The Power of Recovery: Why Athletes Need to Prioritize It

Whether you're competing in strength sports, playing baseball, or pursuing any athletic endeavor, recovery is often overlooked—but it’s essential to enhancing performance. As someone who spent nearly 20 years playing baseball, starting at 4 years old, I’ve experienced my fair share of injuries. Looking back, many of them could have been prevented if I had been properly taught how to train with a focus on long-term performance and recovery. Through my experiences as an athlete, coach, and spectator, I’ve seen countless high-level athletes burn out, giving up on their dreams because their bodies couldn’t keep up. This is especially common in high school, where athletes are often told to just "lift as heavy as possible" without being taught proper warm-ups, technique, or recovery strategies. The result? A lot of talent is lost to preventable injuries.
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The Importance of Recovery, Especially for Young Athletes 
As a young athlete, it’s easy to push yourself too hard and ignore recovery. But we need to remember that young athletes, especially in their teenage years, are still developing physically. As Coach Chris mentioned in our podcast, “Men peak in strength around 35.” This means that if you’re 15, you’ve still got 20 years of natural strength development ahead of you. Building strength and performance isn’t a sprint—it’s a marathon, and it takes years of consistent effort and smart training.

How Do We Properly Recover?
There are five core pillars of recovery that I focus on: Sleep, Nutrition, Hydration, Mobility, and Stress Management. While they’re all interconnected, I like to break them down individually to highlight their importance.

1. Sleep: The Foundation of Recovery
Sleep is, without a doubt, the most important factor in recovery. I remember back in the day thinking sleep wasn’t necessary—staying up late for homework and waking up early for practice was just part of the grind. But in reality, lack of sleep only hindered my performance both on the field and in the classroom.
Now, I prioritize getting 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night. While it’s not always perfect, I aim to be consistent. A big part of my routine is cutting out caffeine by 2pm, staying off my phone before bed, and watching calming videos on YouTube. The goal is to relax before sleep—not stimulate your mind with a thriller or an intense workout video. Reading before bed also helps me unwind.
By establishing a bedtime routine, my body now knows when it’s time to wind down. For example, I take a shower, put on my glasses, and spend time with my family until around 9pm. Then, I get ready for bed—brushing my teeth, washing my face, and reading for a few minutes before sleep. Consistency is key.

2. Nutrition: Fueling for Performance
Nutrition is critical for recovery, but it's not just about eating anything in sight. Many powerlifters and strongmen eat whatever they can find, but for most athletes, it’s important to fuel with quality food. A balanced plate with protein, carbs, and vegetables is essential for my lunch and dinner. For breakfast, I like to include fruit. The natural sugars from fruit help spike insulin, giving me more energy to start the day.
As a general rule, I aim for around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Since I weigh 200 pounds, I strive for 200+ grams of protein each day to support muscle recovery and growth.

3. Hydration: An Underestimated Tool for Recovery
Hydration is one of the most overlooked aspects of recovery. Many people simply don’t drink enough water throughout the day. On top of that, consuming too much water without balancing electrolytes can throw off your body’s mineral levels.
I drink coffee in the morning, so after my coffee, I always follow up with a bottle of water that contains an LMNT electrolyte packet. This helps replenish my electrolytes and balance out the caffeine's dehydrating effect. I also add electrolytes to my intra-workout drink, which includes glycerol, L-glutamine, L-citrulline, and creatine. Hydration is key to helping your body recover and perform at its best.

4. Mobility: The Discipline Most Athletes Skip
Mobility is something many athletes struggle to make time for. But it’s essential for keeping your muscles and joints moving efficiently, and preventing injuries. I recommend taking just 10 minutes out of your day to work on your mobility. You can do this while watching TV, so it doesn’t even have to take time away from your schedule.
If you sit for long periods (whether at school or work), your hips and lower back will inevitably get tighter. This can interfere with your lifts and hinder your overall performance. Regular mobility work will keep your body in better shape and ensure you’re able to perform at your peak.

5. Stress Management: Protecting Your Nervous System
At The Bar, we focus on training the central nervous system (CNS)—a critical aspect of maximizing strength and force output. However, stress (both mental and physical) can significantly impact your CNS, and if you’re constantly anxious or stressed, your performance will suffer. For me, managing stress through activities like reading, meditation, and spending time outside has made a huge difference. Finding ways to relax your mind and body isn’t just beneficial for your mental health—it also helps improve athletic performance.

The Role of Alcohol in Recovery
Let’s talk about alcohol. I’m not saying you can’t ever have a drink—but if you’re serious about improving as an athlete, alcohol can be a hindrance. It slows down your recovery, depletes your body of important minerals, and disrupts sleep. Even if you think you’re getting restful sleep after drinking, your body isn’t entering deep sleep or REM cycles effectively. If you do choose to drink, make sure to hydrate before, during, and after with water and electrolytes. Your body will thank you the next day!

Final Thoughts
To reach the next level as an athlete, it’s not just about pushing yourself harder in the gym or on the field—it’s about taking a holistic approach to training. Recovery plays a major role in how well you can perform, recover, and continue progressing. Prioritize sleep, nutrition, hydration, mobility, and stress management, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals. Stay disciplined, have fun, and remember: You’re on a journey to becoming the best version of yourself.