In a previous video, we discussed the 7 best things to do after a workout. And while those post-workout practices can help you gain muscle faster, there are also some post-workout habits that could be slowing down your progress or sabotaging your ability to build muscle completely. These habits that have become almost instinctual and ingrained into your post-workout routine could be derailing your efforts in the gym and, in turn, killing your ability to reach your fitness goals. With that said, let's take a look at 7 of the worst things you can do after a workout habit. and what to do instead. Number one, go straight home. We've all been there. You finish up that last set of curls, wipe off the equipment you were using, hopefully, and head out the door. But coming down from a workout requires a cool-down period where you're lowering your heart rate and calming your nervous system in order to shift into the recovery phase. An article from the Mayo Clinic states that cooling down after your workout allows for a gradual recovery of pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure. They also state that cooling down may be the most important for competitive endurance athletes because it helps regulate blood flow. Instead of heading straight home, We recommend stretching and mobilizing areas you just trained. Not only will this help improve mobility, but it'll get the blood flowing, accelerating the recovery process. Number 2. Skip the Protein Pre-workout supplements are all the rage. We want to get pumped and motivated before training begins. Or for some of us, we may need that post-workday pick-me-up to get us going. But what about post-workout recovery? We have plenty of research proving that meal timing isn't as impactful as we once believed. In fact, the consensus of a post-workout anabolic window has swung from one extreme to the other. Where we once believed that skipping your post-workout shake would result in extreme muscle loss, we now mock anyone who comes near a shaker bottle after they train. But consuming protein after training could very well be one of the missing links to overall progress, especially if you're training in a fasted state. In fact, one study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that protein intake after training in a fasted state did improve recovery. Another study published in Frontiers in Nutrition investigated the effects protein supplementation had on performance and recovery in resistance and endurance athletes. They found that a prudent approach would be to have athletes consume protein post-training. So while reaching your daily protein goals for the day is more important than consuming protein during this post-workout window, if your goal is to maximize muscle growth and leave no stone unturned, then post-workout protein is not just another opportunity to get more protein into your diet. It could be a way to improve recovery as well. This isn't to say that you should carry a shaker bottle in your gym bag or speed through traffic in order to get that dose of protein. But if you can consume 20-30 grams of fast-acting protein like whey within an hour of your workout, it'll ensure you're covering all bases. Number 3. Hit the drive-thru Have you ever been tempted to take that turn into the drive-thru right after training? Well, think twice. Not only does fast food contain ample amounts of preservatives, salt, and additives which can derail your efforts for a healthier life, it's also very high in unhealthy, saturated fats. Limiting fat intake after your workout is a good idea in terms of post-workout recovery. Fats slow down the digestion of food, which after a workout can cause a delay in the delivery of protein and glucose to your muscles. For optimal glycogen resynthesis, consume an adequate amount of carbs and protein to maximize muscle protein synthesis, but keep the high saturated fat and high sodium foods to a minimum, especially after training. Post-training is a golden opportunity to set the recovery wheels into motion, and fast food is a surefire way to knock that train off its tracks. Instead, aim to consume 40-80 grams of carbs and 20-30 grams of protein while keeping the fat intake to a minimum. 4. Forget about it Like the old saying goes, if we pay no attention to history, we will be doomed to repeat it. The same can be said for our workouts. If we simply train and then move on to the next workout, when will we ever learn from each one? How will we know if we should do more, do less, or take an entirely different approach? Or how will we know to replace or remove certain exercises? So many lifters, for example, will continue to bench press with shoulder pain. Yet, rather than addressing the issue or switching to a less painful exercise, they will continue they simply decrease the load in order to mitigate the pain. Or worse, they fight through the pain in hopes that the discomfort will just disappear. That's why I recommend that you write things down as you train and take some time after a workout to review what went well, what didn't, and determine if anything needs to change before you train those muscle groups again. You'll also have a better idea of how you're progressing. Remember, what gets measured gets managed. Number 5. Lounge We've all had tough workouts. Maybe you killed legs, crawled out of the gym, and then fantasized about lying in bed, binging Netflix. After all, you need a break after such a strenuous workout, right? Wrong. Lounging around after a tough workout will only result in increased tightness, discomfort, and lactic acid buildup. It may feel intuitive to rest and take a load off, but our bodies need movement, circulation, and activity in order to thrive and recover. Active rest is a term we're all familiar with, yet it's grossly underrated. One 2018 study published in Frontiers in Physiology concluded that active recovery sessions following a workout reduces lactic acid buildup in the muscles, increases blood flow to muscle tissue, removes metabolic waste, and reduces muscle tears and pain. Another study evaluated two active recovery methods and found that activity involving the same muscles used in the relative workouts significantly reduced fatigue. Along with increased circulation which can help remove waste from muscle cells, a reduction in fatigue will improve an individual's feeling of well-being and affect long-term motivation as well. Using the example from before, after a hard leg day, you could include some lower body mobility exercises. Activity doesn't have to be some deeply involved process either. Something as simple as walking, low-intensity cycling, or even yoga will do the trick. Number 6 Have a Cold One Alcohol of any kind will dehydrate muscle cells, especially muscle cells that are starving for glycogen and protein, for recovery. Not only that, but studies show that alcohol increases cortisol levels while decreasing testosterone, plasma amino acids, and rates of muscle protein synthesis. Aside from avoiding alcohol post-training, you'll want to make sure you're hydrated. After a hard workout, we lose a significant amount of fluid, some we can visibly see and some that simply evaporates from our skin. Even slight dehydration can significantly affect our performance and recovery. Be sure to keep the fluids coming in during and after training. Sipping on your protein shake is a good way to start the process. Also, since 1 gram of carbohydrate attracts 3 grams of water, you'll need to ensure the water is coming in to help those thirsty muscle cells process carbs and any other supplements you're taking, such as creatine. Number 7. Stay Up We live in a tech-heavy world where we wake up and go to bed staring at our screens. This addiction robs us of quality sleep and can be detrimental to our progress in and out of the gym. Sleep is one of the most important aspects of recovery and is responsible for the optimal functioning of everything from cognitive clarity to physical effort. Sleep deprivation and lack of sleep quality could be what's holding you back from making bigger gains in the gym. In fact, research published in Auckland, New Zealand, found that sleep-deprived lifters'time to exhaustion was much shorter. In other words, sets felt more difficult and they couldn't do as many reps. This is likely due to impaired glucose metabolism. Basically, if you can't break down glucose in your body because you don't get enough sleep, your body won't be able to properly utilize its own fuel to perform. Not only that, but another study published in the Journal of American Medical Association found that just one week of sleep restriction cut testosterone by 10-15% during daytime hours. So if you're serious about optimizing your efforts in the gym and facilitating your recovery as much as possible, you'll need to take your sleep schedule seriously. Begin by creating a nightly routine. Try to set a time at least an hour before bed where you put down your phone, tablet, or laptop. This is to ensure you limit your eyes and brain from blue light that can keep you from getting deep, rejuvenating sleep. Next, set a time you will get up every day and work backwards to establish when you need to go to bed. Be sure to schedule yourself for at least eight hours or more. This will give you a small buffer in case you don't fall asleep immediately. Keep this schedule as strict as possible. It may take a few days to adjust, but it's a small price to pay for those long-term benefits of high-quality sleep. To recap, cool down after your workout with mobility work or some active recovery. Take notes and keep track of your workout to ensure you're on the right track. Try to get a good amount of protein and carbs within an hour of training and keep the fats to a minimum. Stay hydrated and aim to get at least seven hours of high quality deep sleep each night. Remember, the faster you recover from your training, the sooner you'll see results from it. 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