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The Truth About Recovery Methods
Do They Really Work?
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Recovery methods are a hot topic in fitness circles. From ice baths to red light therapy, everyone seems to have a favourite method. But are these recovery methods really worth the hype?
I find the whole narrative around recovery fascinating. Lots of people want to talk about what they are doing for their recovery. Whether it's ice baths, sauna, contrast therapy, red light therapy, cupping, massage, foam rolling, cryotherapy, compression boots, chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, active recovery, massage guns.
Even as I wrote that list, I was amazed how many things I could name, and also how new most are and how popular they have become in recent years.
The Pillars of Recovery
It's quite interesting that these things make people/brands loads of money (but that's not where I'm going with this). Every single one of those has limited value when stacked up against the pillars of sleeping enough, eating appropriately and training appropriately.
Those simple (I didn't say easy by the way) things are the key to being able to train hard and train frequently and ina manner that gets you continuing progress toward a goal, which is why we are all here isn't it?
The Stress Bucket Analogy
Probably the best way to look at all this is to look at the idea of the stress bucket. The bucket constantly has water being poured into it (whether that be stress from life or from training) and at the same time it has a tap letting it out (this is our body naturally recovering healing, resting and adapting to what we have done).
We need some stress to get create adaptations to make us get stronger, fitter, faster, more resilient. A lack of stress leaves people with weak bones/joints and susceptible to a multitude of health conditions, especially in later life.
The Limitations of Recovery Methods
If we go back to our huge list of recovery protocols, all of them provide some help with managing the stress bucket.
In the grand scheme of things these recovery options are all equivalent to bailing your bucket with a thimble.Regardless of the effort the outcome of recovery work can only go so far. So, is your effort with the thimble worth it? Especially the case when you could instead apply that effort to maybe getting more sleep, appropriate food and training at an intensity you can handle.
Focus on the Basics
Addressing those things out will have the effect of putting a wider tap on the bottom of the bucket. You derive a huge passive benefit from them, and you eliminate the need and effort required to engage in any of the active strategy's listed above.
This is the nature of the beast, we all have personal bias, and with that we shouldn't dismiss the power of placebo, but consider that for the most part all these recovery methods are very new, whilst the simple boring stuff is how every animal on the planet including us has "recovered"for all of time.
Personal Experience
I also write this from a place of having tried pretty much all of them in some form or another. In the end, after nearly 20 years of lifting weights and training, I actually found that I was getting stressed faffing about worrying over my recovery. I was trying to fit all these extras things in, compared with just getting my head down for a nap, enjoying preparing and eating good food and making sure I train at an intensity and in a manner where I feel pretty good to go again the next day.
Simplifying Recovery
This is how I look at recovery these days, I try not to overthink it. Sleep as much as you can, eat pretty well and when it comes to training push relatively hard consistently. If you have overdone it, dial back training for a bit.
Final Thoughts
So where does this leave us? My advice would be, don't major in the minors. If you really think something benefits you, fine have at it, but don't stress yourself out over it and remember that it's ok to be a bit beaten up and not recovered because you have to crack a few eggs to make the omelette.
Fun - HONESTY - Simplicity - Smash Life - Hard Work
ENGINE
Repeatable efforts will be the name of the game this week!
GYMNASTICS
Tuesday is about handstand push-ups: strict, kipping, and everything in between. Then on Thursday, we’re walking the walk, upside down. As always, we’ll break down each movement to help you nail that first rep or step, or clean things up and go further than before.
HYROX
This week in HYROX class, we are working through a ski and row time trial to determine race paces for HYROX, followed by some lower-body endurance work.
MOBILITY
This weekend, we will focus on the ankles and feet—their mobility and strength, as well as their crucial role in supporting overall balance and stability. By targeting these often-overlooked areas, we build a stronger foundation for movement. The session will finish with full-body flow sequences to integrate that stability into more dynamic movement.
PURE STRENGTH
Monday, we start the week with some heavy bench press paused singles, doubles, and some amrap sets, followed by some push-and-pull accessory work. On Wednesday, we deadlift to some heavy doubles, followed by some Box squat doubles.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is cleans. We are working on the explosive power out of the bottom of the squat. Some technique work followed by Complex of clean pull, hang power clean, squat clean. Finishing with some clean pulls.
The Monday Ride
A cycling session at BikeDxb led by Marcus Smith.
Suitable for anyone able to ride 30kph plus on a flat course.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Nad al Sheeba
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Thursday - Endurance Strength
A strength class focused on key movements for endurance athletes to help avoid injury, build speed and develop strength.
Time: 06:30 am
Location: This is a paid class session at InnerFight HQ. If you're interested to join, email winning@innerfight.com
Friday -Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride. This ride always begins with 18 - 20km at 30kph before a longer segment with various formats. Expect the main group to ride around 34kph, slower groups will break off and form. Anyone is welcome to join.
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be running blocks of 6 mins each with a 2 mins rest. But the blocks will increase from a 5/10 RPE to a 8/10 RPE as we progress through the session. Keep the recovery chilled so that you can maintain quality on each rep.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we have 500m repeats on the menu.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we have intervals in the morning and evening. We will warm up in the pack behind IF and then head into the session until 6:50am/pm. Running 1x easy loop of the park, into 1x fast shuttle.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast. This week we will be running up and over the canal bridge and tollerance bridge while dialing in some 7/10 feeling.
Monday:
This week at InnerFight, we start the week with some heavy back squats, coupled with some rowing, wall balls, and burpee pull-ups.
Strength:
Every 2 mins x 5 - 2 back squat + 1 set amrap @ 85%
Conditioning:
2 Rounds:
In a 5-minute window:
300/250m row
30 wall balls
AMRAP Burpee pull-ups
Rest 2 mins
In a 5-minute window
15 burpee pull-ups
30 wall balls
Max cal row
Rest 2 Mins
Tuesday:
We are working to a heavy, strict press and then hitting some close-grip bench press before tackling an AMRAP with ever-increasing reps.
Strength:
A) Every 90 sec x 5 - 3/3/2/2/1 SA seated DB strict press/arm
B)Every 2 mins x 5 - 8 CGBP @30X1 + 15 Unbroken Russian KB Swings
Conditioning:
AMRAP 18
5 DB Hang Snatch
5 Cal Bike
5 TTB
5 Cal Ski
*Each round increases reps/cals by 5
Wednesday:
Some single-leg deadlifts followed by a power clean complex and barbell-focused workout.
Strength:
A) Every 2:00 x 4 - 6/6 Single leg Deadlift
B) Every 90 sec x 8 1 power clean + 1 hang power clean
Conditioning:
For Time:
21-15-9 Power Clean
50 DU after each round
into
15-12-9 Front Squats
50 DU after each round
Thursday:
Thursday, we have a gymnastics session in the form of a static strength-focused strength piece, into an EMOM workout to build your gas tank.
Strength:
A) EMOM 10 -Min 1 - 20 sec kipping pull-ups & Min 2 - 30 sec Dual KB OH hold
B) Every 90 sec x 6/5/5/5/3/3 Pendlay Rows
Conditioning:
EMOM x 24
Min 1 - 30 sec Mixed Rack March
Min 2 - Cal Row
Min 3 - Box Jump Step Down
Friday:
Friday, we finish the week with an upper body session followed by 16 rounds of a fast-paced triplet.
Strength:
Every 90 sec x 9 - A 8-10 DB Fly / B 8-10 Inverted row / C 8-10 strict knees to elbow
Conditioning:
16 rounds For Time
10 DB Thruster
1 Rope Climb
10 Cal Ski/Row
Recovery methods are a hot topic in fitness circles. From ice baths to red light therapy, everyone seems to have a favourite method. But are these recovery methods really worth the hype?
I find the whole narrative around recovery fascinating. Lots of people want to talk about what they are doing for their recovery. Whether it's ice baths, sauna, contrast therapy, red light therapy, cupping, massage, foam rolling, cryotherapy, compression boots, chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, active recovery, massage guns.
Even as I wrote that list, I was amazed how many things I could name, and also how new most are and how popular they have become in recent years.
The Pillars of Recovery
It's quite interesting that these things make people/brands loads of money (but that's not where I'm going with this). Every single one of those has limited value when stacked up against the pillars of sleeping enough, eating appropriately and training appropriately.
Those simple (I didn't say easy by the way) things are the key to being able to train hard and train frequently and ina manner that gets you continuing progress toward a goal, which is why we are all here isn't it?
The Stress Bucket Analogy
Probably the best way to look at all this is to look at the idea of the stress bucket. The bucket constantly has water being poured into it (whether that be stress from life or from training) and at the same time it has a tap letting it out (this is our body naturally recovering healing, resting and adapting to what we have done).
We need some stress to get create adaptations to make us get stronger, fitter, faster, more resilient. A lack of stress leaves people with weak bones/joints and susceptible to a multitude of health conditions, especially in later life.
The Limitations of Recovery Methods
If we go back to our huge list of recovery protocols, all of them provide some help with managing the stress bucket.
In the grand scheme of things these recovery options are all equivalent to bailing your bucket with a thimble.Regardless of the effort the outcome of recovery work can only go so far. So, is your effort with the thimble worth it? Especially the case when you could instead apply that effort to maybe getting more sleep, appropriate food and training at an intensity you can handle.
Focus on the Basics
Addressing those things out will have the effect of putting a wider tap on the bottom of the bucket. You derive a huge passive benefit from them, and you eliminate the need and effort required to engage in any of the active strategy's listed above.
This is the nature of the beast, we all have personal bias, and with that we shouldn't dismiss the power of placebo, but consider that for the most part all these recovery methods are very new, whilst the simple boring stuff is how every animal on the planet including us has "recovered"for all of time.
Personal Experience
I also write this from a place of having tried pretty much all of them in some form or another. In the end, after nearly 20 years of lifting weights and training, I actually found that I was getting stressed faffing about worrying over my recovery. I was trying to fit all these extras things in, compared with just getting my head down for a nap, enjoying preparing and eating good food and making sure I train at an intensity and in a manner where I feel pretty good to go again the next day.
Simplifying Recovery
This is how I look at recovery these days, I try not to overthink it. Sleep as much as you can, eat pretty well and when it comes to training push relatively hard consistently. If you have overdone it, dial back training for a bit.
Final Thoughts
So where does this leave us? My advice would be, don't major in the minors. If you really think something benefits you, fine have at it, but don't stress yourself out over it and remember that it's ok to be a bit beaten up and not recovered because you have to crack a few eggs to make the omelette.
Fun - HONESTY - Simplicity - Smash Life - Hard Work
The Monday Ride
A cycling session at BikeDxb led by Marcus Smith.
Suitable for anyone able to ride 30kph plus on a flat course.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Nad al Sheeba
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Thursday - Endurance Strength
A strength class focused on key movements for endurance athletes to help avoid injury, build speed and develop strength.
Time: 06:30 am
Location: This is a paid class session at InnerFight HQ. If you're interested to join, email winning@innerfight.com
Friday -Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride. This ride always begins with 18 - 20km at 30kph before a longer segment with various formats. Expect the main group to ride around 34kph, slower groups will break off and form. Anyone is welcome to join.
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be running blocks of 6 mins each with a 2 mins rest. But the blocks will increase from a 5/10 RPE to a 8/10 RPE as we progress through the session. Keep the recovery chilled so that you can maintain quality on each rep.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we have 500m repeats on the menu.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we have intervals in the morning and evening. We will warm up in the pack behind IF and then head into the session until 6:50am/pm. Running 1x easy loop of the park, into 1x fast shuttle.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast. This week we will be running up and over the canal bridge and tollerance bridge while dialing in some 7/10 feeling.
Monday:
This week at InnerFight, we start the week with some heavy back squats, coupled with some rowing, wall balls, and burpee pull-ups.
Strength:
Every 2 mins x 5 - 2 back squat + 1 set amrap @ 85%
Conditioning:
2 Rounds:
In a 5-minute window:
300/250m row
30 wall balls
AMRAP Burpee pull-ups
Rest 2 mins
In a 5-minute window
15 burpee pull-ups
30 wall balls
Max cal row
Rest 2 Mins
Tuesday:
We are working to a heavy, strict press and then hitting some close-grip bench press before tackling an AMRAP with ever-increasing reps.
Strength:
A) Every 90 sec x 5 - 3/3/2/2/1 SA seated DB strict press/arm
B)Every 2 mins x 5 - 8 CGBP @30X1 + 15 Unbroken Russian KB Swings
Conditioning:
AMRAP 18
5 DB Hang Snatch
5 Cal Bike
5 TTB
5 Cal Ski
*Each round increases reps/cals by 5
Wednesday:
Some single-leg deadlifts followed by a power clean complex and barbell-focused workout.
Strength:
A) Every 2:00 x 4 - 6/6 Single leg Deadlift
B) Every 90 sec x 8 1 power clean + 1 hang power clean
Conditioning:
For Time:
21-15-9 Power Clean
50 DU after each round
into
15-12-9 Front Squats
50 DU after each round
Thursday:
Thursday, we have a gymnastics session in the form of a static strength-focused strength piece, into an EMOM workout to build your gas tank.
Strength:
A) EMOM 10 -Min 1 - 20 sec kipping pull-ups & Min 2 - 30 sec Dual KB OH hold
B) Every 90 sec x 6/5/5/5/3/3 Pendlay Rows
Conditioning:
EMOM x 24
Min 1 - 30 sec Mixed Rack March
Min 2 - Cal Row
Min 3 - Box Jump Step Down
Friday:
Friday, we finish the week with an upper body session followed by 16 rounds of a fast-paced triplet.
Strength:
Every 90 sec x 9 - A 8-10 DB Fly / B 8-10 Inverted row / C 8-10 strict knees to elbow
Conditioning:
16 rounds For Time
10 DB Thruster
1 Rope Climb
10 Cal Ski/Row
ENGINE
Repeatable efforts will be the name of the game this week!
GYMNASTICS
Tuesday is about handstand push-ups: strict, kipping, and everything in between. Then on Thursday, we’re walking the walk, upside down. As always, we’ll break down each movement to help you nail that first rep or step, or clean things up and go further than before.
HYROX
This week in HYROX class, we are working through a ski and row time trial to determine race paces for HYROX, followed by some lower-body endurance work.
MOBILITY
This weekend, we will focus on the ankles and feet—their mobility and strength, as well as their crucial role in supporting overall balance and stability. By targeting these often-overlooked areas, we build a stronger foundation for movement. The session will finish with full-body flow sequences to integrate that stability into more dynamic movement.
PURE STRENGTH
Monday, we start the week with some heavy bench press paused singles, doubles, and some amrap sets, followed by some push-and-pull accessory work. On Wednesday, we deadlift to some heavy doubles, followed by some Box squat doubles.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is cleans. We are working on the explosive power out of the bottom of the squat. Some technique work followed by Complex of clean pull, hang power clean, squat clean. Finishing with some clean pulls.
Recovery methods are a hot topic in fitness circles. From ice baths to red light therapy, everyone seems to have a favourite method. But are these recovery methods really worth the hype?
I find the whole narrative around recovery fascinating. Lots of people want to talk about what they are doing for their recovery. Whether it's ice baths, sauna, contrast therapy, red light therapy, cupping, massage, foam rolling, cryotherapy, compression boots, chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, active recovery, massage guns.
Even as I wrote that list, I was amazed how many things I could name, and also how new most are and how popular they have become in recent years.
The Pillars of Recovery
It's quite interesting that these things make people/brands loads of money (but that's not where I'm going with this). Every single one of those has limited value when stacked up against the pillars of sleeping enough, eating appropriately and training appropriately.
Those simple (I didn't say easy by the way) things are the key to being able to train hard and train frequently and ina manner that gets you continuing progress toward a goal, which is why we are all here isn't it?
The Stress Bucket Analogy
Probably the best way to look at all this is to look at the idea of the stress bucket. The bucket constantly has water being poured into it (whether that be stress from life or from training) and at the same time it has a tap letting it out (this is our body naturally recovering healing, resting and adapting to what we have done).
We need some stress to get create adaptations to make us get stronger, fitter, faster, more resilient. A lack of stress leaves people with weak bones/joints and susceptible to a multitude of health conditions, especially in later life.
The Limitations of Recovery Methods
If we go back to our huge list of recovery protocols, all of them provide some help with managing the stress bucket.
In the grand scheme of things these recovery options are all equivalent to bailing your bucket with a thimble.Regardless of the effort the outcome of recovery work can only go so far. So, is your effort with the thimble worth it? Especially the case when you could instead apply that effort to maybe getting more sleep, appropriate food and training at an intensity you can handle.
Focus on the Basics
Addressing those things out will have the effect of putting a wider tap on the bottom of the bucket. You derive a huge passive benefit from them, and you eliminate the need and effort required to engage in any of the active strategy's listed above.
This is the nature of the beast, we all have personal bias, and with that we shouldn't dismiss the power of placebo, but consider that for the most part all these recovery methods are very new, whilst the simple boring stuff is how every animal on the planet including us has "recovered"for all of time.
Personal Experience
I also write this from a place of having tried pretty much all of them in some form or another. In the end, after nearly 20 years of lifting weights and training, I actually found that I was getting stressed faffing about worrying over my recovery. I was trying to fit all these extras things in, compared with just getting my head down for a nap, enjoying preparing and eating good food and making sure I train at an intensity and in a manner where I feel pretty good to go again the next day.
Simplifying Recovery
This is how I look at recovery these days, I try not to overthink it. Sleep as much as you can, eat pretty well and when it comes to training push relatively hard consistently. If you have overdone it, dial back training for a bit.
Final Thoughts
So where does this leave us? My advice would be, don't major in the minors. If you really think something benefits you, fine have at it, but don't stress yourself out over it and remember that it's ok to be a bit beaten up and not recovered because you have to crack a few eggs to make the omelette.
Fun - HONESTY - Simplicity - Smash Life - Hard Work
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be running blocks of 6 mins each with a 2 mins rest. But the blocks will increase from a 5/10 RPE to a 8/10 RPE as we progress through the session. Keep the recovery chilled so that you can maintain quality on each rep.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we have 500m repeats on the menu.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we have intervals in the morning and evening. We will warm up in the pack behind IF and then head into the session until 6:50am/pm. Running 1x easy loop of the park, into 1x fast shuttle.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast. This week we will be running up and over the canal bridge and tollerance bridge while dialing in some 7/10 feeling.
Monday:
This week at InnerFight, we start the week with some heavy back squats, coupled with some rowing, wall balls, and burpee pull-ups.
Strength:
Every 2 mins x 5 - 2 back squat + 1 set amrap @ 85%
Conditioning:
2 Rounds:
In a 5-minute window:
300/250m row
30 wall balls
AMRAP Burpee pull-ups
Rest 2 mins
In a 5-minute window
15 burpee pull-ups
30 wall balls
Max cal row
Rest 2 Mins
Tuesday:
We are working to a heavy, strict press and then hitting some close-grip bench press before tackling an AMRAP with ever-increasing reps.
Strength:
A) Every 90 sec x 5 - 3/3/2/2/1 SA seated DB strict press/arm
B)Every 2 mins x 5 - 8 CGBP @30X1 + 15 Unbroken Russian KB Swings
Conditioning:
AMRAP 18
5 DB Hang Snatch
5 Cal Bike
5 TTB
5 Cal Ski
*Each round increases reps/cals by 5
Wednesday:
Some single-leg deadlifts followed by a power clean complex and barbell-focused workout.
Strength:
A) Every 2:00 x 4 - 6/6 Single leg Deadlift
B) Every 90 sec x 8 1 power clean + 1 hang power clean
Conditioning:
For Time:
21-15-9 Power Clean
50 DU after each round
into
15-12-9 Front Squats
50 DU after each round
Thursday:
Thursday, we have a gymnastics session in the form of a static strength-focused strength piece, into an EMOM workout to build your gas tank.
Strength:
A) EMOM 10 -Min 1 - 20 sec kipping pull-ups & Min 2 - 30 sec Dual KB OH hold
B) Every 90 sec x 6/5/5/5/3/3 Pendlay Rows
Conditioning:
EMOM x 24
Min 1 - 30 sec Mixed Rack March
Min 2 - Cal Row
Min 3 - Box Jump Step Down
Friday:
Friday, we finish the week with an upper body session followed by 16 rounds of a fast-paced triplet.
Strength:
Every 90 sec x 9 - A 8-10 DB Fly / B 8-10 Inverted row / C 8-10 strict knees to elbow
Conditioning:
16 rounds For Time
10 DB Thruster
1 Rope Climb
10 Cal Ski/Row
ENGINE
Repeatable efforts will be the name of the game this week!
GYMNASTICS
Tuesday is about handstand push-ups: strict, kipping, and everything in between. Then on Thursday, we’re walking the walk, upside down. As always, we’ll break down each movement to help you nail that first rep or step, or clean things up and go further than before.
HYROX
This week in HYROX class, we are working through a ski and row time trial to determine race paces for HYROX, followed by some lower-body endurance work.
MOBILITY
This weekend, we will focus on the ankles and feet—their mobility and strength, as well as their crucial role in supporting overall balance and stability. By targeting these often-overlooked areas, we build a stronger foundation for movement. The session will finish with full-body flow sequences to integrate that stability into more dynamic movement.
PURE STRENGTH
Monday, we start the week with some heavy bench press paused singles, doubles, and some amrap sets, followed by some push-and-pull accessory work. On Wednesday, we deadlift to some heavy doubles, followed by some Box squat doubles.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is cleans. We are working on the explosive power out of the bottom of the squat. Some technique work followed by Complex of clean pull, hang power clean, squat clean. Finishing with some clean pulls.
The Monday Ride
A cycling session at BikeDxb led by Marcus Smith.
Suitable for anyone able to ride 30kph plus on a flat course.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Nad al Sheeba
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Thursday - Endurance Strength
A strength class focused on key movements for endurance athletes to help avoid injury, build speed and develop strength.
Time: 06:30 am
Location: This is a paid class session at InnerFight HQ. If you're interested to join, email winning@innerfight.com
Friday -Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride. This ride always begins with 18 - 20km at 30kph before a longer segment with various formats. Expect the main group to ride around 34kph, slower groups will break off and form. Anyone is welcome to join.
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.
Recovery methods are a hot topic in fitness circles. From ice baths to red light therapy, everyone seems to have a favourite method. But are these recovery methods really worth the hype?
I find the whole narrative around recovery fascinating. Lots of people want to talk about what they are doing for their recovery. Whether it's ice baths, sauna, contrast therapy, red light therapy, cupping, massage, foam rolling, cryotherapy, compression boots, chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, active recovery, massage guns.
Even as I wrote that list, I was amazed how many things I could name, and also how new most are and how popular they have become in recent years.
The Pillars of Recovery
It's quite interesting that these things make people/brands loads of money (but that's not where I'm going with this). Every single one of those has limited value when stacked up against the pillars of sleeping enough, eating appropriately and training appropriately.
Those simple (I didn't say easy by the way) things are the key to being able to train hard and train frequently and ina manner that gets you continuing progress toward a goal, which is why we are all here isn't it?
The Stress Bucket Analogy
Probably the best way to look at all this is to look at the idea of the stress bucket. The bucket constantly has water being poured into it (whether that be stress from life or from training) and at the same time it has a tap letting it out (this is our body naturally recovering healing, resting and adapting to what we have done).
We need some stress to get create adaptations to make us get stronger, fitter, faster, more resilient. A lack of stress leaves people with weak bones/joints and susceptible to a multitude of health conditions, especially in later life.
The Limitations of Recovery Methods
If we go back to our huge list of recovery protocols, all of them provide some help with managing the stress bucket.
In the grand scheme of things these recovery options are all equivalent to bailing your bucket with a thimble.Regardless of the effort the outcome of recovery work can only go so far. So, is your effort with the thimble worth it? Especially the case when you could instead apply that effort to maybe getting more sleep, appropriate food and training at an intensity you can handle.
Focus on the Basics
Addressing those things out will have the effect of putting a wider tap on the bottom of the bucket. You derive a huge passive benefit from them, and you eliminate the need and effort required to engage in any of the active strategy's listed above.
This is the nature of the beast, we all have personal bias, and with that we shouldn't dismiss the power of placebo, but consider that for the most part all these recovery methods are very new, whilst the simple boring stuff is how every animal on the planet including us has "recovered"for all of time.
Personal Experience
I also write this from a place of having tried pretty much all of them in some form or another. In the end, after nearly 20 years of lifting weights and training, I actually found that I was getting stressed faffing about worrying over my recovery. I was trying to fit all these extras things in, compared with just getting my head down for a nap, enjoying preparing and eating good food and making sure I train at an intensity and in a manner where I feel pretty good to go again the next day.
Simplifying Recovery
This is how I look at recovery these days, I try not to overthink it. Sleep as much as you can, eat pretty well and when it comes to training push relatively hard consistently. If you have overdone it, dial back training for a bit.
Final Thoughts
So where does this leave us? My advice would be, don't major in the minors. If you really think something benefits you, fine have at it, but don't stress yourself out over it and remember that it's ok to be a bit beaten up and not recovered because you have to crack a few eggs to make the omelette.
Fun - HONESTY - Simplicity - Smash Life - Hard Work
Recovery methods are a hot topic in fitness circles. From ice baths to red light therapy, everyone seems to have a favourite method. But are these recovery methods really worth the hype?
I find the whole narrative around recovery fascinating. Lots of people want to talk about what they are doing for their recovery. Whether it's ice baths, sauna, contrast therapy, red light therapy, cupping, massage, foam rolling, cryotherapy, compression boots, chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, active recovery, massage guns.
Even as I wrote that list, I was amazed how many things I could name, and also how new most are and how popular they have become in recent years.
The Pillars of Recovery
It's quite interesting that these things make people/brands loads of money (but that's not where I'm going with this). Every single one of those has limited value when stacked up against the pillars of sleeping enough, eating appropriately and training appropriately.
Those simple (I didn't say easy by the way) things are the key to being able to train hard and train frequently and ina manner that gets you continuing progress toward a goal, which is why we are all here isn't it?
The Stress Bucket Analogy
Probably the best way to look at all this is to look at the idea of the stress bucket. The bucket constantly has water being poured into it (whether that be stress from life or from training) and at the same time it has a tap letting it out (this is our body naturally recovering healing, resting and adapting to what we have done).
We need some stress to get create adaptations to make us get stronger, fitter, faster, more resilient. A lack of stress leaves people with weak bones/joints and susceptible to a multitude of health conditions, especially in later life.
The Limitations of Recovery Methods
If we go back to our huge list of recovery protocols, all of them provide some help with managing the stress bucket.
In the grand scheme of things these recovery options are all equivalent to bailing your bucket with a thimble.Regardless of the effort the outcome of recovery work can only go so far. So, is your effort with the thimble worth it? Especially the case when you could instead apply that effort to maybe getting more sleep, appropriate food and training at an intensity you can handle.
Focus on the Basics
Addressing those things out will have the effect of putting a wider tap on the bottom of the bucket. You derive a huge passive benefit from them, and you eliminate the need and effort required to engage in any of the active strategy's listed above.
This is the nature of the beast, we all have personal bias, and with that we shouldn't dismiss the power of placebo, but consider that for the most part all these recovery methods are very new, whilst the simple boring stuff is how every animal on the planet including us has "recovered"for all of time.
Personal Experience
I also write this from a place of having tried pretty much all of them in some form or another. In the end, after nearly 20 years of lifting weights and training, I actually found that I was getting stressed faffing about worrying over my recovery. I was trying to fit all these extras things in, compared with just getting my head down for a nap, enjoying preparing and eating good food and making sure I train at an intensity and in a manner where I feel pretty good to go again the next day.
Simplifying Recovery
This is how I look at recovery these days, I try not to overthink it. Sleep as much as you can, eat pretty well and when it comes to training push relatively hard consistently. If you have overdone it, dial back training for a bit.
Final Thoughts
So where does this leave us? My advice would be, don't major in the minors. If you really think something benefits you, fine have at it, but don't stress yourself out over it and remember that it's ok to be a bit beaten up and not recovered because you have to crack a few eggs to make the omelette.
Fun - HONESTY - Simplicity - Smash Life - Hard Work
One-Hour Workout: Revving Your Swim Engine
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