. Your nervous system fatigues quicker and takes more time to adequately recover than your musculoskeletal system. Determining nervous system recovery is more complex than determining musculoskeletal recovery. Keep reading for more information on recovery and 5 indicators of adequate musculoskeletal recovery. Continue reading

The Night Shift Worker’s Guide to Superhuman Sleeping

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Having worked 12 hour shifts as a night shift worker for over 4 years, I can attest to the fact that it is very hard to be superhuman while working the night shift. If you aren’t getting any sleep, and aren’t eating well, you can’t be superhuman. In this series of 3 articles, I’ll help you overcome the challenges of being a night shift worker. Keep reading to learn how a night shift worker can start to become superhuman by improving his or her sleep habits.  Continue reading

What’s Up With the “Old” Gymnast? How to Maintain Peak Performance As You Age

Olympic athletes like Yordan Yovchev, the 39 yr old Bulgarian gymnast, are amazing examples of how you can maintain peak performance with age.   He  and many others defy aging performance rules to excel at the Olympic and elite levels…

…so are they Superhuman, or have they somehow cracked the code on aging and peak performance?

Is it possible to enhance your performance potential into your 40’s, 50’s, even 70s?

It is exciting to note that there were 187 athletes over the age of 40 in this year’s Games.  Most of the over 50 crowd are competing in Equestrian events and Shooting.  while they are indeed physical demands in these sports (I ride Dressage, I know!) these sports rely more on years of skill development and finesse, less on athletic strength and speed.

Believe it or not there are some strategies that you can begin to use right now to resist declines and even maintain peak performance as you age.

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