The Hungry Journal, Volume 2

Let’s first be clear. This volume of the Journal is not about recovering from injury. We’re circling up on the subject of recovering from working out.

Recovery has gone mainstream. Just when you thought you had it all figured out, the latest recovery tactics and devices ‘you gotta have’ hit the shelves across the land. Everywhere you look, you see signs of it. All the hype has drawn our attention to the myriad of ways you can recover from… damn near anything.

It’s entirely normal to have ‘feelings’ about recovery. You can forgive yourself. Personally, when I think of recovery, a voice in my head reminds me that I can rest when I’m dead. Today, like a seasoned parent eyeballing a screaming toddler turning circles on the grocery floor, I chuckle at that voice. Chances are you’ve been through the ringer too. How’s that saying go?

“Do what you do until you know better. When you know better, do better.”

Thirsty for knowledge and hungry for action, continuous improvement demanded that I pay closer attention to my recovery tactics, or rather, recovery benchmarks... Am I doing the right things?

In the complex world of exercise science, I think it’s safe to say there’s way too much damn noise out there. A simple Google search: “recovering from working out” returned 590,000,000 SERPs. That’s five-hundred ninety million results… Like I have the time to sit and figure out which is the best article. I personally didn’t even get past the first WHOOP advertisement which further proves my point. And by the way, it’s not called a Recovery Window anymore. It is now a Barn Door. Apparently, timing isn’t everything. Getting it done is what matters and how you get it done depends a whole lot on you, Brotato Chip.

Stats, marketing tactics and innuendos aside — how do you recover? Where do you find sound information that’s specific to you? How do you cut through all the noise?

Flanked by the best competition in the world, waves of accomplishment washed over me. Not a worry in the world crossed my mind. What was dancing in my mind however were cookies.

Your body is starved. You are most likely at the least amount of food intake at that specific moment in time, so anything is possible. For me, Kaylie Klitzing, this is where my relationship with cookies came into play.

The mental and emotional unhealthiness one can attain during achieving something like this, it is real. Think about it. Months upon months of specific dieting where you eat what you’re told. Bodybuilding is a lifestyle, and that requires certain nutritional requirements.

I used to get stoked on the days when I could have a packet of ketchup with my lunch.

It is worth noting that I did all of this preparation and training while working a normal day job as a cashier at a local car dealership. So, for anyone doubting their ability to handle a job — plus training for something big, it all comes down to priorities and what you’re actually willing to do, or not.

Stepping off the stage, I quickly reminded myself that not eating like an asshole directly after competition is critical. Normally right after a show, people want to go crazy with food. Me, what did I do? I might’ve had a mac & cheeseburger, sweet potato fries and a massive shake filled with delightful odds & ends. Following that amazing emotional high, I was right back on the wagon with my eating program.

Avoiding too many carbs helps the body fight off unwanted inflammation. With the increased protein and fats, I felt satiated and was content with how I felt about eating. Also, vitamins are important. More importantly, food is food. Food is fuel.

During recovery, heck, during training and along the path to this show, I had to figure out healthy ways to calm the hanger monster within. Absolutely, it is good for the soul that you seek things that make you happy, but the balance lies in maintaining an overall focus on healthy habits. Adding calories with protein and fat, I maintained a low carb intake to help with inflammation. The mantra goes: “bring calories up and cardio down.” Sounds good, right? When push came to shove, I sought cookies, and ultimately, that changed my life!

What’s up y’all! It is okay to eat cookies. And guess what — I’ll have abs tomorrow!

With active recovery, light workout sessions and improving nutrition now in check, I refocus my recovery game toward rest & relaxation. Ask any athlete what the most important aspect of their recovery regimen is. For me, sleep is critical. I actively focus on relaxation and maintaining a solid sleep schedule considering the gains made during rest. If you cannot master sleep, nothing else matters.

I often questioned myself wondering if the rest I was getting was adequate for me considering my work load and physical training schedules I maintained. To gain insight into my very own recovery, I decided to jump on the wearable technology bandwagon with WHOOP. With that, I have gained an increased awareness to my overall sleep & recovery. It allows you to remove the emotions from decision-making revolving around resting versus going hard.

To chill or not to chill.

For some of us, learning how to chill is the biggest obstacle to overcome. Before I knew better, I would just schedule my workouts. Stacks of logbooks later, it became evident that I had to actually schedule my rest and relaxation for me to really put it to work for me.

Sleep. Kicking it. Chill time. Petting the freaking cat! However you slice it, your body requires downtime to heal, and you must be adamant about making it happen.

At the end of the day, a rested body is a recovered body. A recovered body is ready to go. And I am ready to freaking go!!!

For me, it always was, and still is, about food. I’ve learned to listen to my body. Sure, challenges arise, things get difficult, life freaking happens; so what. You know who you are! If you haven’t figured that out, maybe start there. Don’t look to bodybuilding for a reason to support your [poor]nutritional habits; it’ll only highlight your weaknesses. Nutrition comes with the territory and you’d best arrive with yourself in a strong mental state, ready to adapt and overcome to any challenge that comes between you and your mission. Remember, what we do is extreme.

Stay Hungry!