Question for Seasoned Strength-Trainers...

woolnimals

I just started a cardio and strength training routine with my trainer. I've been doing strength training exercises (leg presses, tricep pull downs, planks, assisted push ups, etc) 2 x per week. Every single time my muscles hurt for days afterwards. Sometimes it hurts to brush my hair - my shoulders are really sore. Does this get better? I mean, eventually does it stop hurting so much? Or am I lifting too much?

For reference, it's mostly my arms and shoulders that hurt...and the weights I'm lifting vary between 20 - 50 pounds depending on the excercise. I'm doing 3 sets of 10, 2 x per week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Escape_Artist

You'll most likely get a bad case of DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness) the first couple of times, for most people it goes away after a week or two.
They are not an indicator of progress or that you are lifting too much weight, so don't worry about it

I don't get them anymore, unless I take 2 weeks off the gym, then I suffer for a week afterwards!


Push through it but also listen to your body. I personally find that lifting through the DOMS when I get them normally makes it better, it's when I'm inactive that it hurts like hell (huh like when I wake up in the morning, that first move is horrible)

They are the reason I don't take much time off the gym really, I hate the suffering lol

Yanicka1

as weird as it may seem, I sometime miss that pain LOL until i try a new exercise them I remember how it is. It will get better after a few session.

piperdown44

Yes it gets better but it will take some time for your body to adapt to lifting.

After a 3 year hiatus on lifting I started back up in June. Took approximately seven weeks for me to stop being sore for days on end. Now I only get sore if I push myself hard on a particular day otherwise I might be sore for just a day and it's over. And the soreness the next day is not that bad, I only notice it if I have to do something around the house that uses the same muscles. It's usually gone by the evening. Day after that I feel great.

Not everyone will respond the same. Your soreness may stop after a few weeks of lifting or it may take longer, but it does pass eventually.

JenBrown0210

You'll most likely get a bad case of DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness) the first couple of times, for most people it goes away after a week or two.
They are not an indicator of progress or that you are lifting too much weight, so don't worry about it

I don't get them anymore, unless I take 2 weeks off the gym, then I suffer for a week afterwards!


Push through it but also listen to your body. I personally find that lifting through the DOMS when I get them normally makes it better, it's when I'm inactive that it hurts like hell (huh like when I wake up in the morning, that first move is horrible)

They are the reason I don't take much time off the gym really, I hate the suffering lol

Thank goodness! I am so sore from starting lifting! I was thinking, I can't be sore like this all the time!

ironanimal

If it's sore, it's fine.

If it's painful - like stabbing pain, then stop and check your form.

DOMS will reduce over time if you keep up with the activity.

JTick

It does get better...once it goes away, make sure you keep up with your routine. If I take off more than a few days of lifting, I can't move after my next workout!

micheleb15

The first day I did assisted pull-ups with my trainer, I couldn't straighten my arms for 2 days and one became swollen. I was so worried I tore something because of the pain. It went away and never came back. I rarely get sore now. Don't stress too much about it.

woolnimals

Thanks everybody! I'm relieved that it will eventually go away! I can endure it from time to time, but I feel like if it hurt this bad every time I lifted, I would eventually get tired of it.

No_Finish_Line

its never as bad as the first time