Split Day #5 - Flexibility & Recovery

Hi everyone! Welcome back if you have been following along! And if you are new here, then thanks for stopping by!

The final day, and perhaps most relaxing day, of my current split is my flexibility and recovery day. This day in the gym is crucial for my longevity, physical strength, and mental connection to my body.

One big piece of advice that I would stress to new gym-goers is to physically go into the gym for your recovery days (not your rest days). I have found that this is one way to ensure you don't skip out on this necessary aspect of training.

I begin this day with rolling out on a cylinder foam roller. I focus most on my hamstrings, quads, and upper back, as these seem to be the places I carry most of my tightness. I make sure to apply a good amount of pressure and go slowly so that I don't accidentally bruise myself.

Next, I move into some flexibility-focused stretching. This includes slow arm circles (forwards and backwards), 90-90 hip flexors, deep lunges, a butterfly stretch, and even some basic yoga poses. During these movements I am sure to be slow and intentional. I focus on mind to body connection. This allows me to determine if more time needs to be spent on one area or muscle.

From this dynamic stretching I move straight into a 15-minute session in a full-body massage chair. During this I take time to simply relax and plan out any changes I need to make in my upcoming week's workout.

This leads me straight into 15 minutes in the sauna. I find that this time in the heat gets my muscles really loosened up and allows me to sweat out any extra water I may have been carrying in my body that week.

The final part of this flexibility and recovery day is spending time doing a set or two of cool-down stretching. This is especially good coming right out of the sauna, as it allows your muscles to get a fuller range of motion and release any soreness or tension that may have been occurring.

Doing this once a week has truly changed the rest of my lifting week for the better. I am able to move with more power, I am not as sore after high-weight days, and I tend to put together a more complete lift.

Make sure to include this day in your split, and follow along next week for a surprise on why you won't see cardio in my gym routine!