Without the intake of workout supplements or nutritious foods, the human being's workout recovery is quite slow, over 48 hrs. However, training the body sometimes is an everyday thing. Individuals reaching towards the goal of replacing body fat with lean muscle (or just simply weight loss), aim to do so in the shortest amount of time. Bodybuilders (or perhaps anyone wishing to get ripped) want to see maximum results in the smallest time-span. Therefore, the more an individual "can" workout, the better the results and the faster they come.
First we can go to the assumption of the beginner exerciser, ready to lose weight and replace the flab with lean muscle. Now for this group of individuals, it is better to not overwork at first and exercise more, at less intense levels, like long distance runs or lifting small weights many times in a row. But for those wishing to build mass, it is better to have short bursts of intense exercise sessions a couple of times a day (you may read some of my other articles for exercise routines and other tips).
Now in order to prevent soreness, muscle injury, or fatigue after an exercise routine we must cautiously follow these important steps every time we begin and end an exercise session. The most important step is warming up/down. This includes a series of stretches to prepare your muscles for the strenuous exercise to come. Exercise puts much pressure on your muscles and if your muscles are not properly relaxed, they may be injured. Stretching before an exercise session is not much of a problem for most but stretching after exercise, warming down, is most commonly neglected. Warming down is important because when you exercise muscles might tense up again, causing uncomfortable sensations in your muscles. Also, muscles will release a substance called lactate acid (this is what helps build your muscle) which can cause great soreness if left in the muscles. Warming down will remove a lot of this substance.
Nutrition is the next vital part of workout recovery. Eat plenty of protein and calcium along with other vitamins and minerals. Every vitamin and mineral has a positive benefit to the body so the more nutritious foods you intake, the better. Eat a balanced and colorful diet and fruits, vegetables, meat, grain, and milk products. Avoid junk food.
When you intake food is also important. Do not take too much food (like a meal) before exercise. Only take some easily digestible and light food before exercise. And only a very very small quantity. However, after exercise, you should eat or drink something high in protein and calories (do not increase calorie consumption is you are aiming for weight loss). During exercise, you should always intake good amounts of water so you are hydrated and can stay at peak performance. Many people unknowing neglect this because you may not know when you are dehydrated. Having a dry throat or mouth is a sign that your throat of mouth is dry, not that your body is lacking water.
It is also good to note that exercise should not be done before going to sleep. Any other time of the day is good but most people recommend early morning.
Lastly, there are three other easy ways to maximize your workout recovery. One is to have some type of massage done. You can get a professional to do it or a friend or family member. If those are not optimal solutions, using a massaging chair is also useful. If a massaging chair is above your budget, you can use a rolling pin or something like it. Also, having a rinse in ice cold water is very very good for reducing the lactate acid in your muscles. If the water is swirling or rippling, that will act as a mild massage too. Now the last one is one of great importance. It is: sleep. Contrary to popular belief, working out does not immediately increase the size of your muscles. It only sends the signal to your body to release certain chemicals and materials to build muscle. This process happens when you are asleep. Therefore, get plenty of rest (6-8 hrs a day) and sleep tight!
I'm sure if you are looking at this article, you likely have had some unfortunate experience with workout recovery being too slow or not happening at all! But follow these steps, take care, work hard, and experience results.