How sore is to sore to work out?

seniorbug2003
seniorbug2003 Posts: 67 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am sore today but not crazy sore. Just when I move a certain way do I really feel it. I worked out two days ago. Did weights, steps and treadmill. It was about an hour workout. How do you know it is okay to work out again?

Do I use the weights again or just do cardio? Any thoughts or ideas would be helpful.

Replies

  • emirror
    emirror Posts: 842 Member
    If I'm still sore on my next workout day, I start with some easy cardio to see if I can get my muscles to warm up and stop being sore. I don't work the same muscle groups consecutively, so if I did legs on Monday, Wednesday will be arms. If my legs still hurt by Friday, then I would think I had an injury, not just soreness.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    just follow your normal routine, when you get moving doing whatever the soreness will go away until later... your not going to hurt anything.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Keep going, if you wait until you aren't sore you just start the process all over again. Sore muscles mean you worked them, unless it's joint pain then carry on.
  • Ottawa_Randy
    Ottawa_Randy Posts: 42 Member
    My very best days are days when I feel it the next day.

    Doing a workout on my own I seldom get that except when changing up a routine, like doing flys on a workbench and stretching muscle groups in a new way. Also, in my 60's and when I do competative Dodgeball it takes a day to catch up.

    Other than small muscle rebuilding which leads to DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) watch for any non muscle related pain affecting joints/ligaments but eating right and continuing to exercise usually keeps the body running great as well as rebuilding new muscle fiber.
  • vlabbate
    vlabbate Posts: 2 Member
    Recovery is just as important as working out. Need to be disciplined on nutrition, and work out different parts of your body every other day / two days / daily / depending on fitness level.
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
    Some sore is probably OK.
    If you are so sore that you can't repeat your last workout, then you haven't recovered enough and need more time.

    When you introduce stress to muscles, they get tiny micro-tears in the fibers and need time to heal. When they heal, they get rebuilt better able to perform the work they were asked to do that caused the micro-tears in the first place. During this repair phase they are 'under construction' and can only work at a decreased capacity. This decreased capacity puts the muscle, and those associated with it at increased risk of real damage because not every fiber is working well, increasing stress on the others, which may dramatically overload them.

    Think about it this way: Hypothetically, you can currently lift 100 lbs. You work out with 100 and stress the muscles (above). You try to lift today, while your muscles are repairing. You find that you can only lift the same number of reps/sets if you use less weight, or the same weight, but less times. This is a clear indicator that you aren't recovered and need more rest. If you wait until you are barely sore, or the first day you aren't sore, you will be more adapted and can lift 105 lbs, or add a rep to each set of 100lbs.

    Contrary to popular belief, waiting until you aren't sore doesn't start you back at square one. Waiting 5-7 days probably will result in some de-training., but not 12-24 hours.

    Pushing through significant soreness will eventually (over weeks, or a couple months) lead to a state where the body is so badly in need of rest that there are no gains seen. You're so far 'in the hole' that the time it takes to repair the damage is the same amount of time it takes to lose anything you've built.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    If i'ts pain sore- from pulling something- then it's too sore to work out.

    But I've been barely able to walk from straight exercise soreness and I just go right back to it. I have no excuse other than injury/pain/strain to keep me from lifting. nope. no excuse.
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
    If i'ts pain sore- from pulling something- then it's too sore to work out.

    But I've been barely able to walk from straight exercise soreness and I just go right back to it. I have no excuse other than injury/pain/strain to keep me from lifting. nope. no excuse.

    Exactly this.

    I have worked out on DOMS so intense I could barely walk, surprisingly enough it made it all better :wink:
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    If i'ts pain sore- from pulling something- then it's too sore to work out.

    But I've been barely able to walk from straight exercise soreness and I just go right back to it. I have no excuse other than injury/pain/strain to keep me from lifting. nope. no excuse.

    You forgot illness, Jo.

    Also if you have a track day coming up. Might wanna take it easy a few days before. Gotta be 100% for that =)

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