Beef Stew & Barbell Science: How Your Nervous System Handles the Smoke

How Your CNS and ANS Respond to Different Types of Training

Training isn’t just about muscles.

Every workout you do impacts your nervous system — either stimulating it to push harder, or helping it recover to rebuild stronger.

Understanding how your Central Nervous System (CNS) and Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) respond to training helps you choose the right methods for performance, recovery, and long-term success.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to how it works.

Understand the Central Nervous System (CNS)

What It Does:

• The CNS controls strength, speed, coordination, and reaction time.

• Heavy strength training, explosive lifts, and high-intensity workouts all heavily tax the CNS.

• CNS fatigue feels like brain fog, slow reaction time, and a drop in motivation or physical sharpness.

Training That Hits It:

• Powerlifting (heavy squats, deadlifts, bench presses)

• Sprinting

• Olympic lifting

Heavy, explosive work demands serious recovery time because it stresses the brain and body connection.

Fact: CNS fatigue after heavy lifting can reduce strength, power output, and coordination for up to 48 hours if not properly managed.

Understand the Sympathetic Nervous System ("Fight or Flight")

What It Does:

• The Sympathetic Nervous System prepares your body for high-intensity action: faster heart rate, sharper reflexes, stronger blood flow.

• High-intensity training spikes sympathetic activity, putting you in "go mode."

Training That Activates It:

• HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)

• Muay Thai and combat training

• Sprinting circuits

Sympathetic activation is critical for peak performance, but too much without recovery leads to burnout.

Fact: High-frequency sympathetic activation without proper balance increases stress hormone levels and risk of overtraining syndrome.

Understand the Parasympathetic Nervous System ("Rest and Digest")

What It Does:

• The Parasympathetic Nervous System calms your body after stress, lowers heart rate, improves digestion, and promotes recovery.

• It’s activated by deep breathing, stretching, sleep, and restorative training methods.

Training That Supports It:

• Mobility work and stretching

• Breathwork and meditation

• Yoga and restorative movement sessions

Key Takeaway: Recovery sessions are not optional — they actively build your ability to train and perform harder over time.

Fact: Athletes with stronger parasympathetic regulation show faster recovery between training sessions and higher performance gains.

Balance Push and Recovery for Longevity

How to Apply It:

• Alternate high-CNS or high-sympathetic days (heavy lifting, HIIT) with parasympathetic-focused days (stretching, mobility, breathwork).

• Pay attention to signs of CNS fatigue: poor sleep, mood swings, slow movement, lack of sharpness.

• Remember that building a strong body means building a strong nervous system.

Key Takeaway: Smart training isn't just about working harder — it's about working smarter by training your nervous system as much as your muscles.

Master Your System, Master Your Performance

The strongest artists and athletes don’t just grind harder — they recover smarter.
By balancing how you train your nervous system, you set yourself up for sustainable performance on stage, on tour, and beyond.

The brain drives the body.

Protect both.