Kicking your feet up and cracking a cold one certainly doesn’t qualify as a “rest day” if you’re trying to train and build muscle. There’s a reason cyclists hop on a stationary bike after a tough stage, swimmers squeeze in a few cool down laps after a race and runners get a slow jog in on the treadmill on down days. After a tough workout, muscles need a recovery period to cool down properly and to repair more efficiently. The best way to help repair and better build muscle is to engage your muscles in active recovery.
During a recovery period (which can last a week or merely for the hour after your workout, depending on your training) muscles should be exercised, but under much lighter loads than hard training.
PLYOGA Fitness founder Stephanie Lauren swears by active recovery to build muscle more efficiently. “One can get so much more out of their workouts if they recover actively in a static yoga pose or lower-impact exercise rather than standing around, chatting or getting a drink of water,” she says. “Strength, cardiovascular, agility, endurance, balance, core and flexibility are all aspects of a good workout; PLYOGA embodies all of these.” Lauren’s creation, PLYOGA, is a fitness regimen that combines the anaerobic qualities of plyometric training with the balance and relaxation of a yoga workout. The workout system begins with plyometric exercises that stress muscles just enough to engage them, then finishes with yoga poses and stretching as a cool-down. To get the most out of your workouts, recover and build muscle tissue in the most efficient way possible, Lauren recommends pairing certain plyometric workouts and yoga poses with specific muscle groups.
For the exercises below, repeat each cycle 2 to 4 times (depending on fitness level).
Upper Body
