Your recovery meal or snack should have just the right mix of carbohydrate and protein. This is easily attainable with a smoothie or shake, but not everyone has a smoothie bar around the corner or a blender in their backpack.

Fortunately, you don’t need a fancy drink to meet your nutritional needs. A simple and economical option is low-fat chocolate milk.

Your body absorbs animal protein most efficiently. And milk contains all of the essential amino acids needed to facilitate protein synthesis, reduce muscle breakdown and promote muscle growth. Its natural protein works with the carbs to restore glycogen, essential for muscle function. Chocolate milk, which has more carbs than plain milk, provides just the right ratio of carbohydrates to protein (about 3-4:1).

Milk is also renowned for having lots of calcium and vitamin D, both needed to keep bones strong. Another bonus is vitamin B, which helps keep your energy levels up. And don’t forget electrolytes—imperative for re-hydrating.  Milk contains sodium, potassium and magnesium, among other elements.

So next time you finish an intense workout or a tough game, try a cool glass of low-fat chocolate milk.

A muscle strain typically involves inflammation or swelling.   When an injury first occurs remember R.I.C.E. - Rest, Ice, Compression (with an elastic bandage – not too tight or left on for more than four hours at a time) and Elevation of the body part.  Then, once inflammation goes away and you’re on the mend (about 48-72 hours after the injury) heat can be applied to speed healing.  Heat can also be soothing if you’re just sore from your workout but don’t have an injury.  A hot bath makes you feel better by increasing blood flow and relaxing your muscles.

ASSESS THEIR TRAINING STYLE
The first, most obvious thing to evaluate is physical appearance. A trainer who stands at 6'2", 200 lbs. with 5% body fat is impressive—but is that what you want for yourself? Worse, of course, is if he’s out of shape. Make sure any trainer you size up can articulate the differences in his regimen from what he envisions for yours, and make sure to ask if he practices what he preaches.

Also, how are you best motivated? Do you require fatherly encouragement and gradual progress or does your inner fire come from being called a weak and worthless maggot? Know whether a trainer is Sergeant Slaughter or Dick Sergeant.

GET PERSONAL

Can you still be motivated to train if you hate your trainer? Get to know him by asking about his personal motivations for getting into fitness. Can he relate to you? Does his disposition and general outlook align with yours? Don’t be afraid to get personal and see if this is someone you wouldn't mind knocking you around.

SET GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS
Losing five pounds in a week is a goal; losing 20 pounds in a week is an amputation. Have a realistic idea of what you want from your training and know how your trainer plans to monitor your progress. How will he test you? What are his daily, weekly and monthly goals for you? Asking these questions will hold him accountable to deliver on his promises.

GAUGE HIS COMMITMENT
A training session may only last an hour, but the challenges of leading a healthy lifestyle are 24/7. Ask if you can reach him by phone, text or e-mail after hours. You never know when you might need some quick advice on what to eat at a restaurant or a tough decision between breads at the supermarket. How about a motivational email or message? A great trainer might be busy with other clients, but most will put forth the extra effort to be on hand in a pinch.

DEMAND A PORTFOLIO
Remember: you're hiring someone for a job. Solid, tangible evidence immediately increases a trainer’s credibility. So ask if he has a website, any published articles (only those appearing in reputable outlets apply) and/or testimonials from clients, which should be accompanied by before and after photos, details on how long it took to accomplish goals and the type of diet and training plan used to achieve them.

GET A TRIAL
Seeing him in action is the best way to know how well you work together. During this trial period observe:

• Does he use his cell phone while training? If so, cut.
• Does he engage in distracting conversations? If so, cut.
• Is he actively by your side for every rep, set and stride on the treadmill? Protein brownie points.

There are a lot of good trainers on the market, but the great ones go the extra rep. If you want to be really bold, make them put their money where their muscles are and request a money-back guarantee.

General goals like “weight loss” are fine, but having short-term and long-term goals is a better way to stay motivated and on track.  Think three weeks, three months, or three years down the road and decide on a specific goal.  Something like a marathon is an excellent ultimate goal that can motivate you, but all you really need is some point down the road that you’d like to get to.

The reason most people don’t make significant gains is they start out with a weak plan that’s just too aggressive. If you start at a slower level and build up more gradually, then you’re more liable to be successful.  Don’t expect that you’re going to get in great shape in a matter of weeks either, it’s just not going to happen.  Consistency is key.

If you are pressed for time, work smarter not harder.  To get the most out of your workout in the least amount of time, the goal is to keep your body moving.  This allows for maximum fat burn while still achieving maximum strength gains.  A great way to do this is by arranging your workouts in alternating sets or circuit training.  

Alternating sets involve alternating between exercises that train your body using two noncompeting movements. For example, you pair an upper-body exercise that works the muscles on your front side (a pushup or bench press) with a lower-body exercise that emphasizes the muscles on your back side (the deadlift). The idea is that you work a group of muscles with one exercise, but instead of sitting around for a full 2 or 3 minutes while that muscle group recovers, you perform an exercise that doesn't heavily engage those same muscles. As a result, you can cut your rest time in half or eliminate it completely.Circuit training is similar to alternating sets, except that they involve three or more exercises. You can rest after each exercise in the circuit, or only after the last exercise.

A 2011 Spanish study found that men who trained with circuits achieved the same gains as those who trained with straight sets, yet their workouts were 42%. But that's not to suggest you should hit the showers early. No, it means circuits and alternating sets can help you squeeze more total sets into the same sweat session. 

It has been seen that people achieve far better results when they do core exercises at the beginning of their workout instead of at the end.  The reason is that when training your core when your muscles are fresh you achieve the fastest gains in strength.  Focus on core strengthening exercise that allow you to prevent your spine from rounding, such as planks, mountain climbers, and even push-ups.  These type of exercises allow you to not only strengthen your stomach muscles, but also you side and lower back muscles.