All protocols

Complete fasting for about a day is discussed as having a rich literature and potential benefits; often practiced with water and sometimes caffeine.

For prolonged fasting, use supervised fasting clinics where micronutrients, vitamins, and electrolytes are monitored.

In fasting-clinic settings, some prolonged fasting protocols allow a small bowl of soup providing roughly 100–400 kilocalories.

During supervised prolonged fasting, ensure micronutrients, vitamins, and electrolytes are provided.

Use light, low-intensity movement or low-impact work the day after hard training to reduce acute soreness by contracting muscles and helping move fluid out of tissue; preferable to complete inactivity. Examples given include lighter cardio or low-impact work the next day.

Do not use anti-inflammatory interventions when the goal is long-term adaptation rather than immediate relief, because they can block adaptation signals. This includes drugs/supplements and icing strategies used for acute relief.

Use caution with antioxidant supplementation, especially vitamin C and vitamin E, during hypertrophy-focused training or post-exercise, because their anti-inflammatory/antioxidant effects may blunt training adaptations.

Before competition, use a taper consisting of reduced training volume for a short period to actualize adaptations and enhance performance.

If soreness or fatigue is excessive, review training volume and intensity progression; avoid increasing either too quickly. This is also framed as a way to prevent overreaching by following appropriate weekly progression rules.

Begin recovery interventions immediately after training to create a sharp recovery after the stress peak and maximize adaptation.

After the workout, switch from fast-paced/high-arousal music to slower, lower-cadence music to support recovery.

Alternative post-workout breathing pattern: inhale, hold, exhale, then return directly to inhale.

Wear tight-fitting compression clothing immediately after an overly hard workout and keep it on as long as possible to help prevent or reduce soreness. Examples mentioned include compression pants or leggings, a long-sleeve compression shirt/rash guard, and compression socks.

If you realize you've done way too much and will be very sore, put on compression gear immediately after and wear it as long as possible. Focus it on the exercised tissue; practical advice given was often to wear the whole outfit as much as possible. Also suggested for long flights, especially for athletes traveling.

Massage/body work can be used to help recovery by moving fluid in and out of tissue and potentially enhancing blood flow; noted as generally fine without concern for blocking adaptation.

Use heat as a recovery strategy; personally favored by the guest, especially for feeling better the next day, though it may increase acute swelling in the moment. A hot bath was specifically recommended for morning stiffness and soreness.

Because pain and recovery are partly subjective, use hot/cold contrast or thermal methods if they feel effective for you; don't force them if they don't.

General recommendation is to pair breathwork with one physical recovery approach rather than trying to maximize every modality at once. A light swim with controlled breathing was given as one possible combination.

Use some actual performance metric—times, squat numbers, power, etc.—to monitor for overreaching/overtraining. Speed/power-based tests are preferred over pure strength tests as earlier indicators.

Track symptoms such as how you feel, because symptom changes are one of the three recommended monitoring categories for overreaching.

Use monitoring to detect overreaching before it becomes a bigger problem. Best approach is to track performance, physiology, and symptomology together; if all three worsen, overreaching is more likely. Do not be too reactive to any one score from a watch or app.

Use downregulation breathing methods later in the day to help cortisol come back down after daytime spikes.

Reduce/manage psychological and physical stress in roughly the 6-8 hours before sleep to support a healthy cortisol pattern.

Do not use ashwagandha broadly just to lower cortisol; cortisol regulation should be strategic and based on actual need. Taking ashwagandha before training is described as counterproductive because suppressing cortisol may suppress adaptation.

Do not stack stimulants, loud music, pre-workout, nootropics, etc. every workout; preserve signal-to-noise and avoid catecholamine crashes/dependence. Loud/high-arousal music should be used strategically rather than every workout because it loses motivational effect over time.

On low-readiness days, use movement to shift state acutely. Examples given include yoga, jumping jacks, or simply starting the workout.

If having a bad day and needing an acute state shift, use up-regulation breathing such as hyperventilation strategies, accentuating the inhale or restricting the exhale.

If having a rough day, simply eating food or getting more calories can acutely improve state/readiness.

Use personally meaningful comfort foods acutely as a state-shifting tool on rough days to improve mood, readiness, or psychological state. Example given: grits for someone who loves them.

Use extra bright light when people are struggling that day as an acute state shifter; going outside into sunlight is suggested as even better.