How to: Fitness
What’s the deal with MLMs? How are weight loss drugs reshaping body standards? Can we actually trust what supplement companies are selling us Why do we eat the way we do - and who’s influencing it?
Veteran coaches Michael Ulloa and Kate Lyman are here to pull back the curtain on the wellness industry. How To: Fitness is a myth-busting, BS-free podcast that dives into the messy, nuanced, and often confusing world of fitness and nutrition. With evidence-based insight, candid takes, and digging into the darker corners of the wellness space, we help you make sense of what actually matters for your health—and what’s just noise.
How to: Fitness
62 | The Science vs. The Hype of Recovery
Recovery is one of the most talked-about parts of fitness, yet also one of the most misunderstood. We hear about ice baths, boots, red lights, cryotherapy and gadgets everywhere but very little about how recovery actually works for real people.
In this episode, we break down what recovery really means, how to set realistic expectations and why the “boring” basics often matter more than the expensive tools. We explore popular recovery methods like compression boots, cryotherapy, red light therapy, infrared saunas and massage guns and explain who they may help, who they won’t and why context matters so much.
This episode is for anyone who trains, feels tired, sore, or stuck, and wants to recover better without falling for hype. Whether you’re a recreational lifter, endurance athlete, or just trying to feel better in your body, this conversation will help you rethink recovery in a way that actually fits your life.
🎗️ Timestamps:
00:20 Introduction
02:37 Why Recovery Expectations Matter
05:44 Setting Realistic Recovery Expectations
13:20 How We Actually Recover (The Basics)
13:20 Compression Boots & Cryotherapy
22:24 Red Light Therapy Explained
24:39 Why Pro Athletes Recover Differently
26:25 Infrared Sauna: Helpful or Hype?
30:52 Massage Guns: Is It Helpful At All?
35:00 When Recovery Becomes a Priority & How Michael Approaches Recovery
40:28 Practical Takeaways About Recovery
📒 Resources Mentioned:
🔗 Cold water immersion impact on muscle/strength gains:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33146851/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4594298/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11235606/
🔗 Cold water immersion impact on brown fat:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35837014/
🔗 Cold water immersion on mood:
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11778651/
🔗 A post-exercise infrared sauna session improves recovery of neuromuscular performance and muscle soreness after resistance exercise training
🔗 The Effects of Massage Guns on Performance and Recovery
🔗 Effects of lower-limb intermittent pneumatic compression on sports recovery
🔗 Whole-body cryotherapy or preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults
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🟡 How to: Fitness
Instagram: @howtofitnesspod
🟡 Michael Ulloa
Website: michaelulloa.com
Instagram: @michaelulloapt
🟡 Kate Lyman
Website: katelymannutrition.com
Instagram: @klnutrition
Thank you for listening to the How to: Fitness Podcast with Michael Ulloa and Kate Lyman!
