Can't walk after workout

spyro88

I had my first personal training session on Tuesday morning. We did lots of resistance stuff, all outdoors so mostly body weight, resistance bands etc. There was a lot of squatting and lunges.

I am a 32 year old woman currently weighing about 200lbs. Even though I was going to the gym before our most recent lockdown closed it, I am not fit. I was mostly doing cardio stuff. I did manage to lose 13lbs doing this but because the gym has closed I needed to find an alternative - hence the PT sessions!

After the session my legs felt very "wobbly" and weak and I struggled walking home and getting up the stairs to my flat. When I woke up the next day (yesterday) I could barely walk, it was so painful. Anything that meant I had to put weight on my legs was very very difficult. Today it is marginally better, but I'm still struggling quite a lot. I've done all the rememedies, stretching, massage, hot bath, etc. so I don't need suggestions for that.

My question is, is this normal for a first workout with a PT?

Did she push me too hard? Did I push myself too hard? It felt OK at the time of doing it.

And most importantly, should I go back next week? Will it happen again or will I be a bit stronger next time? I am very worried about this happening again next week because it has pretty much put me out of action for 2 days. I know it can be "no pain no gain" but this seems a bit ridiculous.

ninerbuff

All normal. Depending on the intensity of the workout will usually dictate the level of soreness. IMO, you should be sore, but not so much to the point that you feel you can't walk. It SHOULD hurt for a few days but after day 3 you should be mostly recovered enough to attempt it again. The body adapts quick so consistent exercise will lead to less and less soreness..........until you do something that the body is NOT accustomed to. For instance I know a lot of people who run on a treadmill daily, but then go run on the road and are sore then next day. There is a difference running on a treadmill and running on the road.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Mithridites

My sympathy to a fellow DOMS victim. In my experience the next time it hurts a little less. Add plenty of Epsom salt to your bath. Suggest to your trainer to dial it back just a smidge. Not being able to function for days after a workout sort of defeats the purpose for me, but more hardcore posters may disagree. Ultimately it's your decision what amount of pain you are willing to tolerate for the gains.

spyro88

Thank you.

I'm wondering if I should attempt the same workout again next week or ask her to lower the level a bit and do fewer squats/lunges. If I do the same again next week is it likely to hurt less?

It actually wasn't that intense (for a normal person) but I am very unfit so it was for me.

SnifterPug

Tell your trainer. It is quite likely that doing the same again next week will result in some DOMS but not nearly as bad as this time. Since you weren't getting any issues while actually doing the workout it's not really something you can adjust for on the fly but she should have some ideas of where to tweak the workout if necessary. I assume that you do some stretches at the end of the session. If you don't then you must do some at home (ask her to show you some) and even if you do I'd recommend doing them again at home in the warm, at least after the first few sessions until you get used to it.

jeri30

I suggest reading this about DOMS: What Is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and What Can You Do About It?

https://www.healthline.com/health/doms

I get that sore after the first mowing and sacking of grass clippings of the year or when I start up with too much exercise after not doing it for a while. I feel like I've been hit by a semi truck.

Doms is caused by tiny tears in your muscles from exercise and your body needs fuel to repair them. The tears are a good thing! They get repaired and you get stronger.

I've found getting some protein and carbs in after my workout helps a lot with that.

I tried the chocolate milk after workout/mowing and it almost totally eliminated the soreness for me. YMMV. Depending on your workout, you may not want to drink it every time.

https://www.popsci.com/post-workout-recovery-snack-chocolate-milk/

HTH.

cwolfman13

spyro88 wrote: »

I had my first personal training session on Tuesday morning. We did lots of resistance stuff, all outdoors so mostly body weight, resistance bands etc. There was a lot of squatting and lunges.

I am a 32 year old woman currently weighing about 200lbs. Even though I was going to the gym before our most recent lockdown closed it, I am not fit. I was mostly doing cardio stuff. I did manage to lose 13lbs doing this but because the gym has closed I needed to find an alternative - hence the PT sessions!

After the session my legs felt very "wobbly" and weak and I struggled walking home and getting up the stairs to my flat. When I woke up the next day (yesterday) I could barely walk, it was so painful. Anything that meant I had to put weight on my legs was very very difficult. Today it is marginally better, but I'm still struggling quite a lot. I've done all the rememedies, stretching, massage, hot bath, etc. so I don't need suggestions for that.

My question is, is this normal for a first workout with a PT?

Did she push me too hard? Did I push myself too hard? It felt OK at the time of doing it.

And most importantly, should I go back next week? Will it happen again or will I be a bit stronger next time? I am very worried about this happening again next week because it has pretty much put me out of action for 2 days. I know it can be "no pain no gain" but this seems a bit ridiculous.

DOMS is completely normal when you're doing something new and/or coming back from a long hiatus. I'm just getting back into the weight room after more or less of a hiatus of 9 months, give or take a random session here and there. I took it very easy relative to what I could actually do and I was very sore.

I'm just getting back to actually training both in the weight room and on my bike from a long COVID hiatus...I remained somewhat active, but I wasn't really training...I've had to ramp up over the last few weeks...more rest/recovery days early on, and now going into having one or two recovery days.

heybales

spyro88 wrote: »

Thank you.

I'm wondering if I should attempt the same workout again next week or ask her to lower the level a bit and do fewer squats/lunges. If I do the same again next week is it likely to hurt less?

It actually wasn't that intense (for a normal person) but I am very unfit so it was for me.

If it made you miss a workout, then back off a bit so you can get the extra workout in.

If you weren't going to anyway, it'll probably be a tad better this week anyway, and less next time, ect.

And it's good to walk through the recovery to aid blood flow to help.

sijomial

Talk to your trainer - they aren't mind-readers and won't know what reaction you got to the first workout. Part of their role is to help manage your training stress and progression.

Some soreness is totally normal, debilitating pain is too much, too soon.

spyro88

Thank you all, haha I love the idea of the chocolate milk! Although I am trying to lose weight so a bit worried abotu calories if I make that a habit!

I have contacted my trainer about it and hopefully we will be able to adjust for it next time. It's now 3 days since the workout and I'm still not walking normally so I don't think it should be this bad!

ninerbuff

spyro88 wrote: »

Thank you all, haha I love the idea of the chocolate milk! Although I am trying to lose weight so a bit worried abotu calories if I make that a habit!

I have contacted my trainer about it and hopefully we will be able to adjust for it next time. It's now 3 days since the workout and I'm still not walking normally so I don't think it should be this bad!

3 days out with still a lot of soreness means it may have been too intense. But that's why communication with your trainer is important. Many of us work with a lot of people so it's not unusual to forget how hard you can actually train someone without going overboard.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Speakeasy76

Like others have said, if it impacts your ability to do everyday things to a significant degree, especially 3 days out, I'd talk to your trainer. If she tells you it's normal and to push through it, I'd find a new one. Having said that, again, anytime you do something new or different, especially if you've been active, you will be sore and you may even feel it when you walk.

There seems to be a belief with some people who strength train that intense soreness like that is some badge of pride, but really, it can slow down progress.

Lietchi

I get extreme DOMS like that with very high reps (as opposed to classic weight training, with lower reps and higher weights, which give me 'normal' DOMS).

The worst was when I worked as an order picker at a conveyor belt for a full day. For some of the products I had to kneel down, under the conveyor belt. I felt fine at the end of the day, after kneeling down and standing up again all day long, but I could barely move/bend my legs the next days.

I'd definitely ask them to tone it down a little next time 🙂

westrich20940

1. Tell this to your trainer. It's normal to be sore, even very sore, the next day but if it's going to affect your ability to like....do the stuff you need to do for the day - it's too much. Not necessarily like too much for training but you just don't need to train that hard for what you're wanting to do - just get into better shape.
2. Once you feel good enough - so maybe not the next day but on day 2, go for a short walk....that will help with the soreness as well.
3. This is just my opinion...but I think your trainer should have warned you about the soreness....especially if they knew you were fairly unfit. I know it's probably hard for them to keep that in mind but it can lead to ppl straight up giving up....so I think they should work hard to remember that they may need to warn/prepare ppl for what it's going to feel like. Especially because a trainer or a more fit person is better at knowing what is pain you need to worry about vs. pain you don't need to worry about. It can really scare people.

springlering62

BTW you will probably notice an upswing in your weight. Your body will retain water to direct to and repair the sore parts of your body.

I would politely expect you to have quite a bit of water retention, based on what you describe.

Don’t let the temporary weight gain get you down.

Buck up, This is the worst. If your consistent, it will get better from here!

And after a particularly painful case of DOMS, maybe make sure you “go” before you leave the house the next few days, so you don’t get caught in public with your pants down, so to speak. Been there done that.