Working out when your body is sore.

[VidelCoolGirl]

I know that a 'rest' day is a must for any regimen; but on those days you workout really hard, and you're sore as a result, whats the best way to get over it? Being sore can screw up how you perform an exercise, so is simple stretching the only way to get over it? Or should you just go with the flow, and 'no pain, no gain?'

[Jon]

Depends on what you're doing. For running, just go on a shorter/less intense run the next day, and a ice bath the night of the extreme workout.

[Holy Knight]

Stretching, warming up, easing yourself into the training is the way to go. And eating a lot of protein, too.

Ice baths is only if you need to do 4-5 hours+ of week-long intense training. I used to train like that, but I never took the plunge. Taking a shower in the morning and after training, and maximizing rest did the trick. Most of the time.

If Reidar were here, I'm sure he could tell you more. This isn't my area of expertise.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

I know that a 'rest' day is a must for any regimen; but on those days you workout really hard, and you're sore as a result, whats the best way to get over it? Being sore can screw up how you perform an exercise, so is simple stretching the only way to get over it? Or should you just go with the flow, and 'no pain, no gain?'

There's nothing wrong with working out when you're sore, as far as I know (I've done some research on it).

I've read before that stretching used to be a home remedy for soreness, but now recent studies show that is just bunk.

Some suggest ice or cool water, but in my experience it'll go away when it's done. I'd never take an ice bath myself, but it's a good idea to take "cool" showers after exercising, I read before it helps the muscles.

You can just keep exercising as long as it's not painful; as far as that's concerned you'll have to ask your own body.

I believe "next day soreness" is known as DOMS in medical talk, but I'm not sure.

Tl;dr = don't worry about it.

[Old Ape Face]

I know that a 'rest' day is a must for any regimen; but on those days you workout really hard, and you're sore as a result, whats the best way to get over it? Being sore can screw up how you perform an exercise, so is simple stretching the only way to get over it? Or should you just go with the flow, and 'no pain, no gain?'

Stretch either before or after you begin to lift weights, my friend suggests you stretch after so that your muscles get a chance to relax from the heavy work out.

That soreness is natural, it's your muscle cells rebuilding themselves from being pulled apart during your work out. When the cells rebuild they fill in the parts that have been torn (thus increasing your muscle size/strength).

My work out routine is to exercise one part of the body at a time and every other day. So your body has a chance to heal before you go out again.

I don't remember the number of reps per exercise you're supose to do, but it's recommended to do 3 sets of reps in the whole day.

the first time you start to lift weights always makes your body hurt, but it will stop hurting the more you exercise. (I've gotten to the point where I can barely walk up stairs since I've run so much.

Also cardio exercise is always necessary before a work out, run at least a mile, or for about 30 mins before you lift weights, this is like stretching but it lets your body absorb tension better after.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

Stretch either before or after you begin to lift weights, my friend suggests you stretch after so that your muscles get a chance to relax from the heavy work out.

I prefer before, myself.




I don't remember the number of reps per exercise you're supose to do, but it's recommended to do 3 sets of reps in the whole day.

Some numbers I hear echoched a lot are 5 reps on heavy weight for strength, 8-12 for muscle growth, and 12+ for endurance. That's hotly debated though.



Also cardio exercise is always necessary before a work out, run at least a mile, or for about 30 mins before you lift weights, this is like stretching but it lets your body absorb tension better after.

I've never heard that anywhere. I've heard lots and lots of "Should I cardio before or after lifting" discussions though, and all it really comes down to is what helps you. I do cardio after weights, but never right after, a few hours afetrwards infact.

[VidelCoolGirl]

Yeah, all I know is that right now, my abs are killing me. I jut tried to do a few situps, and I'm not doing them right, which tells me that my body is sore enough to cause me to mess up my workout. So ice would help all this? Or just taking a break for today?

[Holy Knight]

Oh, it's THAT kind of soreness. Man, I haven't felt that since I was 12 and started doing some real exercising. That takes me back to those long days of training...

<cough>

Well, don't overexert yourself, especially since it seems you're just starting to make some serious workouts.

Rest is the very best remedy. Ice bath is only if you're already fit, but need to get better in little time. Yeah, just eat lots of protein, stretch/warmup, but don't exercise, and just rest. Pace yourself, and you'll get the hang of it.

If you really, really need to keep exercising, take a good shower before training, and a nice, hot bath after. Ice bath is really only for extreme stretching/exercising at higher levels. Like, if you're trying to do the split in less than one month, and you've never stretched in your life before or something like that.

From what I gather, this is the first time you've exercised like this? If that's the case, overexertion is your worst enemy. The last thing to do when starting exercise like this is pile up too much of it. You need to set a reasonable level for starting off, then gradually add to it. You might hit some periods where you see a sudden jump in ability. This diminishes the more you train, but they're great motivators to keep going.

About sit-ups, I think I recall Reidar saying they were terrible for your lower back muscles, and vertebral column. Don't quote me on this. However, running does reinforce abs and make them more defined. So I'd either do crunches instead or just run.

[VidelCoolGirl]

I have one of those ab balls, and I only use it as a cooldown. Like, if I feel the need to do a few sets before bed, or in the morning. This doesn't usually happen, but I was trying a new exercise, and did two sets of 40. It felt great afterwards, but after running this morning, I realized that yeah, I'm hella sore. I'm going to take it easy tomorrow. This happened before once, and it lasted for about a week.

[Bisu]

Lawl... posted in the wrong in thread... *deletes and reposts* Anyway...

About sit-ups, I think I recall Reidar saying they were terrible for your lower back muscles, and vertebral column. Don't quote me on this. However, running does reinforce abs and make them more defined. So I'd either do crunches instead or just run. Correct:

> Never do sit-ups. They place emphasis on the Psoas muscles; the abdominals don't actually contract during the movement, but act merely as stabilizers, rendering them an inadequate ab exercise. They also attenuate the vertebrae in the lower-back, since the Psoas muscles are tugging at the spine when they're contracted in such a position. As the back begins to arch, the vertebral column surrounding the Psoas attachment grind together, which can lead to chronic back pain as a result of disk degeneration.

Also:

Sit-ups are utter garbage. Avoid.

Train with crunches, weighted crunches, reverse crunches, and leg-raises. Lift and bleed red; don't zone out and do endless repetitions. If you're doing it correctly, you should be able to do no more than 20-30 reps, and even less when using weights.

And in case you don't have access to a gym, he sent me a routine (http://www.trainforstrength.com/workout1.shtml) that doesn't require equipment.

And about stretching before exercising... I recall reading from a reliable source that it's best if done after a 15-minute warm up. Stretching cold muscles (i.e., you've been sitting on a chair all day and suddenly decide to stretch) is detrimental. But as usual, we need Reidar to verify it. -_-;

[taily]

If you're just acheing in one body part, try excerising another (e.g speed-walking if your arms are killing you, Weight lifting if your legs hurt). If you're sore all over, it means you've done plenty of excerise and you should have a well-derserved rest until it's bearable to workout again :)

[Holy Knight]

And about stretching before exercising... I recall reading from a reliable source that it's best if done after a 15-minute warm up. Stretching cold muscles (i.e., you've been sitting on a chair all day and suddenly decide to stretch) is detrimental. But as usual, we need Reidar to verify it. -_-;

I can corroborate that from experience. It isn't detrimental, but warming up makes the muscles more limber, thus you're less stressed from inactivity, and it's easier to stretch.

It should be said that stretching involves the nervous system. You're not trying to elongate the muscle. Rather, you're trying to ease your mind into letting go of its natural reflexes. There isn't any physical reason for you not to be able to do the split or touch your toes (barring physical defects). Stress the muscle too much, and it's likely to rupture. It's all in the mind, and how much you can relax.

[Meegle]

And in case you don't have access to a gym, he sent me a routine (http://www.trainforstrength.com/workout1.shtml) that doesn't require equipment.

Hey thanks for the lilnk. I think Im actually gonna try this.

[Rurouni Saiyan]

Working through the pain can be good to test your physical and mental dexterity, but I'd advise against it. One principal I follow in training is to treat your body well and give it rest. In the end, your body is going to have the final say-so in what it wants. I'm sure you've felt this many a time being a college student and getting up for classes and what not, so there are days where you mind says "yes", but your body will yell "hell no!".

[Reidar]

You should not be stretching before lifting weights.

"Stretching appears to decrease muscle force output in a single joint isometric contraction and rate of force development in a multiple joint isometric contraction."
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2005.00495.x?cookieSet=1&journalCode=sms

"After finding that quadriceps strength was reduced by 12% after static stretching, Canadian scientists concluded that ‘it would be difficult to imagine that overall athletic performance would be consistently enhanced if, following acute bouts of prolonged stretching, force output was diminished (18). Indeed, the same group later demonstrated that running and practice jumps had a positive influence on jumping performance, whilst static stretching of the knee extensors had a negative influence on jumping performance (19)."
18. Can J Appl Physiol 2001; 26:261-72
19. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2003; 43:21-7

[The Collector]

Why do 20, 30, 40 crunches? Do you do 20, 30, 40 bi-cep curls? Strengthen your core with static holds and transverse ab exercises.

Depending on what you're you're goals are, but if you're looking a for a more athletic look, you can workout everyday. Have heavy days and light days.

If you feel pain, you're not doing proper form.

[VidelCoolGirl]

Why do 20, 30, 40 crunches? Do you do 20, 30, 40 bi-cep curls? Strengthen your core with static holds and transverse ab exercises.

Depending on what you're you're goals are, but if you're looking a for a more athletic look, you can workout everyday. Have heavy days and light days.

If you feel pain, you're not doing proper form.

I do them as warm ups. Not for training purposes. Usually if I'm antsy or something, I'll do a few situps and crunches, but its not something thats part of my routine by any means. Static Holds are fun and hard. Those ARE part of my regimen.

I do workout everyday, but sometimes on the really heavy days, I end up doing more exercises with more weight. Although the soreness only lasts a day, I tend to just not do exercises where I'm sore. I still go workout.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

You can do cardio every day, (at least I do), but don't do weight training every day unless you're doing a different body part every day. That's why you often hear weight lifters talk about "leg days" and "chest days."

When you say satic hold, do you mean these? http://www.workoutz.com/exercise/static_v_hold

[VidelCoolGirl]

I do one where you do a crunch with your abs flexed, stay that way, then take ten seconds to lower yourself back to the floor. Its pretty tough, at least doing a bunch in a row.

I try and do cardio everyday, but I don't weight lift everyday. I may do a set of lifting, as a warm up, but thats as far as it goes. Only a few times a week for me.

[Spadesy]

@Prons,

I've never heard that anywhere. I've heard lots and lots of "Should I cardio before or after lifting" discussions though, and all it really comes down to is what helps you. I do cardio after weights, but never right after, a few hours afetrwards infact.

Cardio certainly helps before lifting, I've done it myself. I would always be able to do calisthenics or lift easier, for a few more reps when my blood was flowing after a good run.

[Reidar]

Unless it's no more than a light, five-minute warm-up, you'll want to separate cardio from weight training because they use two different energy pathways (liver glycogen vs. muscle glycogen), which calls for conflicting post-workout nutrition (fructose vs. glucose). Combining the two also enhances the rate of muscle catabolism that is liable to occur when you lift.

I warm-up by doing sets of the bar. If it's squat day I'll do Muay Thai knees to get my hip flexibility prime, and if it's an upper-body day I'll swing my arms around or do some light shadowboxing. Minimal plyometrics are an especially good performance-enhancer before lifting.

[Old Ape Face]

Unless it's no more than a light, five-minute warm-up, you'll want to separate cardio from weight training because they use two different energy pathways (liver glycogen vs. muscle glycogen), which calls for conflicting post-workout nutrition (fructose vs. glucose). Combining the two also enhances the rate of muscle catabolism that is liable to occur when you lift.

I warm-up by doing sets of the bar. If it's squat day I'll do Muay Thai knees to get my hip flexibility prime, and if it's an upper-body day I'll swing my arms around or do some light shadowboxing. Minimal plyometrics are an especially good performance-enhancer before lifting.

So when is a good time to do Cardio when you're weight lifting? or should they be done on completely different days, like first day is running the next is weights, the next is runs exc...

Also I seem to hold a lot of pre meditated energy without doing any cardio, like I did 3 sets of 5 80 pound squat reps (Yeah I know it's light but I'm not at that point to try the heavy stuff yet), and I'm not exhausted at all.

however if I go running for like 30 minuets, I'll run out of energy so fast and becuase of my Asthma I have to fight my endurance level harder.

But lifting weights is no problem.

the only problem I have with weights is I rarely have a spotter, so if I know I can't make the next rep I quit it right there without a second thought. I do like 2 reps, and then pause for like a minuet and then i do 2 more reps. Eventually I want to be able to lift that weight for 5 reps at a time perfectly.

Dark Red = I was bench pressing about 110 using a 40-50 pound standard sized bar + 2x25 pound weights on each end. So it's about 90-100 pounds.

Squats I can do 80 pounds perfectly.

[fujyoshi]

I exercise 5 days a week and rest on saturdays and sundays. There are times where I end up sore in some areas but then I work another area (:

[Reidar]

You can do them on the same day, but get a meal or two in between sessions.

You shouldn't go to muscle failure, so it's good to stop in advance before you do, but if you use a power rack at the gym, there should be safety bars you can set (seen in my video, for instance). I never use a spotter.

[Old Ape Face]

You can do them on the same day, but get a meal or two in between sessions.

You shouldn't go to muscle failure, so it's good to stop in advance before you do, but if you use a power rack at the gym, there should be safety bars you can set (seen in my video, for instance). I never use a spotter.

I noticed those bars, and unfortunately the low quality rack I have in my basement lacks those safety bars, so I don't take any ricks if I know I can't push up in the next rep.

But I use what I can, I got the weights for free from my uncle but never cared to use them till now, they lack Weight Clips (the things that keep the plates on the bar if you tip it over,) but my theory is if you don't tip the bar you wont loose the weights, thus the clips are not needed.

Concrete floors are bad if you drop heavy weights too. just becuase Concrete can hold a 400 ft building doesn't mean it can bend just as easily.

[Spadesy]

It can be a pain in the butt (literally) to recover from soreness...usually I just stretch the best I can and just work through it, and it goes away eventually. Soreness usually happens when you don't do a certain exercise for a long time (a week or so) and your body has to get used to it again. If the soreness becomes such an issue that you can't function properly, it's best to hydrate a lot and use ice to speed up recovery time. But it'll go away as you keep performing, gradually.

[Old Ape Face]

that soreness I was talking about in the other thread about my Quads, I must not have pulled them too hard becuase after a bunch of stretching that pain went away within a day or 2 just in time for my next training session.