Working Out When Sore

Thicc_Ziba

If I have had a day to rest but my legs are still sore, is it okay to work out?

I CAN work out, I am not in an extreme amount of pain but I am still dubious about working body parts that are sore because I feel like its their way or saying they need more rest.

What do you gainers usually do?

Thanks!!!

richardgavel

There is a difference between pain and sore. If sore, you might be ok working out, but I'd lower the weight, add reps, make it a less intense session.

yasho13

Hii
yes you can workout when you're sore, it will help you recover easily. How come?
Read this term DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness

What is DOMS?
DOMS is seen as a dull, aching pain which affected in the muscle, regularly combined with stiffness. The main is felt just when you stretch your muscles, contract them or when you pressurize your muscles, not when it at rest. The stiffness is a symptom of DOMS, and is referred as muscular mechanical hyperalgesia.
What causes DOMS?
The pain is thought to be a result of contractile tissue microtrauma, which is a mechanical damage to the muscle on a certain small scale. One causative agent is hydroxyproline, one of the amino acids that spills into the interstitial spaces following microtrauma to muscle cells. Remember, muscle cell walls are constructed of connective tissue. Over a period of 24-48hrs, hydroxyproline eventually reaches enough never endings for u to feel a deep, often excruciating pain. This is because hydroxyproline is highly caustic to nerve endings, and irritates them. DOMS is increased with eccentric exercise. What doesn't cause DOMS?
We used to think that lactic acid causes DOMS but it's not. Lactic acid is dispersed and cleared from the body withing 1-2hrs following intense exercise. DOMS is a result of exposure to new movements and range of motion. Now how get rid of it? You can reduce DOMS with several ways- temperature manipulation, stretching, myofascial work, spa, etc. The best way to get rid of it is to exercise when you're sore with proper warm up.

Regards,
Yashovardhan Singh
Intern at Getsetgo.fitness

sardelsa

As long as it's not pain from an injury, I typically work through some soreness. I have heard it's good to work through it so that your muscles can adapt and be less sore with time. Which I have found to be true. It is normal to be a bit more sore in the beginning, especially when starting a new program or adding more volume.

DancingMoosie

I workout everyday. Some days I'm sore, some not. I might modify if really sore, but I'm always doing something.

edickson76

As others have said, generally speaking you should be fine to work out. That said you may have pulled a muscle (more than a microscopic tear). Monitor your body and see how the workout goes. For example, if during warm-up you are experiencing pain while doing a warmup set, then ease off the intensity or rest it another day.

watts6151

If I didn't workout when I was sore,
I'd never workout

VintageFeline

I find it expedites the easing of the soreness. So if I can just get myself going I know the next day my DOMS will be far less than they would have been had I had another rest day.

Gallowmere1984

VintageFeline wrote: »

I find it expedites the easing of the soreness. So if I can just get myself going I know the next day my DOMS will be far less than they would have been had I had another rest day.

This. Letting sore muscles sit is one of the worst things to do, in my experience. Hell, I don't even have real rest days anymore. My recovery days don't involve lifting, but I still hit some LISS on either a recumbent bike after lower body days, and elliptical after upper. Getting everything moving and blood flowing makes the soreness evaporate for me.

Chadxx

You absolutely work through soreness. Pain from an injury, on the other hand, is another matter entirely.

lifestylechange888

I find it often takes the soreness away! As I tell my kids, walk it off!

jseams1234

However, I'd like to point out that you shouldn't overtrain when lifting either. If you just hit a muscle group hard on Monday - you shouldn't be hitting that same muscle group on Tuesday. Recovery time is equally (if not more) important... I was just thinking this as at my gym there is this skinny kid who comes in almost every day and just does heavy bi's and tri's for an hour and a half. I'm not there on the weekend, but I suspect he's probably doing that 7 days a week.

ritzvin

The soreness will likely go away once you warm up - you might need a longer warmup session before lifting if you are extra sore.

Chieflrg

Sore from DOMs or even injury can be worked through in most cases.

kdiamond

Try taking BCAA's during or after workout (during is best) and an Epsom salt bath at night to ease soreness.

I often workout when sore since I train 5-6 times a week but both of these things have helped reduce the soreness.

Thicc_Ziba

watts6151 wrote: »

If I didn't workout when I was sore,
I'd never workout

I was talking about a single muscle tho (i.e. training legs every other day even when they are sore.)

Thicc_Ziba

jseams1234 wrote: »

However, I'd like to point out that you shouldn't overtrain when lifting either. If you just hit a muscle group hard on Monday - you shouldn't be hitting that same muscle group on Tuesday. Recovery time is equally (if not more) important... I was just thinking this as at my gym there is this skinny kid who comes in almost every day and just does heavy bi's and tri's for an hour and a half. I'm not there on the weekend, but I suspect he's probably doing that 7 days a week.

YES! THIS IS THE ANSWER I WAS LOOKING FOR!

lpzsaray22

Try foam rolling and always give yourself rest days to give your muscles time to recover.