Whether you’re just trying to help the team at your box, or you are trying to qualify for the CrossFit Games, you are going to be taxing your body. Over the coming 3 weeks, it is important to focus not only on training but also on recovery.
Muscle recovery is a critical component of success while training for a competition or during the extended CrossFit Open. With new workouts each week, you are going to be mixing training and preparation with the all all-out effort of competing each week.
Incorporating techniques like tissue work, blood flow restriction, and red light therapy can help you maximize your recovery and perform at your best.
Tissue Work for the CrossFit Competitions
Tissue work, including techniques like foam rolling, massage, and myofascial release, is a highly effective method of promoting muscle recovery for CrossFit athletes.
These techniques can be performed by a qualified massage therapist or bodywork specialist and can speed up muscle recovery before the next workout. A skilled therapist can identify areas of tension and use a range of techniques to release tight muscles and fascia, promote circulation, and reduce inflammation.
Some professional techniques that are particularly effective for maximizing muscle recovery include deep tissue massage to reduce tension, myofascial decompression (cupping) to improve tissue pliability.
Additionally, some Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization techniques such as tooling (often know as Graston©) and Myofascial Decompression cupping have real benefits to tissue quality.
These techniques can help to alleviate muscle soreness, improve mobility, and speed up muscle recovery between workouts. Incorporating one or two regular tissue work sessions can help when maximizing muscle recovery for a CrossFit competition.
Passive Blood Flow Restriction for Recovery
Blood flow restriction (BFR) is a technique that has gained popularity in recent years for its ability to promote faster muscle recovery. Using passive BFR and ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protocols, athletes can restrict blood flow to a muscle group without needing to perform an exercise.
This technique has been shown to promote muscle growth and repair, reduce muscle soreness, and accelerate recovery. Effective and safe IPC requires using an individually calibrated pressure cuff in specific intervals.
Passive BFR involves using a device to restrict blood flow to a muscle group while at rest, which can also promote muscle recovery.
Red Light Therapy For CrossFit Muscle Recovery
Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation (PBM), is a non-invasive method of promoting muscle recovery.
Specific wavelengths of red light, have been shown to reduce inflammation and promote tissue repair.
Red light therapy is an excellent way to accelerate muscle recovery, reduce soreness, and improve overall performance.
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Muscle Recovery
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a technique that involves applying electrical impulses to the muscles to facilitate muscle contraction.
This can be a useful tool for muscle recovery as it can help to improve blood flow and promote muscle repair. NMES has been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis, reduce muscle atrophy, and enhance muscle strength and function.
NMES can further enhance muscle recovery when used in combination with other recovery techniques, such as stretching and tissue work.
Overall, incorporating NMES into a comprehensive recovery routine can be an effective way to promote muscle recovery and support optimal performance.
Stacking Recovery Technology
Combining multiple research-backed technologies can be effective when they work synergistically. This approach is called “stacking” and can amplify the effectiveness.
Early research and experience seems to indicate putting BFR + NMES together together increases their effectiveness. Then red light therapy is added to support the cellular energy needed for the recovery triggered by BFR and NMES.
Maximizing Muscle Recovery for a CrossFit Competition
Adding these techniques to your recovery routine can help you stay injury-free and recover faster during the CrossFit Open or leading up to any fitness competition.
Here are some tips on how to incorporate these techniques into your routine:
- Schedule regular tissue work sessions with a qualified bodywork specialist. Use these to release tension in the muscles and improve muscle pliability.
- Use a foam roller, lacrosse balls, and/or massage guns on key muscle groups. It may not be professional tissue work, but it goes a long way in helping your maintain.
- Consider using a professional, calibrated blood flow restriction device between training sessions to promote tissue healing and muscle recovery.
- Invest in a red light therapy device for at-home use. Or you can book sessions at a local clinic to accelerate muscle recovery and reduce soreness.
In conclusion, recovery is just as important as training when it comes to preparing for a CrossFit competition.
By incorporating techniques like tissue work, BFR, NMES, and red light therapy into your recovery routine, you can improve your muscle recovery, reduce soreness, and perform at your best during the competition.
With dedication and a smart recovery plan, you can take your performance to the next level.
Vive’s RESTORE Stack
Stacking different techniques an be a powerful strategy for increasing muscle recovery for CrossFit athletes. Specifically;
- passive blood flow restriction (BFR)
- electrical stimulation
- red light therapy
If you want to boost recovery in the upper or lower body while training for a competition, come try Vive’s RESTORE Flow. This recovery session is based on the leading sports recovery science from elite sport.
Passive BFR can be used to restrict blood flow and promote muscle repair. That occurs by increasing growth hormone release and cellular signaling.
In turn, that is combined with electrical stimulation, which can further enhance the stimulus of BFR and muscle protein synthesis. So now you get more without having to be active.
Red light therapy is used to stimulate the production of ATP and promote blood flow. This can speed up muscle recovery and reduce inflammation on its own.
However, in this case, BFR and NMES have signaled the recovery and repair. The added ATP in the cells helps them do it.
Together, these three techniques can be complementary and synergistic, promoting faster and more complete muscle recovery.
Putting the RESTORE Flow into your recovery routine can help minimize muscle soreness, and increase muscle recovery. Use it during for maximizing muscle recovery training for a CrossFit competition.
