"If you think your training is important, your recovery is 10 times more." Learn from HYROX athlete James Kelly about how he recovers from the hardest training days so he can come back swinging tomorrow.
When you train hard, you're going to get sore. That's part of the process. But, that's also your signal to focus on recovery.
Let's learn from a pro who puts as much emphasis on what he does outside of training as the training itself — because that's where the real gains happen.
We caught up with James Kelly, an ELITE-15 HYROX athlete, to learn about how he approaches recovery. If you're not familiar with HYROX, it's about as physically demanding as it gets — running, sled pushes, wall balls, rowing, all in one race.
Supplementation
PILLAR Triple Magnesium every night before bed. Magnesium supports muscle repair during sleep -- it's why he wakes up less beat up. "It actually helps me wake up feeling a little bit more recovered from a muscular point of view."
PILLAR Ultra Omega daily. Omega-3s reduce inflammation in connective tissue -- the knees, hips, and ankles that take a beating in HYROX. "The omega-3 fish oil has helped me wake up less sore, less tired. It makes a difference."
Nomio before training and an hour before bed on hard days. A lactic acid buffer that helps him push harder during the session and recover faster overnight.
Fueling
Skip post-workout nutrition and recovery stalls. James refuels within 30 minutes every time – carbs and protein. His go-to is BPN Vegan Protein. "I've learned the hard way of not fueling accordingly, to the point where I wake up sore and stiff."
Warm-up, Cool-down, And 5 Minutes of Stillness
Session-specific mobility before every workout. Full cool-down after, no exceptions. Then five minutes lying down, eyes closed, just breathing. This shifts your nervous system from fight-or-flight to rest-and-recover – and that shift is what actually starts the recovery process.
"That promotes going from that sympathetic, heightened state to that parasympathetic recovery state."
When You Wake Up Super Sore
PILLAR Ultra Immune C first thing. Thirty minutes of easy movement to drive blood flow. Then, non-negotiable, Normatec boots, sauna, and an ice bath. Compression clears fluid. Heat opens circulation. Cold reduces inflammation.
He also checks HRV and resting heart rate every morning and adjusts training if the numbers are off. No ego.
Rest
Sundays are always off. Random mid-week rest days happen when he needs them.
"The longevity of what we're doing is far more important than just rinsing and repeating the program. If you think your training is important, your recovery is 10 times more."
