Muscle soreness and recovery

Gimsteinn

How are you guys dealing with soreness?
I feel like my muscles could really use a massage and I swear my bum and thighs and shoulders are killing me but I'm not seeing a masseuse and asking her to massage my thighs and butt.. that's just awkward.

I'm doing a bit of foam rolling but that *kitten* hurts like hell so I'm not doing as much of it as I should.. I'm hoping you guys have a magical solution for me ?

tiptoethruthetulips

Epsom salts bath and/or stretching.

Probably do not even need epsom salts, a good hot bath would probably help relieve some of the soreness.

banpluak

Hot bath and stretching will certainly help. Extra water intake to assist with any inflammation as well.

Other than that a light, aerobic, workout to warm the muscles back up and increase blood flow to the sore muscles.

If you can find a Thai massage style practitioner in your area this is excellent for sore muscles. It concentrates on directed pressure and stretching on ligaments, tendons and muscles. It can be a bit painful, tbh, but very effective.

trigden1991

Sufficient protein, sufficient recovery time, stretching.

stanmann571

The best thing for lactic acid poisoning(muscle soreness) is a light 15-20 minute cardio/aerobic session at 55-70% of max heart rate.

Hydration doesn't hurt either.

SideSteel

If possible, train a given body-part more frequently with slightly less volume per-session so that you're not reaching a level of soreness that requires any special treatment.

The repeated bout effect is something that kicks in to mitigate muscle damage and this combined with the fact that more frequent training means you can likely partition volume over more days means you'll not be nearly as sore.

BrianKMcFalls

Lots of people are big believers in foam rollers. I don't really worry about it. I just try and eat right, drink plenty of water and get 8 hours sleep at night. Then I go lift thru the soreness, it seems to go away by the time I get through my warmup sets.

Muscleflex79

myfitpqlstan136 wrote: »

The best thing for lactic acid poisoning(muscle soreness) is a light 15-20 minute cardio/aerobic session at 55-70% of max heart rate.

Hydration doesn't hurt either.

I thought it had been proven that muscle soreness is not, in fact, from lactic acid buildup - wasn't that proven to be a myth??

Cylphin60

I haven't dealt as much with soreness since incorporating a decent warm down period including stretches, usually 15 minutes or so. Stretching and staying limber is something I've badly neglected over the past year.

Willbenchforcupcakes

Lots of water, lots of walking, and just dealing with it. Not that I get super sore a lot anymore.

Azdak

Muscleflex79 wrote: »

myfitpqlstan136 wrote: »

The best thing for lactic acid poisoning(muscle soreness) is a light 15-20 minute cardio/aerobic session at 55-70% of max heart rate.

Hydration doesn't hurt either.

I thought it had been proven that muscle soreness is not, in fact, from lactic acid buildup - wasn't that proven to be a myth??

Yes--30 years ago.

not_a_runner

If you get a full body massage they will likely work on your thighs and butt without you having to ask. (Mine always does any way) I would also say that a deep tissue massage may "hurt" just as much as foam rolling, if not more. I am a big pansy when it comes to foam rolling on myself, buy my massage lady shows no mercy lol. Now that I've gone several times I'm significantly less tight so it doesn't hurt *as bad*.
I try to do my foam rolling and salt baths at home in addition to a weekly massage, but I was a "train wreck" and have some issues with my back that go beyond typical muscle soreness.

Jar_Rod44

Stretching and rolling with a softer foam roller...Immediately following Ur workout. That has always worked best for me

TR0berts

HeyaBerg wrote: »

I'm not seeing a masseuse and asking her to massage my thighs and butt.. that's just awkward.

So see a masseur and ask him to massage your thighs and butt.

Seriously, though, I have no problems seeing a masseuse and getting a full-body, including hams, quads, and glutes.

not_a_runner

TR0berts wrote: »

HeyaBerg wrote: »

I'm not seeing a masseuse and asking her to massage my thighs and butt.. that's just awkward.

So see a masseur and ask him to massage your thighs and butt.

Seriously, though, I have no problems seeing a masseuse and getting a full-body, including hams, quads, and glutes.

I demand whatever I want worked on haha. I paid for the dang thing, I'm getting my money's worth!

canadianlbs

foam roller isn't my favourite for certain muscles because awkward, especially when the muscles are sore.

a lacrosse ball (or other, but lacrosse ball is my favourite) up against a wall is my go-to for glute and upper hamstring massage. you can isolate more and also have better control over the degree of pressure, so maybe give that a try. for shoulders, i swear blind by those little 1-inch super-bouncy balls you can buy in packs of 6 from the party-favours section of toys 'r' us. or your local loonie store, if applicable.

quads can get super-painful and also be a real nuisance to rehab once they get short or tight. so much as i struggle with doing them and getting them right, stretching is truly a thing, especially for the i.t. and vmo area. i've never had that much success with foam-rolling quads for whatever reason.

capaul42

trigden1991 wrote: »

Sufficient protein, sufficient recovery time, stretching.

This.

Gimsteinn

Hey thanks guys. It wasn't soreness like the day after workouts, it was more like long term overuse of the muscle and needing a massage kinda thing. I went and got one and feel so much better now.
(Sorry that I wasn't clear.. English isn't my language)

evilokc

Up your protein and your muscles will heal faster. Worked for me

psuLemon

trigden1991 wrote: »

Sufficient protein, sufficient recovery time, stretching.

Adding carbs to the equations helps. Especially if those carbs contain magnesium/potassium.

SideSteel wrote: »

If possible, train a given body-part more frequently with slightly less volume per-session so that you're not reaching a level of soreness that requires any special treatment.

The repeated bout effect is something that kicks in to mitigate muscle damage and this combined with the fact that more frequent training means you can likely partition volume over more days means you'll not be nearly as sore.

And what this kid says.

serapel

I know it's not proven scientifically to work, but I swear by arnica cream!!!

serapel

I LOVE having my butt massaged

Dave_54

Is it pain or DOMS?
DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is the soreness that shows up 24-48 hours after the workout. Pain is a sharp discomfort that tells you something is wrong.

If DOMS, then proper cool down with stretching, post workout nutrition, and recovery time will help, although DOMS is not really a bad thing. It means your muscles are getting stronger as they recover.
At the conclusion of your workout the tendency is to just collapse on the couch. Although that feels good it really is a bad thing to do. Think of race horses at the conclusion of the race -- the trainers walk the horse around the track to help the muscle metabolic waste get flushed away and restore full blood flow to the muscle.
Post workout nutrition is not just protein, you need more carbs than protein initially, then increase the protein an hour or so later.
The proper rest period for a given muscle group is usually said to be 48 hours. That is a reasonable average for most people. It really varies with the individual and will vary with the workout. OTOH -- waiting too long will reduce the benefits. You will have to try different rest periods and see which works best for you.