Relaxation PWO?

Is it a good idea to relax for, like, 5 to 15 minutes immediately after the workout?

I learned to relax pretty well years ago when I was practicing yoga (not gymnastics-yoga, but the real deal, if that makes sense). I’m able to induce a pretty deep relaxation quickly (to the point where the muscles do not resume movement immediately, but it takes conscious effort to “reboot” them), I’ve done it many times so I should be able to do it even immediately after an intense workout.

But my question is - will it help the training or not?

I think it would definitely benefit your nervous system recovery, especially after something like Tabata training or training for absolute strength.

I’m usually pretty fired up from training and find that relaxing afterwards helps a lot. Dr. Lowery once recommended listening to music that you find relaxing while writing your training down in your log. Very beneficial if you train with a lot of intensity.

[quote]AlbertaBeef wrote:
I think it would definitely benefit your nervous system recovery, especially after something like Tabata training or training for absolute strength.[/quote]

Nervous system recovery - definitely.

But I was wondering if it would shift the balance away from catabolism. Deep relaxation is clearly a low-metabolism state when performed in the usual way. But I wonder if, when performed immediately after workout (OK, immediately after the protein + carbs shot), it depresses catabolism more than anabolism. It’s just a hunch, perhaps someone has some data?..

I think it’s a great idea, but we’ll never know how beneficial it is for your training state unless we do a controlled experiment on it.

After a really good workout, I sit in my car for a minute or two, hold onto the wheel and scream hard. A manly scream. Helps get the aggression out.

Usually on arm day and chest day I feel like this.

Relaxing is very beneficial, I find. After a workout I make my shake and just sit and relax. I breathe deeply and let all my muscles relax while I sip and cool down. Sometimes I get so relaxed I doze off. So I would say take it easy after a workout and enjoy some silence.

Uh . . . pay a visit to “Lucy”?