RECO

VERY

M

uch of a bodybuilder’s or non-competitive lifter’s successes in the 

gym stem from adequate recovery. By recovery, I mean time away 

from the gym, rest during waking hours, and ample sleep at night.
Recovery is the means by which we turn over cells, renew skin, clear 

vital organs, and repair damages done as a part of either daily living or 

musculoskeletal work.
Sleep is crucial for any human being – even those who don’t work out. 

But for those who do work out and tax muscles with the end-goal of 

mass gains, or changes in body composition, your sleep needs increase.

According to the National Sleep

Foundation, not only do different age and

activity groups require a different amount

of sleep, but every single individual

requires a different amount of sleep too.
It’s all based around what researchers

call a person’s basal sleep need –

what our bodies require for optimal

performance – and based on sleep debt.

Sleep debt is the deficit we accumulate

due to life’s many factors, such as

school, work, stress, and medications

that may inhibit sleep.
Experts estimate that pre-schoolers

may need as much as 12 hours per day,

school-age children up to 12 require 10 to

11 hours per night, and the average adult

that is not engaging in heavy activity,

requires between seven and nine hours.

So people seeking serious mass gains

may need as much sleep as a 12 your

old!

Catch Those Z's 

Sleep Research Facts:

• Athletes who don’t heed increased 

needs for sleep, risk a lot more than just 

slow muscle gains. A 2010 article in the 

journal “Best Practice and Research: 

Clinical Endrocrinology and Metabolism” 

warns athletes who fail to sleep risk 

increased levels of ghrelin, which 

increases appetite and makes you want 

to eat more.

• The International Sports Science 

Association, said those who 

experienced limited sleep or operate in 

the deficit, night after night, risk elevated 

cortisol levels, which act as a deterrent 

to circulating levels of testosterone, 

human growth hormone and other 

muscle-building hormones, and break 

down muscle tissue to release amino 

acids in order to access energy. 

• Researchers at Washington State 

University warn that extended periods 

of insomnia typically leads to a rise in 

cortisol levels, which may significantly 

hamper bodybuilding progress.

• A May 2003 study published in 

“European Journal of Applied 

Physiology” examined the energy levels 

of people who enjoyed a normal night’s 

sleep and those who did not. Those 

who did not sleep well, or barely slept, 

showed lower maximum and average 

energy levels, and experienced a 

marked increase in risk for injury and 

accidents

36  PRIMAL MUSCLE  TRAINING GUIDE