Dan "Nitro" Clark here. This weeks "Nitro's Friday 5" is all about recovery. We smash, bash, crash and abuse our bodies - now it's time for a few quick tips on recovery.
* Secret recovery weapon - I don't know a single person who gets enough sleep. And sleep is the number one recovery tool. But if you can't get a solid 8 hours the next best thing is to take NAP. It increases alertness, boosts creativity, stamina, motor skills, reduces stress, enhances your sex life, aids in weight loss and keeps you looking younger. Check out the cool book Take a Nap! Change Your Life to unleash the power of the mid-day snooze.
* Lacrosse Balls - These little inexpensive buggers are an essential deep tissue, trigger point recovery tool. I keep one in my office, house, car and in my luggage. Here is a simple video of how to use lacrosse balls for your lower back from Caroline Jordan. Special thanks for San Antonio based Physical therapist Steve Horney for sending over 2 dozen engraved Horney balls from his Trinity Health sciences practice.
* Coldest place on earth - I'm loving cryotherapy. I've used ice baths for years to help reduce inflammation, muscle soreness and pain. But now, I pretty much exclusively use Cryotherapy. World famous athletes like Lebron James & Dwayne Wade use it too. At Cryotherapy you enter a chamber that is cooled with liquid nitrogen to a temperature of - 220 degrees for a 3 minutes to get awesome "full body" recovery benefits. If you're in the So Cal area - try Cryotherapy here. Tell them I sent you for a FREE introductory session!
* Ice baths - when I can't get to cryotherapy, I go with the "old school" ice bath. It took me a while to find the best 100-gallon tub that was durable and could fit all 220 pounds of me comfortably. I fill the tub half full with water, drop 80lbs of ice in, then hop in for 10 minutes. I repeat this cycle depending on the how banged up I am. It's another excellent way to reduce inflammation and joint pain.
* The Rolls Royce of Recovery Tools - If you don't like ice and want something portable you'll the Marc Pro Plus. I find it to be one of BEST recovery and pain management tool on the market. I use it EVERY day on my knees and lower back, in addition to my quads if I've had a rough week of training. It's not cheap. But what would you pay to make the pain go away and to recover more quickly. Use Code: "GLADIATOR" and it'll save you a few bucks plus they'll donate $100 to Wounded Warrior Project for every unit sold.
Let me know if your favorite recovery tools are missing by leaving a comment below. Or share any tips that have helped you.
Have an awesome weekend. Stay inspired!
Dan "Nitro" Clark
P.S. You can always send me me a message on Facebook @DanNitroClark or on Instagram
@DanNitroClark.