What should I do after my workout?
 

Yeup, it's a pretty simple question, but after i get done with my workout, is it bad to just go and sit and watch tv, should i eat, drink, run, count backwards from 100, etc. I'm just starting to workout, so any advice would be great!

Are you doing a cooling off workout? Something easy like a jog or slow bike ride for 5 minutes or are you doing a workout, and come to a stop right after?

You should take a protein bar or shake and get some extra protein in you after.

don't go from one extreme to another, if you are working hard you have to have a cool down period. walk around, swim, do more set with lower weight, do something to ease your way out of a workout. drink something like water or Gatorade, eat fruit, and stretch. You should stretch before and after your workout. ALWAYS!!

Eat protein and a little carb immediately after a good workout.

hmm take a shower sounds about right ;)

grab some food, take a poop, and hit the shower

Sauna, then shower. Greatly reduces the muscle pain the next morning.

I put 3 scoops of whey protein shake mix into an old peanut butter jar and bring it along in my gym bag. When I'm done I mix in water and grab a bannana (unless I go home, then it's oatmeal, I'm not a big fan of oatmeal though. maybe I'll get some of that atkins syrup for it). Then go shower, hot tub, swim, sauna/steamroom or go home.

Stretch, cool down, and then drink a good protien shake consisiting of 1/6th your daily protien requirements.* This shake should also contain SIMPLE carbs to shock your insulin/glycimen levels back up to promote your bloodstream into carrying this protien as fast as it can to your muscles. Dextrose is a good example of carbs to digest for this.

Try and stay away from cassien proteins like found in milk and meats when doing this post work out protien rush. They digest slower in your stomach and take longer to enter your blood stream. A few scoops of whey in water is the best way to go. Can't stand the taste? I use a few scoops of whey in some SOY milk.

*Your daily protien requirements will vary from person to person, but a general rule to follow is 1 gram of protien per LB of LBM (Lean Body Mass). So if you weigh 150 lbs with a BF% of 10%, your protien requirements are 135 grams of protien per day. Remember, this is a general rule, so adjust it to your own personal needs. Also, it is generally accepted that the digestive system can not process more than 40 grams of protien per sitting and will shuttle excess to waste. Again, this number will vary by your OWN body type, but it's important to note that drinking an 80 gram protien shake probably won't do much for you.

Go for a 10 minute cool down walk and then eat a protein bar or drink a protein shake.

lol...First of all, what are your goals? Either way you need to eat right after working out. After working out your body is empty of the things it needs, like when you first wake up. If your looking to lose weight, make yourself a fruit smoothie with some protien powder (the simple carbs will get to your muscles quicker to help start the healing process). Cook your self a meal with more protien than carbs. If your looking to bulk up, get yourself a protien shake with juice (again the simple carb factor) then go home and eat a good size meal with lots of protien and carbs. Your muscles need the fuel to repair themselves after a hard workout...the simple carbs get some fuel there quickly and hold off your muscles until you start digesting the meal. Never drink "just" a shake as a meal...they are meal SUPPLEMENTS, not replacements, this is a common mistake. The meal after your work out is just as important as your breakfast ....(Break-fast) thats what your doing, breaking the fast you just did overnight. Your body is empty and needs the fuel. Just figure out your goals and it will be easier for you to get into a routine.

I read this in Men's Health magazine recently, about post-work-out saunas and spas.

"Will a post-work-out sauna or dip in the spa help me recover any faster?

No; in fact, it might have the opposite effect. A recent study from the University of Otago in New Zealand tested the theory on elite rowers and found that a post-work-out sauna impaired their performance two days later. On the other hand, another study showed that a cold plunge right after a work-out can help you recover faster.

But the best strategy might be a combination of hot and cold "contrast baths" after exercising, says Mark Verstegen, a trainer of elite athletes and author of the upcoming Core Performance. You can do this in the shower, alternating between three minutes of hot and one minute of cold, if you're game."

Not sure if that helps anyone but I thought it was relevant.

Forgive the newbie question, but what is the reasoning for taking a protein bar/drink after exercising?

To maximize muscle gain for post workout repair I believe. Protein helps build the muscle, and complex carbs help the body absorb the protein, to my understanding.

I wouldn't eat directly after a workout. Eating requiers a lot of blood circulation to the stomach, which is why you feel tired after a big meal. So does recuperation. I'd relax, have a drink with some simple carbs, sugar, like gatorade and wait to cool down. Then chow down baby and take a big ole nap, Nirvana will then be achieved..... or close enough for me

Plus after a heavy workout, for me at least I feel like chucking if I eat too soon.