Mastering Your Nervous System for Strength, Performance & Recovery

23 Jun

When people talk about performance, most focus on training plans, macros, or supplements. All important—but one of the most overlooked tools for getting stronger, building muscle, and recovering better is understanding your nervous system.

If you're serious about making progress in the gym (and looking and feeling the part), then you need to understand how your autonomic nervous system works—specifically the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches—and how to control them.

Let’s break it down in plain English, then get into how you can use this info to train harder, recover smarter, and feel better day to day.

The Autonomic Nervous System: YIN & Yang

Think of your autonomic nervous system (ANS) like yin & yang:

Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) = Yang
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) = Yin

You need both. But knowing when to switch from one to the other is the key to maximising strength, focus, recovery, and long-term progress.

Sympathetic Nervous System: The "Fight or Flight" Mode

This is your body’s high alert mode. It's activated in stressful or demanding situations—like during a PB attempt, a competition, or even just a tough training session.

When the SNS is active, your body:

Increases heart rate and blood pressure
Releases adrenaline and cortisol
Increases blood flow to the muscles
Heightens focus and reaction time
Mobilises stored energy (glucose, fats)

Benefits of Sympathetic Activation for Strength & Performance:

Increased alertness and mental drive
Stronger muscle contractions (better performance under heavy loads)
Improved energy mobilisation for intense efforts
More efficient use of oxygen in short bursts

This is why people naturally like to get amped before a PB or blast music before a big lift—it’s not just hype, it’s biology.

But here's the kicker: you can't live in this state 24/7.

Parasympathetic Nervous System: The "Rest and Digest" Mode

This is your recovery mode. The parasympathetic nervous system takes over when the stress is gone and your body can focus on healing, digestion, sleep, and restoring energy.

When the PNS is active, your body:

Slows down heart rate and breathing
Improves digestion and nutrient absorption
Triggers muscle repair and tissue growth
Regulates hormones (including testosterone and growth hormone)
Promotes deep, restful sleep

Benefits of Parasympathetic Activation:

Faster recovery between workouts
Better sleep and hormone balance
Improved digestion (which means better nutrient uptake and energy)
Mental clarity and reduced anxiety
Lower inflammation and risk of burnout

If you’re always wired but feel like crap, this is probably why. You’ve nailed the "on" switch—but you’re never switching off.

How to Switch ON (Sympathetic Mode) for Training

When it’s time to train or perform, you want to prime your body to activate the sympathetic nervous system. Here’s how:

1. Caffeine (Used Smartly)

A well-timed coffee or pre-workout can increase adrenaline and focus.

2. Intention & Focus

Set a goal before training. Going through the motions won’t flip the switch.

3. Stimulating Music or Environment

Heavy music, bright lighting, or even just watching a few hype clips can stimulate the right state.

4. Breathing Techniques (Fast and Sharp)

Try 30 seconds of fast nose inhales and mouth exhales to build tension.

5. Dynamic Warm-Ups

Ramp up intensity with explosive movements like jumps, skips, or shadowboxing.

6. Visualization

See yourself crushing the session before you start. The brain doesn't know the difference between real and imagined intensity.

My Personal Pre-Training Ritual

In a build up to competition I like to synchronise a lot of the above points into my own pre-training ritual.

We all listen to music in the shower right? I’ll jump into a warm shower initially, scrub myself off as I normally would but while I’m doing that I’m also practicing some visualision—the comp, the crowd, the energy, the feel of the bar in my hands, destroying the competition, holding the trophy up in the air and owning the podium like it was a catwalk—all while my hype song is bleeding full blast from the speaker in my phone. Just before the drop kicks in I’ll crank the cold water up to the max, jump back under and breath sharp and fast through the pain while still visualising all of the above to the sound of Slipknot reverberating off the tiles of the bathroom.

The next time I need a rocket up my ass all I have to do is play the drop of that same hype song which is already linked to a hyper aggressive mental image of me destroying the competition along with the intense physical sensation of icy cold water switching me from first gear straight into sixth.

Give this little hack a go and see how you get on.

How to Switch OFF (Parasympathetic Mode) for Recovery

You don’t grow in the gym. You grow when you recover. Here’s how to activate the parasympathetic state post-training and before sleep:

1. Box Breathing or 4-7-8 Breathing

Inhale 4s → Hold 7s → Exhale 8s
Slows heart rate and relaxes the nervous system.

2. Cold or Warm Showers (Depending on Context)

A short cold exposure can reduce inflammation and nudge you toward recovery but can have a negative effect on hypertrophy so keep that in mind.
A warm shower before bed helps wind the system down.

3. Get Outside

Light walking outdoors after training drops cortisol and helps shift into recovery.

4. No Phone Before Bed

Blue light and social scrolling = constant low-level stimulation. Switch it off 60 minutes before sleep.

5. Protein + Carb Post-Workout Meal

Supports glycogen replenishment and triggers muscle repair. Avoid high fats post-lift—they slow nutrient uptake.

6. Create a Wind-Down Routine

Same time, same steps—your body learns what to expect. Think: tea, stretching, journaling, or reading.

Nervous System Mastery = Elite Results

Most people overtrain or under-recover, not realising that they’re living in a constant state of sympathetic stress—emails, arguments, caffeine, Instagram, work deadlines. All that stacks up and keeps the pedal flat to the mat.

You’ll know you’re stuck in “on” mode if you:

Wake up tired despite a full night’s sleep
Feel wired but fatigued
Have trouble building muscle or losing fat despite hard training
Get sick or injured often
Have poor digestion or libido

The fix? Control the switches.
Train hard, then recover harder.

Final Thoughts from JMSTRENGTH

Progress isn’t just about how hard you can push—it’s about how well you can pull back. Learn to flip the switch on when it’s time to go, and back off when it’s time to recover.

If you want to build a body that looks good, feels strong, and performs well for the long haul, you need to master your nervous system.

This isn’t just science—it’s strategy.

At JMSTRENGTH, we don’t just hand out training plans. We teach you how your body works so you can get results that actually stick. Strength, nutrition, habits, recovery—it’s all part of the process.

James Morley