Fitness coach shares 7 things you do after workout that are killing your gains: ‘Chugging protein shake with zero carbs'

You are at the risk of undoing all the hardwork you put in the workout if unhealthy practices dominate your post workout routine.

Are you sweating it out intensely at the gym but still not seeing results? Then it's time you pay attention to your post-workout routine. What you do after the training can sabotage all your hard work. Over time, your results don't show up, and you are left wondering whether there is something wrong with your workout routine.

Sahil Mandot, online fitness coach, shared in a November 8 Instagram post about 7 things you may be doing wrong in your recovery routine, which kill all the gains from training.

Here are the 7 mistakes the coach listed:

1. Stop chugging protein with zero carbs

Protein is regarded as the building block of muscle growth and repair. But solely focusing on protein may not be a good idea, as per Sahil. “You need both. Carbs with protein after your workout spike muscle protein synthesis way more than protein alone." Further, he suggested altering the protein shake by adding some fruit or oats to supercharge the otherwise regular protein shake with healthy carbs.

2. Taking a cold shower right after training

You may feel sweaty and sticky after your workouts and get the itch to jump straight into a shower, but the fitness coach advised against it. “Jumping straight into a cold shower shuts down inflammation too fast, which blunts recovery and muscle growth,” he said. Instead, he suggested waiting for 4 to 6 hours before heading for a cold shower.

Avoid these mistakes if you want to see results. (Picture credit: Made with Chat GPT)

3. Scrolling for 45 minutes post-gym

After a hard-hitting workout, a post-gym phone time may feel like the right source of relaxation. Although, on the contrary, it is not helping your gains. “You just trained hard. Don't sit and slow everything down,” he noted. When you are sitting still, your blood flow is reduced. Well recovery is rooted in blood flow. If you are thinking about checking your phone, Sahil emphasised staying mobile and doing so while being on a treadmill or walking around for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Telling yourself ‘I have earned a lazy day’

In between the slump days, you think like you have earned a lazy day. But Sahil warned that rest is not about a complete shutdown. Rather, for those rest days, one can still go for walks, sticking close to light movements rather than doing nothing.

5. Still wearing gym outfit after 2 hours

This is a common mistake that many may make. The fitness coach highlighted that a fresh body means better recovery. “You are trapping sweat, raising cortisol and suffocating recovery,” he noted. Clean clothes help your body recover better. You feel energised, and a fresh body environment allows you to support muscle repair.

6. Not stretching after workout sessions

Sahil pointed out another common mistake many gym goers may make is that they don't stretch after their workout sessions, and instead resort to flexing for the camera. “That pump won't matter if you stay tight and inflamed, stretching clears lactic acid and opens up recovery.”

7. Avoid alcohol

If you lift in the morning and by the evening you are chugging alcohol at a party, then it means you are undoing all the hard work you put in the gym. “That’s like washing your car, then lighting it on fire. Alcohol shuts down protein synthesis and tanks testosterone for up to 24 hours. Be smart about it," he described the damage.

In the end, your post-workout habits matter as much as your efforts for workouts. Otherwise, the efforts won't show up.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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