Body aching the next day after weightlifting

Phill2488

I don't go insane lifting weight. I do 3 sets of 12 but the next day my body always aches. Should decrease the amount of weight I'm lifting or decrease the amount of sets/reps I'm doing? I know of the saying ''no pain, no gain'' but i don't wanna risk injuring myself

This is what I do:

Monday - Arms, shoulders chest

Wednesday - Back and abs

Friday - Legs

chani8

When I don't get that burn, I'm disappointed. I love it!!

The better shape you're in, the harder it is to burn out the muscles.

Give it a month or so and see if the burn goes down. When I first started working out, I hurt. A lot. You could be doing too much for now, if you're a newby.

neandermagnon

if it's a general ache that hurts more when you move around, and also you may feel a bit stiff... that's normal. Don't decrease your reps or anything because of this. Just make sure you're getting adequate rest between workouts (each muscle group/body part should get a day's rest at least, so if you do legs on monday, you don't do legs on tuesday but you can do legs again on wednesday.... if you're doing a whole body workout then don't do it on two consecutive days. this wont' reduce the amount of achiness, but it's important in order to give your muscles adequate time to recover.

If it's a sharp pain or if you're in enough pain to stop you being able to walk and do normal things, that's an injury and should be treated

note: being unable to sit on the toilet easily after leg day isn't an injury... in normal recovery there's a degree to which doing stuff hurts and you have to do some things more carefully... but if (for example) you can't put your weight on your leg because your knee hurts then that's an injury. Or if you pull a muscle (as opposed to normal soreness) then it is a sharp pain that limits the amount you can use that muscle.

rkaid

DOM's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness

People get it when a) They've started training again or b) you hit muscles particularly hard.

beertrollruss

You're too young to be overly sore. If you're putting maximum effort into every workout and doing every set to failure or beyond, you're probably overdoing it. It's easy to let your enthusiasm get the best of you when you're just starting out. The body has to be trained to get stronger and workouts need to be cycled for optimal results. I recommend Jim Stoppani's Encyclopedia of Strength for additional guidance on workouts.

You may also be short on rest and food. I consume a gram of protein per pound of lean bodyweight on rest days and a little more protein on workout days. The extra protein helps with recovery.

Blokeypoo

Bump for later because the discomfort is making me think of stopping. I don't mind the discomfort as such but hate feeling limited when need to run around at work or do other stuff.

I am already pretty strong but not from formal lifting so am finding it hard to get used to and not enjoying the formality of it at the mo. I'm sure I need to get over it but have always struggled with formal exercise (I like 4 season mountain walking, nordic walking, mini tramp - because it makes me giggle - and wts machines) and am worried about shaking up the changes I have made over recent years as they have served me well.

I also find the internal shakiness feeling during exercise horrible, it reminds me of a negative adrenaline/anxiety rush - does everyone get that?! My BP is low which maybe doesn't help. I am a nurse so know to drink lots (I pee like a racehorse!) and manage blood sugars etc. but not sure if everyone feels like this.

elroberto78

Is the pain in your muscle bellies or in the joints/tendons? The first is good and you will notice it less over time, the second not so much. Be careful when you exercise with weights to use proper form. If you don't know what the proper form for the exercises you're doing are then I would recommend checking it on youtube. That can certainly help to prevent joint and tendon injuries from repeatedly occurring. The muscular ache will start to lessen as your body adapts to training. I just get a dull ache the day after training which soon passes now but is a sign that my workout was effective.

eating4me

Bromelain, BCAA's, and L-glutamine will help a lot with DOM's, as will making sure you have a recovery meal or shake immediately after working out (high in protein and carbs). You need to refuel your muscles within a 30-45 minute window after exercise to aide in recovery. Ideally, a great protein shake immediately afterwards, followed by a high protein meal an hour afterwards. Epsom salts bath soaks also help, if you're really sore. These are the things that have helped me on a regular basis, and I lift heavy. You will find other recommendations, but this is what helps me. If you are new to lifting, you will adjust to a certain level of soreness after workouts. As someone else said, you may be overdoing it if you can barely move.

JoRocka

DOM's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness

People get it when a) They've started training again or b) you hit muscles particularly hard.

doesn't sound at all like DOMS.

sounds like regular lifting achy.

I pretty much live in that state of being all the time at this point.

SezxyStef

DOM's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness

People get it when a) They've started training again or b) you hit muscles particularly hard.

doesn't sound at all like DOMS.

sounds like regular lifting achy.

I pretty much live in that state of being all the time at this point.

I agree...DOMS and regular ache are different.

I had DOMS when I first started bodyweight exercises...after not exercising for years...it hurt to walk, it hurt to laugh, it hurt to sit down it just hurt...

After a day of lifting I am a little sore and when I move I know I worked out the day before but it goes away when I lift again.

scooterjay_wwis

I used to hurt terribly when I first started lifting. Now I'm just a little stiff and sore the next day.
Lets me know I did a good job.

SingingSingleTracker

I don't go insane lifting weight. I do 3 sets of 12 but the next day my body always aches. Should decrease the amount of weight I'm lifting or decrease the amount of sets/reps I'm doing? I know of the saying ''no pain, no gain'' but i don't wanna risk injuring myself

This is what I do:

Monday - Arms, shoulders chest

Wednesday - Back and abs

Friday - Legs

Welcome to working out. 30+ years at it to date and the aches are still there.

Get used to it...

cccoursey

I used to feel that way the day after Stronglifts once the weight got heavy....well heavy for me. I finally hit a point where I was no longer feeling that the day after. Just everyday. Eventually I got to the point that even though I was hitting my limits and having to deload regularly and I wasn't feeling anything. I didn't like that so I swapped up to higher rep sets to get that feeling back. Okay maybe a little masochistic but it makes me happier. However, if it is specific to muscle or location there may be a muscular or skeletal imbalance.

I mention it only because it is something I have had to deal with. That kind of pain isn't the typical soreness that drains away over time. It was constant sharp pain whenever I moved those locations. It was specific to my right shoulder and the adductor brevis in my left thigh. After having repeated pain in the same areas over and over that never seemed to fade I spoke with my doctor about my concern. We had some x-rays taken and found that it was due to a slight twist in my hips when standing. Basically a mild case of scoliosis. My left hip naturally twists forward when standing. As a result I would end up putting more downward pressure on it making it want to turn inward at the hip even when pressing my knees outward. To compensate for the motion on the left my right side was rising first. Thus the right shoulder taking the weight when pressing or lifting up. It was causing severe pain with squats and deadlifts. Once I understood this I was more mindful of centering my stance and letting my left be slightly further back than my right. Making especially sure my stance is open enough. Since this is a twist forward and not a height issue a shoe lift is not a fix as I have often been asked.

I am not suggesting to you or anyone that you or anyone else has an imbalance. You did not mention anything about a specific pain you just mentioned body aches. However, if you or anyone has pain when lifting be mindful of it. Check your form. Do a mental checklist and engage the muscles before the lift. Give yourself warmup reps to make sure you aren't feeling 'off' before you lift heavier weight. Lifting has made the best changes in my life and has also made me more aware of myself. I suggest it to everyone. Soreness is typical and to me a required aspect.

bostonwolf

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

Stretch and foam roll after the workout, stretch and foam roll the next day. Your body will eventually adapt and the soreness will not be as bad.

Cherimoose

This is what I do:

Monday - Arms, shoulders chest

Wednesday - Back and abs

Friday - Legs

Switch to a full-body workout done every 2-3 days. Problem solved.

rkaid

...I also find the internal shakiness feeling during exercise horrible, it reminds me of a negative adrenaline/anxiety rush - does everyone get that?...

Again, only when i've been off for a while. All those fine stabilizers getting stressed for long periods.