Should You Ice After A Workout?

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Today’s Health Upgrade

• Fact or fiction: ice baths

• An overlooked key to better nutrition

• The science of weight loss that lasts

• Stop waiting for the perfect moment

Fact or Fiction
Are Ice Baths The Best Form Of Recovery?

From pro athletes to influencers, it seems everyone is plunging into icy tubs for faster recovery, reduced soreness, and mental toughness. But does the science support the freeze?

If all you care about is eliminating the perception of soreness, then freeze away. But there could be some unintended side effects.

Icing your muscles can have some benefits, but with a significant asterisk: ice baths help with short-term recovery, but may blunt long-term muscle gains.

Cold water immersion can reduce muscle soreness, lower inflammation, and help you feel fresher after intense training. It also appears to have small benefits for recovering strength and power, especially after back-to-back workouts or competition.

But here’s the catch: regular post-workout ice baths might interfere with muscle-building.

Studies have found that frequent cold immersion can reduce the cellular signals that drive hypertrophy. That’s because part of muscle growth involves inflammation and cellular stress, and by muting that response, ice baths may slow your gains.

If you have a strain or injury, the ice could also slow recovery. So, while you might feel better, it could take longer for the injury to heal.

So, when should you chill out? They might help after competitions, two-a-days, or during overreaching phases when performance and recovery are top priority.

But skip them right after strength training if your goal is muscle growth or if you’ve just suffered an injury.

Together With Maui Nui
The Most Overlooked Performance Hack? Simplicity.

With all the new powders, potions, and hacks, it’s easy to forget that the human body hasn’t changed nearly as much as our food has.

The best diets for strength, energy, and longevity tend to focus on the same timeless staples: Quality protein. Nutrient-dense whole foods. Minimal processing. No gimmicks.

That’s what makes wild-harvested venison, like the kind from Maui Nui, such an underrated ally in modern performance. It’s naturally high in protein, rich in bioavailable iron, B vitamins, and zinc, low in saturated fat, and free from additives or artificial inputs.

Translation? It supports muscle growth, hunger, and nutrient-density, without all the over-selling and under-delivering of so many health products.

And unlike most modern meat products, Maui Nui’s sourcing method matters. Their wild Axis deer are harvested ethically and stress-free, which preserves the integrity of delicate nutrients, enhancing your recovery and keeping your body running the way you want. 

If you care about what goes into your body — and how your body uses it — this is the kind of protein worth building your meals around.

If you’ve never tried Maui Nui, you’re in for a treat. For a limited time, you can try what we consider the best snack on earth for free with a purchase of $79 or more.  

Their meat sticks are just 55 to 60 calories and loaded with high-quality protein, no fillers or unnecessary added sugar. We recommend the Fresh Starter Box, a curated box for serious performance enthusiasts who want results without compromise. Their elegant cuts pack 53 percent more protein per calorie than grass-fed beef and are low in saturated fat.

Supplies are limited by the nature of their work, and you'll need to use these links only to access the special offer.  Elevate your protein with a limited supply of our favorite products, and upgrade your nutrition.

Nutrition 
Scientists Discovered (Yet Again) the Most Effective Way to Lose Weight

Low-carb. Fasting. Keto. Calorie counting.

If you’ve ever felt like you’ve tried everything and nothing sticks, you’re not alone. The real problem is the endless noise about which method is “best.”

So here’s some good news that will hopefully help you find the plan that works for you: A massive new study shows that weight loss success doesn’t come down to when you eat or if you consume special superfoods — it comes down to how much energy you consistently cut.

In a sweeping review of 167 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 12,000 participants, researchers compared different types of intermittent fasting and good old-fashioned calorie restriction to find out which diets actually work best. They analyzed seven distinct diet strategies, including severe, moderate, and mild forms of calorie restriction, alternate-day fasting, 5:2 fasting, time-restricted eating, and other common IF (intermittent fasting) methods.

Severe calorie restriction led to the most dramatic weight loss, with an average of 25 pounds (11.5 kg) lost.

However, when calorie reduction was equal, intermittent fasting and continuous calorie restriction produced similar results for body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

That’s worth repeating: many diets work — including intermittent fasting — as long as they reduce calories. So you don’t need to stress or overthink if one is superior to the other. And the more aggressively you reduce what you eat, the more weight loss you’ll experience. 

Fasting methods like alternate-day fasting work well because they achieve similar deficits through structured fasting windows, which help some people stick to a lower intake.

Whether you’re skipping breakfast, counting calories, or following another diet, the most effective eating plan is the one you can stick to — which helps you eat less, not suffer more. 

Need a good starting point? Try reducing your intake by 15 to 25 percent, increasing lean proteins to preserve muscle, and focusing on foods that keep you full. This includes low-energy-density options packed with fiber, such as vegetables, legumes, fruits, and whole grains.

If you want to stop overthinking and have a proven plan, The Pump app was designed to remove the anxiety of healthy living and make it easy to exercise consistently, eat better without too many rules, and be supported by a positive community. As an APC reader, you can save up to 50% OFF The Pump app.

Adam’s Corner
The Words We Don’t Say Enough

Last Sunday was Father’s Day. I spent it the worst possible way: away from my kids on a flight for work. I try to limit travel as much as possible, but sometimes, it’s part of the job. 

On a four-hour flight to New York, I found myself thinking about my dad. Specifically, the last few days with him. Brain cancer stole my father’s ability to speak or open his eyes, and it ended his life far too soon.

I remember sitting with him and those final breaths that felt separated by minutes. About 30 minutes before he passed, my dad’s eyes jolted open. Their hazel color was gone. Life was leaving, but his soul was as present and defiant as ever. They were still my dad’s eyes. Still full of fight. Still trying to communicate what words could no longer carry.

I leaned in close and told him everything that mattered: “I’m proud of you. I love you.”

—

Those words sit with me often, and even more so on Father’s Day. Not just because I miss my dad. But because it reminds me that we don’t say those words enough.

We tell people we love them. We tell them to be safe, to work hard, to do their best.
But how often do we tell them, “I’m proud of you” when it’s not tied to an achievement, a grade, a trophy, or a perfect moment?

It’s been two years since I lost my dad, and I find myself reflecting on him more, not less. I imagine that will only continue because I realize how much I want to talk about him, not to grieve, but to remember. I’ve learned that people only live on if we keep them alive.

We live in a culture that avoids death like a disease. But death is a reminder. It’s clarity and an endpoint for us all. And because of that, it’s a chance to realign what matters.

The fact that life ends is what makes every part of it so valuable—even the hard days, even the broken ones, especially the broken ones.

And what I’ve learned—sitting with the silence my dad left behind—is that the words we choose in those final moments shouldn’t be saved for the end.

Not long ago, my two sons had a rough day. They fought hard, said things they didn’t mean, and ended up in tears. As a parent, moments like that rip you in two. I could’ve scolded them. I could’ve punished them. And sure, we had the conversation—about kindness, about respect, about how words can hurt. My kids don’t need to be coddled. They can handle tough conversations and must understand responsibility and the consequences of inappropriate actions.

But the first thing I did was pull them both close and tell them I was proud of them.

Not for their behavior in that moment. But that’s the first thing they need to remember. In great decisions and terrible ones. My love doesn’t shift with their behavior. I know they’re trying to figure out how to be good people, even when their emotions are big and messy. And the worst thing I can do is use their bad moments to dilute the bigger picture of our relationship.

I want them to know they don’t have to earn my love or pride. It’s not conditional. It’s not performance-based. It’s not reserved for perfect behavior or winning days.

It’s who they are that makes me proud. And it’s that pride, not punishment, that helps them grow.

I was always proud to be my father’s son. I just wish I had told him more.

That’s the thing with pride—it doesn’t expire unless you let it. We set the shelf life. We decide whether to let it sit silently or to speak it aloud. 

Even now, I still say it: I’m proud to be my father’s son. And I’m proud of the man he was—and the man he’s still helping me become. 

Father’s Day has passed — just like my dad. But days of celebration are just that — a single day. The impact of a father (or any parent) isn’t a singular day of celebration. It’s about a lifetime of impact.

So I want to leave you with something that isn’t a cliché or short-lived. It’s a question that I hope stays with you: Do the people you love know you’re proud of them?

Not just when they succeed. Not just when it’s easy. But in the moments when they’re struggling. When they mess up. When they feel unsure of themselves.

Because that’s when pride matters most. It’s not just a celebration. It’s an anchor. It tells someone, “You matter. I see you. I believe in who you are.”

It’s something my dad did for me. I wish I returned the favor more often for him. But there’s still time for me — and you, too. -AB

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell