Elevate Tricking with These Recovery Hacks

The Physical Demands of Tricking

Tricking subjects the body to intense bursts of activity. It engages multiple muscle groups, from the core and legs to the back and arms. The repetitive and high-impact nature of the sport means that trickers are often at risk of overuse injuries, strains, and in unfortunate cases, sometimes breaks and tears in ligaments and bones, so you must keep your recovery in check ASAP.

It has become such a problem in the sport that when you ask just about any experienced tricker, most will say they have dealt with a minor or major injury in just the last year. Some would say it’s a byproduct of the brutal nature of the sport, however, it would be foolish not to acknowledge clear injury mitigation and recovery tactics.

The Role of Recovery in triking

Recovery isn’t merely a break from training; it’s an integral part of improving performance and, most importantly, ensuring longevity in tricking, which should be every tricker’s main concern because tricking is extremely fun. Although, if you aren’t recovering properly, it can be a chore. Effective recovery strategies can help mitigate injury risks, enhance muscle repair, and prepare the body for future training sessions.

Recovery Techniques

Over the years, athletes have pioneered various recovery methods to train longer and more intensely. Many athletes in tricking aspire to reach high levels but often overlook the fundamental elements that forge exceptional athletes and competitors. At any organized event, the number of people actively bringing recovery equipment to their sessions is nearly zero. In this regard, we are significantly behind many mainstream sports. Here are some ways you can train like a true professional.

Sleep

Sleep is perhaps the most underrated recovery tool. It is during sleep that the body undergoes most of its repair processes. Ensuring quality sleep can significantly improve recovery times and overall performance. Many athletes, especially younger ones, do not have an established sleep schedule and are negatively impacting their gains in every way. I suggest a minimum of 8 hours of sleep every night and will not hesitate to sleep for 9-10 hours after a hard session. Sleep is the most important aspect of recovery and serves as the foundational pillar of your recovery strategy.

Conditioning

Conditioning is an essential part of recovery for several reasons, the most significant being that a stronger, more capable body can endure more stress, thus requiring less time and effort to recover. Our bodies naturally develop imbalances due to the bilateral asymmetry of the sport, causing some areas to suffer more damage and require more recovery. Remember, we are not necessarily allocating directly to the areas that need it the most.

Conditioning in the form of running, sprints, weightlifting, and plyometrics are all excellent ways to strengthen and balance your system, as well as to provide needed blood flow to the strained or exhausted areas after a training session. Remember, tricking is a privilege, so you ought to be doing work outside of actual training to maintain your health.

Deep Stretching

Stretching has always been a post-tricking ritual for me, and it should be for you too. It’s best to perform static stretching after training because your body is already warm, allowing you to reach, stretch, and strengthen new ranges of motion that wouldn’t normally be accessible before training. Just like strength, having more flexibility is rarely detrimental and can only help keep you safe and improve your performance in tricks.

I like to start from the head and work my way down, dedicating 30 seconds of medium but still challenging intensity to each stretch. I put extra emphasis on the hamstrings and hip flexors, approaching them from multiple angles, as these areas seem to bear a significant amount of force while tricking.

Foam Rolling

Foam rolling serves as a form of deep tissue massage, relaxing and aiding in the recovery of muscles, ligaments, and tendons by facilitating the flow of necessary resources into them. It has also been shown to reduce inflammation in the treated areas significantly. Tools like the massage gun and foam roller are especially useful for targeting hard-to-reach areas such as the Achilles tendon and the bottom of the foot; a tennis ball can also fulfill this role. I prefer to foam roll after deep stretching, as it simplifies the recovery process by eliminating the need to develop an elaborate routine, making it more manageable to incorporate into your schedule. Simply do it after your training session.

Sauna/Cold Therapy

This is going the extra mile when it comes to maximizing performance and diminishing recovery time, however, it is only a nice to have, if you do have access to a sauna or cold plunge I highly recommend hitting it after a training session. Some people believe post-training cold therapy will king muscle and strength gains however whether this is true or not, tricking strength should be made in the gym and not during sessions. If available, stretching in the sauna can be a game changer as it gives you the best of both worlds and even makes stretching more effective.

Active Recovery

Many of the discomforts associated with tricking can be mitigated if you proactively adopt the right practices during a training session. Some of my key takeaways include the importance of warming up before starting a session and warming up again if you pause for more than a few minutes. When attempting new and challenging skills, try them only a few times and stop if you’re not making progress. Persisting on failing a trick numerous times in a row when you lack the necessary skills or power is counterproductive. Diversifying your training focus by exploring new movement patterns is also beneficial. Concentrating solely on one trick for multiple sessions can strain your body and lead to imbalances.

Tricking Recovery/Performance Hierarchy

Nutritional Aspects of Tricking Performance

Nutrition also ranks near the base of our recovery pyramid in terms of performance. While not having a perfected diet won’t significantly hinder your tricking abilities—a claim that might seem surprising—many world champion athletes have achieved remarkable success while consuming fast food and eating whatever they desire. This isn’t to suggest that you should follow such a diet, but it’s an interesting point to consider. If possible, optimizing your diet should be a priority. However, given the complexity and challenges associated with perfecting one’s nutrition, it’s not something to overly stress about. Just ensure you’re consuming enough nutrients and consider training on an empty stomach, as eating before a session can make some individuals feel slow and lethargic.

FAQs on Recovery in Tricking

• What’s the best recovery method after a tricking session?

Having a strong base of Sleep/Nutrition will do the most for you, but other methods serve as more spot-specific recovery like stretching and foam rolling.

• How often should I incorporate recovery days into my training?

I suggest incorporating recovery after every training session, but also doing recovery outside of the session whenever it’s needed.

• Can nutrition impact my recovery?

Don’t be worried if it’s not perfect, however, if you are not eating enough or too much it can affect recovery and performance.

• How much sleep do I need for optimal recovery?

8-10 hours is optimal depending on how beat up you are.

Conclusion

Recovery is not just a component but a cornerstone of success and longevity in tricking. By prioritizing recovery, trickers can enhance their performance, prevent injuries, and enjoy a longer, healthier career in this demanding sport.