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Bodybuilder Hunter Labrada, who finished in fourth place at the 2021 Olympia, has a lot to say about sleep and recovery on his YouTube channel, where he routinely shares tips and ideas with his followers. The bodybuilding champion has gained considerable wisdom and experience from his years of bodybuilding, as well as from his father, Lee Labrada, who is also a bodybuilder.
In a segment of his "Tuesday Tips" series, Hunter addressed a very important question that is asked almost too often—is sleep important for recovery and muscle growth? In this piece, we'll take a look at what he has to say regarding this topic.
Hunter Labrada Discusses The Importance Of Sleep For Muscles
Labrada sees sleep as being crucial for muscle growth and development, and that it is quite impossible to build a good physique without it. He believes:
"Sleep is of absolute paramount importance to your recovery."
He further maintains that sleep forms a large chunk of one's efforts to build a solid physique, emphasizing that it can outweigh what you do in the gym in terms of importance:
"It’s not what we do in the gym. It’s what we can recover from when we’re out of it."
If you're trying to build a physique for competitions like Labrada, match up to some of bodybuilding's finest, or even just stay healthy and have a moderate physique, you cannot do so without sleeping. It is essential that you optimize your routine to be able to fit in at least eight hours of undisturbed sleep every night, so that your body has time to repair the worn-out muscles.
After working out incredibly hard in the gym and giving your muscles a run for their money, it’s time to give your body the rest it deserves. Muscles are torn in the gym due to the load brought on by the weight you lift. It is through a combination of adequate sleep and nutrition that they recover. One of these cannot compensate for the lack of the other, so it is incredibly important that you eat a balanced diet, abundant with protein, carbs, and the required amount of fat, while also getting a good night's sleep.
Hunter had a few key tips to share in this regard as well, stating that one should limit their exposure to blue light before going to bed, as this greatly affects their quality of sleep. It is also recommended that you try turning the temperature down. For Hunter, the golden temperature is set at 66 degrees. This enables the body to enter a state of deep sleep, which is crucial for recovery.
Conclusion
Labrada is clearly working hard to improve his overall health while bolstering his physique. He works hard in the gym, and one can see that being reflected in his incredible physique. It remains to be seen how his efforts, both in and out of the gym, will add up when he steps on to the stage to compete in the 2022 Mr. Olympia. After all, the stage has been set.
