Like most men his age, Joe (age 45) keeps very busy. He works late hours and hustles to get to the gym three evenings per week while still making time for his wife and kids. With his busy schedule, Joe's lucky if he gets a consistent 6 hours of sleep per night.
Joe tries to eat well, but he has a few downfalls (primarily ice cream, beer, and soft pretzels). He knows a home-cooked meal is a better choice than fast food, but given his time constraints, sometimes he just doesn’t have any other option. The one thing he does well is drink plenty of water (and craft beer).
Joe’s always been a man on-the-go, but lately he’s been feeling more tired than ever. He wants to shed the extra pounds he gained over the holidays, build his chest and biceps back up to what they once were, and be able to keep up better with his vivacious children on the playground.
Seemingly, he’s doing everything he can in the gym to meet those goals. Yet he finds himself spinning his wheels -- and even going backwards in some respects. Lately, he’s been struggling just to get his shoes on in the morning, his flexibility limited after tweaking an old back injury while shoveling.
Why is it that Joe just can’t seem to make any progress? It’s likely because he’s barely considering the yin to the yang of hard training: recovery.
In our new article on ExerciseGeeks.com, we break down everything Joe (and you) need to consider when you’re “Planning Your Attack on Recovery:”