Recovery Is Training: The Architecture of Rest, Readiness, and Repeatability

Recovery Is Training: The Architecture of Rest, Readiness, and Repeatability

Hard sessions write checks; recovery clears them. Build a system where sleep, food, breath, and planning make tomorrow trainable—not theoretical.

1) Sleep—The Royalty Budget

  • 7–9 hours with the same bedtime/wake window ±30 min.

  • Dark, cool room; phone exiled. A small notepad by the bed steals anxiety from midnight.

  • If naps: 20–30 min, before mid-afternoon.

2) Nutrition—Fuel Without Theater

  • Daily protein 1.6–2.2 g/kg; carbs around sessions (pre: fruit + yogurt; post: rice/potato + lean protein).

  • Sodium on sweat days; magnesium and potassium from food first (greens, beans, dairy, potatoes).

  • Caffeine: front-load pre-noon; respect sleep.

3) Breath & Nervous System

  • Post-training downshift: 5 min nasal breathing, long exhale (4 in / 6–8 out).

  • Workday resets: 1–2 min box breathing before meetings that raise pulse; the barbell is not the day’s only stressor.

4) Mobility That Matters (12–15 min Templates)

  • Lower Day: couch stretch, 90/90 hip switches, ankle dorsiflexion rocks, deep squat prying.

  • Upper Day: T-spine opener, banded lat stretch, pec doorway, scapular CARs.

  • Off Day Flow: 10–15 min easy ground flow + 20–30 min walk.

5) Red Flags & Adjustments

  • Resting HR up >5–7 bpm for 2 mornings, mood flat, bar speed slow? Pull volume 30–40% for 3–5 days; keep quality.

  • Local pain > 72 h in a tendon? Swap patterns (e.g., from barbell squat to leg press) and reduce exposure; seek expert if persistent.

6) The 30/60/90 Roadmap

  • Day 0–30: establish sleep and session cadence; light Zone 2 twice weekly.

  • Day 31–60: track protein intake and weekly volume; add one purposeful mobility block.

  • Day 61–90: test lifts or time trial; identify limiter (sleep, calories, schedule)—fix that, not everything.

7) Data, Without Obsession

  • Log lifts, RPE, and comments in 90-second entries.

  • HRV/resting HR trends are counsel, not commandments; if in doubt, choose technique over bravado.

Risen Train Recovery Kit

  • Evening Downshift Protocol — breath + light + routine checklist.

  • Mobility Blocks — printable 12-minute flows for upper/lower/off days.

  • Coach Debrief (15 min) — review logs, set deloads, defend sleep.

We do not rise by training harder than yesterday—we rise by being ready again tomorrow.

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