The Dr. Shannon Show

Episode: Body Recomposition Capsule #8: How to Recover
Host: Dr. Shannon Ritchey, PT, DPT
Date: January 8, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Dr. Shannon Show focuses on a critical but often overlooked subject in fitness: Recovery. Dr. Shannon Ritchey breaks down why proper recovery is essential for body recomposition and lasting results, explaining the science, debunking myths about soreness and "pushing harder", and equipping listeners with actionable tools for integrating recovery at the workout, weekly, and yearly level. She also introduces objective and subjective methods for tracking your own recovery status—ensuring that your approach helps, rather than hinders, your fitness journey.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Core Role of Recovery in Fitness

• Recovery is not optional:
  "Recovery is not an optional part of this process. If you aren't recovering, you aren't adapting. Exercise is the stressor, it's the stimulus. Recovery is where the adaptation happens." (02:02)
• Training too much or under-eating both impair recovery and prevent meaningful muscle building or fat loss.

Recovery During a Workout

• The EVLO Structure: Activate – Challenge – Relax:
  • Activate: Start each session with breathwork and joint mobility—preps the nervous system and muscles for loading (06:17)
    • "We start with breath work, focusing on a long and deep inhale. This... stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and helps improve focus..." (06:32)
    • Joint mobility lubricates joints, increases blood flow, and primes neuromuscular awareness.
  • Challenge: The main work phase, targeting muscle groups close to failure but strategically programmed to avoid overstressing any area.
    • Example: Avoid stacking hinge movements (like bent-over row and lunge) back-to-back to reduce lower back fatigue. (09:14)
  • Relax: Every session ends with 3–5 minutes of cooldown and relaxation (parasympathetic activation).
    • “Stimulating the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system is what is responsible for rebuilding muscle tissue...I always say don’t skip the cooldowns because they’re just as important as everything else.” (11:16)
    • Includes final relaxation/“shavasana”.

Weekly Recovery Practices

• Avoid training the same muscle group on consecutive days
  • Muscles need 48 hours to recover. (15:10)
• Periodize Weekly Intensity
  • “You don’t want every single workout to be super high intensity...we are varying or periodizing the intensity throughout the week so that you are adapting and getting more fit with periods of intensity. But the whole thing doesn’t feel super intense.” (16:40)
  • Example weekly schedule: Alternates more and less systemically stressful days for balance (upper body, lower body, mat work, mixed intensity).
• Regular Recovery Days
  • “I recommend at least two days off lifting where you do lighter cardio, some Zone 2 work, or any cardio that isn’t going to overly stress you.” (18:31)
  • Recovery/rest days can be consecutive or split—consistency matters more than timing.

Annual Recovery Strategies: Reset Weeks

• Reset (Deload) Weeks:
  • “Every 8 to 12 weeks, you plan to take four to seven days off lifting...you want to continue to stay active doing whatever form of activity you want. But we’re not lifting weights, we’re not stressing our muscles.” (21:17)
  • Allows physical & mental reset; often leads to feeling stronger upon return.
  • Dr. Shannon finds 4–5 days optimal but recommends individual experimentation.
  • You won’t lose muscle from a handful of rest days: “Don’t be afraid of losing significant mass just by taking a few days off.” (23:07)

Objective & Subjective Recovery Tracking Tools

1. Grip Strength (26:07)

   • Proxy for neuromuscular and central nervous system readiness.
   • Use a hand dynamometer, compare to personal baseline.

2. CO₂ Tolerance Test (28:15)

   • Measures autonomic flexibility—balance of sympathetic/parasympathetic system.
   • Simple breath-hold after five deep breaths.
   • <20s = poor recovery, 20–40s = average, 40–60s = ideal, >60s = advanced.

3. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) (30:38)

   • Measured via wearables (Oura, WHOOP, etc).
   • Tracks parasympathetic activity and overall stress/recovery.
   • Focus on trends over time—not absolute numbers.

4. Readiness Scores (Wearables) (33:18)

   • Oura and WHOOP compile biometrics for simple daily readiness scores.
   • Shannon reports strong subjective alignment but emphasizes:
     “Honestly, it’s not necessary because again, my subjective symptoms always line up with the readiness score...Pay attention to your body.” (34:50)

Subjective Indicators

• Normal: Light tiredness or mild soreness after workouts.
• Red Flags:
  • “What’s not normal is feeling like you got hit by a truck every single day. Lots of joint pain, heavy limbs, brain fog... sleep issues, feeling weak in your workouts...” (36:57)
  • These signal overtraining and inadequate recovery—adjust accordingly (reduce cardio, try fewer sets, consider deload week, increase nutrition, adjust one variable at a time).

If You’re Recovering Well

• No need to “do more” just because you feel good.
  • “If you find that you’re recovering well...Does that mean you need to add more? Short answer: Only if you aren’t getting stronger. If you’re getting stronger over about a month and longer, you don’t need to add more.” (41:25)
  • Feeling good is a sign your routine is working.

Memorable Quotes

• “Exercise is the stressor, it’s the stimulus. Recovery is where the adaptation happens. Recovery is where we see our results.” (02:02)
• “Don’t see [recovery] as optional and take care of yourself. If you notice your recovery is suffering...” (03:00)
• "Stimulating the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system is what is responsible for rebuilding muscle tissue." (11:16)
• "You should feel good... If you're not super, super sore and depleted and exhausted and your joints hurt and you're not sleeping and you're crabby—when you feel good, it means you're adapting." (42:36)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – Introduction and context
• 02:02 – Recovery as essential for adaptation
• 06:17 – The importance of warm-ups: breath and joint mobility
• 09:14 – How EVLO workouts are structured for recovery
• 11:16 – Why cool-downs (parasympathetic stimulation) matter
• 15:10 – Advice: do not train the same muscle group on back-to-back days
• 16:40 – Weekly periodization: intensity modulation
• 18:31 – How to schedule recovery days
• 21:17 – Reset weeks: deloading for physical and mental refresh
• 26:07 – Grip strength as a recovery tool
• 28:15 – CO₂ tolerance test explained
• 30:38 – Heart rate variability and what to track
• 33:18 – Readiness/recovery scores from wearables
• 36:57 – Subjective signs of poor recovery
• 41:25 – Should you add more if you feel good?
• 42:36 – Positive feelings are a sign of optimal adaptation

Conclusion and Takeaways

Dr. Shannon Ritchey emphasizes that recovery is a process, not an afterthought. It should be planned for within individual workouts, across the weekly schedule, and throughout your year. Tune in to your body and use both subjective feelings and simple tools to ensure you’re giving yourself what you need to adapt and thrive. Tomorrow’s episode will address how to realistically track and measure your progress over time.

For more science-driven fitness insights, check out Evlo Fitness and follow this Body Recomposition Capsule series.