If it's a longish and/or intense workout and I'm not due a meal any time soon then the first thing I do is make a decent recovery smoothie (some combo of fruit, juice, milk, protein powder, oats, nut butter, seeds, etc). Then I'll normally spend 10 minutes with the foam roller (or Grid in my case) giving the legs a bit of a going over. If it's been a particularly hard workout, if I have a few niggles or knots to work on, or if I have time to spare then I'll do some more stretching and work on the problem areas with a either a spiky ball or with self-massage using the Stick or an electric massager gadget I have.

Ice baths are great but they're kind of a hassle, I typically only bother with them after a very long run (particularly on a hot day) or when I'm doing hard workouts on back to back days and really need to maximise recovery (quite rare these days).

I consume a protein shake, stretch, then drink a strong cup of chamomile tea to come down a bit and relax. At night before bed I use a roller and consume another shake to aid the recovery further.

I did forget to mention that I have a foam roller on order, I used one a couple of weeks ago and it felt pretty good.

For harder workouts I stretch, eat and sit in my Normatec boots. I used to do ice baths but they're a pain and I prefer my boots.

Are the boots worth the money? I've debated this for awhile but always wondered in anyone has real noticeable results

As I've said before: "The worst part about training with the Pre-Dawn Patrol is that you have to wait 12-14 hours for that post-workout beer"

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Ha! At least there are weekends.

M-F; shower, 1/1/2 hour commute, work
Sa-Su; shower, BEER! IPA perferably.

ice baths are one of the worst things you can do, you are supposed to have inflammation as body does its normal recovery process and gets stronger as a result

Totally depends on what we have in the house. Sometimes it's potato chips, sometimes cheese popcorn, and sometimes just a few cheese sticks. Working out makes me hungry.

warm bath instead? I've seen vids of pros getting bags of ice and taking ice baths. its super easy for me to do the bath thing that's why I did it all the time, I simply hop off the trainer, start the bath, then go make a protein drink or grab a bite to eat, then hop in for 10-15 mins and watch kona vids on youtube then later on just lay around and massage when I feel like it.

Due to work patterns the majority of my training is late at night.

Have a protein shake (banana vanilla) blended with milk and peanut butter in the smoothie maker - very nice :-)

Soak in a warm bath whilst messing on the phone and drinking the shake.

Go to bed.

I am crap - can I blame this on the warm bath ... lol ? Seriously though, is it something I should be avoiding ?

WD :-)

I think they're worth it. I've been able to do some pretty hard workouts without my legs feeling like total shit the next day after using them. I'll also use them in the morning before my workouts if I have time. So to me its noticeable, while it could just be a placebo it still makes me feel fresher.

what about the cheaper "knock offs" same result you think or just go with the real deal?

you get the same benefits laying on your back with legs up on the wall. cost = free.

seriously? I've never heard of that, is it just like flushing your legs of all the bad stuff or something?

This ^^^ ...... and sleep.

ill give it a try tonight then, sounds decent

Lay on my back with legs elevated against a wall. Allows the blood to flow back out of my legs. I also stretch the various leg muscles while still laying on my back. I follow that up with 2 cups of Tart Cherry juice (a natural anti inflammatory and carbs) and a shot of protein powder. I usually did this routine for longer workout periods on the weekends.

Shower and get changed.

yup... i got to home stay a few olympic athletes and saw them do this

So here's an update, tried the legs up on a wall right after the workout until my toes started to go numb (roughly ten mins maybe). Then got some protein drink, Then got on the foam roller and tried to work out some rough spots. It was my first time using the roller after a workout and it hurt a good bit for the rest of the evening but I woke up this morning and my legs feel great. I mean they've never felt this refreshed before after a workout. Thanks for all the help guys.

Lay on the couch.

How are you evaluating effectiveness?

I guess next day physical state of your legs, like "I didn't use boots yesterday after my training session and I can tell my legs don't feel as good as if I would have used the boots." Or any comparison, such as elevating or massage.