Day 3 - Active Recovery, Mobility and Stretching: Revive and Restore Between Strength Sessions

This workout serves as Day 3 of our Beyond the Build with Brian 10-Day Challenge, but can be used as a standalone workout anytime!

What's up, Team!

Welcome to Day 3 of Beyond the Build. Today, team, we have a well-deserved active recovery and stretching workout. This session is designed to help your muscles recover while improving flexibility and mobility. Active recovery is very important for preventing injury, reducing muscle soreness, and improving how we move. This routine is perfect for anyone and can be repeated anytime you need a day of active recovery.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
- Mat (Optional)

If you remember the format of my other active recovery sessions, we will start with a few movements to warm our bodies and get that blood flowing. Warming up is crucial as it increases blood flow, raises body temperature, and prepares muscles for stretching. The warm-up includes movements that activate and stretch the muscles, preparing us for the longer rounds.

The main part of this session focuses on a combination of active recovery and stretching exercises. These exercises help us repair and recover. The stretches and mobility movements help relax your muscles, prevent stiffness, and maintain a healthy range of motion. Enhanced flexibility is not just about preventing injuries but is also important in unlocking strength. When your muscles and joints move freely and efficiently, you can perform strength exercises more effectively, leading to better performance and greater strength gains.

Focus on controlled, gentle movements and breathe deeply to get the most out of each stretch. Deep breathing helps to relax the muscles further and increases the benefits of the stretch. Use this time to listen to your body and address any areas of tightness or discomfort. This approach will help with your recovery.

Before we dive into our active recovery day, it's important to remember that rest is just as crucial as the hard work we put into our training. Taking a day off is perfectly okay if your body needs it. In fact, you should incorporate rest days into your routine regularly. Rest days allow your muscles to repair and grow, reducing the risk of overtraining injuries.

Training isn't just about pushing our limits. It's also about finding a balance that allows for continuous progress without burning out. Active recovery days, like today, help keep our bodies moving without the intensity of a full workout, ensuring that we stay flexible, mobile, and ready to tackle the next challenge. Listen to your body and give it the rest it needs to come back stronger. Consistency includes knowing when to step back and let your body heal.

Enjoy day 3! Your body will thank you for it.


EXERCISE BREAKDOWN

WARM-UP: 1 ROUND, 30 SEC ON / 10 SEC OFF
·Bodyweight Squat
·Alt Runners Lunge with Rotation
·Alt Cossack Squat
·Down Dog to Seal
·Roll Downs
·Alt Single Leg Reaches
·Alt Thread the Needle

ACTIVE RECOVERY AND STRETCHING: 1 ROUND, 60 SEC ON / 10 SEC OFF
·Forward Fold to Chest Shoulder Stretch
·Standing Forward Fold
·Shoulder CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations)
·T Spine Rotations
·Dynamic Child's Pose
·Child's Pose with Reach (Left/Right)
·Forearm/Wrist Stretch
·Alt Thread the Needle
·Hip Flexor Stretch (Left/Right)
·Pigeon Stretch (Left/Right)
·Groin Rocker (Left/Right)
·Down Dog to Calf Stretch
·Supine Dynamic Twist (Left/Right)
·Supine 90/90 Switch
·Knee Hug (Left/Right)