You will encounter many different forms of massage depending where around the world you travel. However in this modern age, you can probably find all significant forms of massage within a close proximity.
A lot of men dream of having that perfect muscular physique for multiple reasons. It might be due to self-esteem, dating and relationships, confidence, and having an overall healthy well-being.
You might be one of these men. Going multiple times a week to the gym, lifting heavy weights, and doing cardio. And now, you realized that you broke your last record for the heaviest weights you have lifted.
But, what can you do to set new record highs and keep yourself pumped up for the heavy lifting? Well, you can book a massage session. You may ask, “Why?” And we’ll answer, “It helps you in your path to growing muscles.”
In this article, we’ve rounded up some of the top benefits of massage therapy for muscle-building. These can be seen below:
Top Benefits Of Massage For Building Muscles
1. It Helps With Sore Muscles
If a person is lifting heavy weights, it’s going to put a huge toll on his or her muscles. That’s why nutrition, rest days, and plenty of water are very important. However, there are timed where these weren’t sufficient to help muscles recover in between heavy workouts. Massage therapy can help in relaxing muscles and eliminating lactic acids built up within them. It also helps loosen tight and tense muscles.
A lot of bodybuilders and people wanting to gain more muscle go to massage clinics once a week. However, 2 to 3 sessions done weekly is fine as well. Massage therapy sessions can be very beneficial if the level of the workout becomes intense.
2. It Helps Improve Flexibility
For every weight you carry or for every lift you need to do, it is important to use a full range of motion. Bicep curls, squats, and shoulder presses are not exceptions to this rule. Using a full range of motion is the best way in order to build strength, endurance, and muscle. This helps you prevent injury development as well. However, in order to do it, flexibility is necessary.
Foam rolling or self-myofascial release and static stretching can help in lengthening a person’s muscles and releasing adhesions and knots that limit one’s flexibility. Most fitness experts recommend stretching for workouts. The great thing about massage therapy is that it helps improve flexibility.
In one specific study, researchers concluded that 3 minutes of massage therapy can help improve a person’s flexibility on that of tight hamstrings. The said technique can also be utilized to enhance flexibility for different muscle types.
Deep stripping massage proves to produce multiple benefits for massage therapists, athletic trainers, and physical therapists. It is particularly significantly effective for anyone who is looking for a method that can quickly restore flexibility to that of tight musculature.
3. It Helps Improve Circulation
Your muscles might build up after you have finished working out in the gym. You eat healthy meals, aim to reach your protein level goals, and drink plenty of water. And then, this results to your body repairing and rebuilding muscle damage incurred from exercise with enhanced blood circulation.
Researchers based in the University of Illinois aimed to find out whether massage therapy can help speed the recovery process and enhance circulation. They divided people into two groups. One group received massage therapy after doing leg press exercises. The other group took part in the same exercises but didn’t partake in massage sessions.
The group who received massage therapy reported reduced muscle soreness that occurred 90 minutes after the therapy. However, those who didn’t received massages still experienced muscle soreness even after 24 hours post-workout.
4. It Helps Reduce Pain
It is not recommended that you go to extreme lengths and exercises in order to reduce body fat, build muscle, and transform yourself completely. However, you have to think about this for a while. What would you feel after running 27 miles? What would you feel after swimming 3 miles?
Even people who compete for the most exclusive body building competition or the longest Triathlon feel bad after an intensive workout. That’s why some researchers chose a specific group in order to learn the benefits of massage for managing pain.
After the group completed an extreme endurance event, they usually experience inflammation and muscle pain due to intense overload, increased levels of lactic acid, and depleted amounts of glycogen. This is very similar to that of what occurs in your body during heavy, high-volume lifting workouts.
After the intense Ironman event, two groups were evaluated by researches. One group didn’t receive any intervention with regards to pain management after the race. Another group received massages particularly for treating pain and fatigue within their quads.
So, what was the result? Massage therapy was significantly more effective in pain recovery and perceived fatigue compared to having no intervention at all. That’s why it is important to include massage therapy in your recovery regimen.
5. It Helps Improve Sleep
Fitness experts usually look at various factors that affect the target of their clients. These include the type of workouts, stress, hydration, and nutrition. In addition, there’s another factor that can make or break a person’s journey towards their goals — adequate or inadequate amounts of sleep.
During sleep, the body releases a hormone responsible for human growth. This hormone helps to rebuild and repair damaged muscles after intense exercises. It utilizes protein for the recovery process. If a person doesn’t get enough sleep, he or she might notice a slump when it comes to bodybuilding goals.
The good thing is, massage therapy has been known to enhance sleep. It reduces stress hormones and helps release happy hormones. It also aids in the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep.
6. It Helps Speed Up Recovery
Work out for a long period of time AND in extreme levels. After that, you’ll experience delayed onset muscle soreness. This is usually the case for about 1 to 3 days post workout. It’s actually a sign that tells you that the muscles you used and trained have went through muscle damage necessary to build it bigger.
However, if you’re extremely sore after an intense workout and you experience it for multiple days, it might hinder you from performing well on your next session. Massage therapy can help heal muscles that are damaged and boost your recovery.
Massage can help in producing mechanical pressure. This can lead to enhanced muscle compliance which also results in decreased active and passive stiffness and enhanced range of motion. Mechanical pressure also helps to enhanced blood flow because it increases arteriolar pressure. Plus, muscle temperature is increased due to rubbing.
Train Smarter And Build Muscles The Right Way!
If you want to get the best results when it comes to your workout goals, try to get a massage therapy. It helps speed up the recovery process and delay soreness of muscles. The benefits are too good to pass up! Book a massage online or call a nearby massage clinic to help you with your exercise goals.
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