My Recovery Routine As A Hybrid Athlete

[@themodernmind]

Did you know Fergus has a podcast, with some HUGE guests? Well... Now you do, and you can watch all episodes here (or listen to them on all major platforms!)

[@khanager2814]

Excited to hear about this! Hopefully Fergus pins the comment so it gets as much traction as possible.

[@dustinbriggs5713]

Fergus brings the best perspective of any ‘fitness influencer’. Love the honesty and transparency.

[@ferguscrawley95]

Great to hear my man much appreciated!

[@CodyBunker]

Excited to see that this channel is finally reaching 100k. I've been watching for years now and have always found the content to be great as well as the information. I'm not a hybrid athlete or anything. I just try to find nuance in training. I watch strongman, Olympic lifting, powerlifting and a bunch of other stuff. I'm not anything of these things but I have found so many things to help me with my own goals. This channel has been a part of that. Hopefully it makes it to 1 million in far less time.

[@ferguscrawley95]

Great to hear my man thank you!

[@LEVIMACKK]

Glad this is being covered in a more detailed way from your POV. Too many people see ice baths and sauna and think that is the ultimate recovery protocol (not saying those things are bad bc they are not I use them). But there is so much more to recovery

[@khanager2814]

Loving your content at the moment mate!

[@eduardov112299]

One of the best videos I have seen so far in terms of useful and easy to digest information. Quality as always Fergus!

[@lorenzosjourney]

I have a similar video about my night detoxing routine, and I totally agree. People obsess in details before focusing on doing the basic things right. Great video, Fergus. Keep posting these, they are very helpful!

[@markw3956]

Been training 9 months for the Navy , lot of these tips are simple but super important . Used to be a drinker , I don’t even have one anymore because of how much it affects my workout the next day . Also I learned the hard way just because you have the energy doesn’t mean you should push your cardio way harder . Lots of running injuries , knees, plantar fasciitis etc . Same with shoulders benching then doing too many pushups / pull ups . Slow methodical ascent of your talents is the way - did it with rucking and never had an injury and always improving - good luck out there !

[@Sam-fy1oy]

Great video. Really appreciate genuine advice rather than just flogging supplements and other expensive products. Thank you!

[@erinoconnor537]

I enjoy your videos “within the context” of KZbin fitness.

[@HandleTurner]

Thanks mate, great advice.

[@ferguscrawley95]

Great to hear, thanks for watching!

[@petersilk3934]

Very helpful video thank you

[@ferguscrawley95]

Glad it was helpful!

[@drip369]

Cold showers at night, stretch before bed, I'm always under red lighting after Sundown and I aim to get five complete sleep cycles every night. That and blending in some cardio throughout the week really helps with my recovery

[@progressivedemagogue8480]

How do you get 5 sleep cycles?

[@Huumf]

Doesn’t a cold shower invigorate the nervous system

[@angejo5591]

Don’t have a cold shower at night. It impairs sleep. Warm shower in the evening and cold shower in the morning 💪

[@Tertos88]

@@angejo5591 true.

[@RunningWithDanny]

@@progressivedemagogue8480it’s satire

[@crazypolishvegan7369]

Very good ways for recovery Fergus 👏💪🥳

[@ferguscrawley95]

The basics!

[@itsDGW]

Thank you Fergus! Just started my first full Ironman prep. Needed to have this reenforced again.

[@ferguscrawley95]

Best of luck with your prep!

[@garryhost5875]

Thanks for putting in perspective the importance of the basics over the "super optimization" we see daily on socials. Sleep, eat, drink, train should be the start of the journey. Once you master this quatuor you can think about ice bath, supplements and other trendy stuff. NOT BEFORE

[@jamesfaz7318]

Very, very good video

[@sh5810]

In terms of delivery, this is a banger of a video, Fergus. I remember you discussing using a script and teleprompter with Mark Lewis. I presume that's what you've gone for in the end? At any rate, the quality of the delivery is very, very good. Keep it up.

[@ferguscrawley95]

Thanks mate! This was just bullet points with some key focus points, no teleprompter - but something I’m considering for set ups like this one now we have the studio!

[@jggraphics5386]

The last few days I slept with a turned on heating unit and simultaneously noticed my heart frequence variability dropping to lows I have never seen before. Didn't make the connection until yesterday. Crazy how those things effect your sleep and potentially your regeneration as a consequence. Would still agree on the importance of mastering the very basics!

[@Tertos88]

I really love my "spiky mat" - best buy in years.

[@pickelbarrelofficial1256]

Shout out Quentin from Kentucky, doing big things!

[@MrIcekoldkilla]

excellent boyo

[@johnauld9851]

I’ve been doing the Huberman delay of caffeine and I think its good. (Since Jan 1st). I don’t miss my morning coffee. I used to have a coffee within 10mins of getting up and most of the time, I’d have 3 coffees before going out to train. Now I get up and have a peppermint tea. I go train. And then have a coffee when I get back.

[@no_excuses]

Thanks for sharing your recovery advice, I'm sure most people can improve all the things you mentioned and consistently practice good recovery discipline without looking for the latest social media fad or gismo. 👊

[@davidszachno2782]

Thank you for the section on alcohol. Increasing my training capacity is a big reason I’ve decided to binge the booze… 16days in and already the impact is pretty dramatic, more than I expected

[@ferguscrawley95]

It does make a massive difference for sure, as I said, very much a case of choosing when I make that compromise - but avoiding it for the vast majority of the time.

[@zhuochen8092]

Sleep: Emphasizes the importance of consistent sleep patterns and using tools like sleep trackers to monitor and improve sleep quality. Training Programming: Stresses the importance of not overtraining and managing the maximum recoverable volume (MRV) by having specific training goals and adjusting as needed. Alcohol Intake: Advises minimizing alcohol intake due to its negative impact on sleep and overall recovery. Nutrition: Highlights the importance of balanced nutrition, accounting for increased activity levels, and avoiding deficits that can impair recovery. Rest: Encourages taking rest days and avoiding the "no days off" mentality, stressing that rest is crucial for recovery. Gadgets and Gizmos: Suggests that while recovery tools can be helpful, they are secondary to the basics of good sleep, proper training, balanced nutrition, and adequate rest.

[@carlospagos89]

drink for me has been the biggest hindrance ive found. ive had a few of drinks at the end of everyday for as long as i can remember. ive been training hybrid for 4 years now and since begininng of december 2023 i have stopped drinking. i allow myself a few drinks at the end of a training week but thats it. my god the difference in my sleep is phenomenal and my sharpness mentally (no head fog) and cleerer thinking and because of that being able to train harder and recover better and my strength has started going up more consitantly and ive started loosing body fat and leaning out while keeping my size. i think you dont realise until you stop that your 'normal' feeling isnt actually normal until you stop then you realise how crappy you actually feel,

[@chloebenn5708]

Great advice, I'm training for my first marathon with 2 main goals, not to get injured & to keep enjoying running! As an older & newish runner im really aware of need to be careful with recovery, I like the concept of MRV but unfortunately the only way you know that level is over reaching it...? and the ego thing, if I'm feeling sore should I rest or is it only a minor thing & am I being lazy... It's interesting how quickly taking one extra rest day feels so much! Im definitely working on better sleep & have cut out alcohol (my Garmin showed me just how much it was affecting my sleep & body battery). I eat as well as I can (home made) I do drink a tea in the afternoon so should think about bringing that earlier. Gadgets wise I do like my massage gun (just an inexpensive one) makes my legs feel better even if its not doing anything!

[@danniseliger5172]

Quite often I end up with the decision to either train late, or to eat late. Both negatively impact my sleep. It's kind of a tight rope to navigate. But I guess the question would be will I stay within my MRV

[@sgt391]

I consider my sitted job as my physical recovery and my training (hobby) as mental recovery. Perfectly balanced

[@caioas1997]

How does this video only has 16k views and 800 likes??? its EXCELLENT

[@suranperera4620]

Great video, thank you. Sleep is an area where I could do better. Realised I've not subscribed, sorted now!

[@Joger1337]

Good that this time you got the pyramid thing right :D

[@ferguscrawley95]

Hahaha for sure, I can now visit Egypt.

[@rhidiandavies1991]

I've been training consistently since the age of 17, so over 15 years now, and generally my recovery just consists of the occassional stint on a shakti mat before bed (if I've done a lot of swimming, typically), very occassionally using a massage gun on specific muscles (if I've got a bad knot or injury), but mostly just stretching and very light exercise (like a couple kms walk in the woods) and an earlier bedtime than usual. The hyper-optimisation of recovery championed by influencers (red light therapy, ice baths, crazy amount of suppliments, pressure sleeves etc) is so funny to me, because a lot of these things have existed before, went out of fashion, and now are popular again because Joe Rogan swears down it's the reason he looks like a teenage mutant ninja turtle at 50+ years old. Fitness is just a cycle of trends, like anything else. In 10 years time people will be laughing at how popular ice baths were in the early 2020s.

[@io-rj6sk]

hay ferg have u ever mentioned what ur marathon PB is? if not what is it?

I'm thinking about setting ironman as my goal, and found out to be able to complete, not compete, you don't really need something crazy like 12 sessions per week, even if you're really unfit... at least if you have longer time window to prepare I went from being able to swim 200m to 2000m continuously in span of 3 months, yeah the next 2km I need to be able to finish iron distance are gonna be tough, but I got here while swimming 3 times per week with no coach and basic plan just in my head with bike I have no idea what my distance is, since I'm using old indoor bike with messed up sensors, so I measure just time I spend on it on high resistance, and I went from 10 minutes from when I first started to around an hour without stopping... yeah it isn't the fastest speed, but I'm not training to compete... with 1-2 sessions per week... add 2 times per week some home weight lifting and 2 runs per week and that's 9... and if you're not 140+kg like I was when I started with sudatory job and not being able to run more than 15m, you're probably fine with like even week 1 run, 1 swim, 2 bike, 2 gym and odd week 2 run, 2 swim, 1 bike, 1 gym... which means you're still gonna have plenty of time for recovery, and resting&sleep are the most important, so what is so crazy that regular people want to achieve to put so many training sessions? yeah if you're competing at olympic games in something like swimming, you're probably gonna do 9-11 swim sessions + 3-4 gym sessions per week, but that is pretty extreme

[@bmoseley146]

Great video. I think alcohol is a massive one. Only when you train do you realise how much a beer or 2 after work can affect your training, which for my is a huge player in my daily mood.

[@ferguscrawley95]

Massively so!

[@chrism5433]

sleep whats that lo, family and hound , average 7ish most days , but its not like that , i need 8 for big training days plus a 35 nap mid day . at 54 i can train allmost like the younger folk but not with alcohol , alcohol really slows you down ,great channel

[@MarcusJonesRE]

Optimize**** brotha!

[@ferguscrawley95]

Nope! English 🫡

[@MarcusJonesRE]

Hahah roger that! 😂 did not know that

[@Madgardian]

Thank you for this. Many more of us "hybrid athletes" out there than you think. Sleep times is something I struggle to get a grip on. Added running back in recently and ...oh boy! Does anyone else have knee pain that can be debilitating at times? I got looked at thoroughly by a doctor and all the tests, he said that my knees are perfectly healthy!?... One time I went for a short run of a 3 km and then had a heavy squat workout, well this went badly. I barely was able to walk out of the gym! (I guess it is just temporary inflammation?) Do the best when I cycle intensity with the many modalities. Technically do not take days off. I know that the more I move, the better off I will be, but that movement must be randomized. I find this applies to most everything in life. Diet, lifestyle, work, etc. For me and my ADD, variety truly is the spice of life!

[@progressivedemagogue8480]

I recommend looking into forefoot running. If you jump rope like a boxer it should come fairly naturally. You’re probably over-striding. Most people heel strike, which is a fine but it can cause you to over stride hence the knee pain. Keep you feet under you.

[@katrinefosgerau3351]

I have this as well! I’ve found that doing specific strengthening exercises and mobility for my knee and hips has helped this a lot, so worth trying if you haven’t! Also I’m currently not going as deep as usual in squats (I stop just before I start feeling my knee) and then I just do bar/body weight with full mobility. This wasn’t recommended so I can’t talk to it’s efficiency, but it keeps my body used to the squats at least 🤷‍♀️

[@Madgardian]

@@progressivedemagogue8480 Thanks for replying. I wear minimalist shoes and mostly run on the forefoot, but sometimes switch to more heel when my Achilles are toasted (also an issue).

[@Madgardian]

@@katrinefosgerau3351 Thanks for replying. Doing all the mobility for hips and knees and ankles and spine and shoulders. Specifically my right hip is jammed up because my right leg is 1.5 cm longer than my left(wasn't caught until recently by the "doctors"). I wear orthotic boots, but nothing for my minimalist running shoes. I even used to run bare foot quite a bit. I suppose age?...and injuries? Also being 5'9" 220lbs has an affect. Trying to get lighter, but hitting pain and recovery roadblocks is frustrating. I suppose it may be time for TRT or some serious fasting. I hear it can help repair the body.

[@progressivedemagogue8480]

@@Madgardian Take a look at a supplement called UC2

[@samjoshi1812]

What sleep tracker device is it you wear?

[@ferguscrawley95]

Whoop! Got a few videos on the channel explaining how I use it as well!

[@SleepyPaul]

Of note - caffeine half-life is genetic dependent. Some people process it fast, others slow.

[@pauladey2225]

Love your stuff but got to say convenient that a lot of the points are backed by things you sell or are sponsored by

[@robjeynes9931]

I'm 1st to view😁

[@drip369]

Haha that's a little hard to believe when you're the third comment

[@robjeynes9931]

Was showing 0views at the time

[@pieterdewolf1612]

First😄

[@28mouse85]

Not sure if any of the claims about caffeine and sleep are true. Millions world wide consume caffeine within an hour of going sleep and it doesn’t affect there sleep in any way

[@aaronb2779]

It does effect their sleep, whether they perceive it on or not. Personally I’ve got no idea why anyone would want caffeine an hour before going to sleep either 😂

[@28mouse85]

@@aaronb2779 no, it doesnt. You might think it affects you and your wrong. Many European countries spain,italy for example will have a double espresso (average 150mg caffeine) before bed. Sleep just as good as those who dont consume caffeine

[@aaronb2779]

@@28mouse85 it does effect you 😂 this is scientifically proven. You can’t just turn off the physiological effect of caffeine. All you can do is build a tolerance to it. You are wrong if you think 150mg of caffeine before bed doesn’t affect sleep quality.

[@MMichiganSalveRegina]

What I don't understand is that over time somehow the body physiologically adapts to *everything* except reduced sleep? Don't buy it