Building muscle and gaining strength isn’t just about what happens inside the gym. Rest and recovery is essential to maximize your physique and general well-being. Even if you train harder than anyone, you may experience zero progress if you aren’t following the proper recovery methods. Here’s 5 things you must do to really make the most of your workouts.

1) Schedule a Full Recovery Week

Every 2-3 months, you should take a full week off from the gym. You need to understand that intense weightlifting puts a tremendous amount of stress on your body. It’s not just your muscles that are affected. The entire neuromuscular system, as well as immune function, is stressed by exercise. You need to give your body a complete rest. This prolonged rest will help the body heal any minor strains, sprains, tears, and joint pain. It will also give your organs and internal structures a rest from all the pounding you take from the weights. Many people fear that taking a week off will “de-condition” them and cause them to lose muscle. It takes around 3-4 weeks of total inactivity for your muscles to start atrophying, or breaking down muscle tissue. You will be more refreshed and stronger after coming back from a week off.

2) Two Days On, One Day Off

Your muscles grow when they rest and not during exercise. You should train two to three days straight and then take one day off. This ensures your body is getting the proper rest and recovery. You probably know people that train from Monday to Friday without taking a day off. Working out 5-6 days straight, even with a rest day at the end of the week, may lead to overtraining. Your body is being put through so much during exercise that it really needs the proper recovery time to maximize muscle growth and strength. You should also give at least 3-4 days before training the same muscle group. Even so, this isn’t recommended and you should really only train the same muscle group once a week so that you’ll have a full recovery.

3) Get Your Nutrients

Protein is required to rebuild muscle tissue and to supply the building blocks of various cells, tissues, enzymes, and hormones. You should have 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight depending on how hard you train. Carbohydrates are also needed since they are your major source of energy. You need to consume carbs to refuel your body’s glycogen stores, especially immediately after exercise since your body refuels glycogen at a higher rate during this time. You should have a 2 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein during your post-workout meal. For example, 50 grams of carbohydrates and 25 grams of protein is ideal followed by a well-balanced meal a few hours later to continue the recovery process.

4) Hydrate

Besides negatively affecting your exercise performance, dehydration can delay the recovery process. Your body uses up a lot of water when you sweat during exercise so you need to keep hydrated throughout exercise. Research has shown that the amount of water within cells plays a crucial part in whether or not muscle breakdown occurs. In addition, water taken during or after meals improves digestion and helps maintain a healthy digestive track. More water means more muscle building nutrients being absorbed and used in the body. You should drink approximately 3 liters of water a day to ensure you are properly hydrated.

5) Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is instrumental for your body’s ability to build muscle and recuperate from workouts. Almost all cell regeneration and growth happens when we sleep. During deep sleep, your pituitary gland releases a shot of growth hormone (HGH) that stimulates tissue growth and muscle repair. In addition, sleep is also prime time for the body to undergo protein synthesis. You should aim for 7-8 hours of sleep a night to maximize your sleep benefits. Sleeping too much may actually be associated with increased health risks so try to get no more than 10 hours in a night.