Are you supposed to be sore after exercise?? Good or Bad?

c33smith

I have just started doing strength training, so I am starting out slow, but even though I do the exercise to " failure ", I'm not "feeling it' after... just a little bit next time. I take a day off in between ... I don't WANT to be in pain, but thought that was a sign of building / toning muscle... any opinions?

cbhubbybubble

I started a few weeks ago and I feel it. I'm not sure what types of weights you are doing, but I definitely feel the squats and presses.

meeulk

I'm in week 10 of a varied workout (tons of circuit training including weights). I'm still sore after most workouts (2 days after actually). I'm sitting here with very sore abs today from Monday. The initial super soreness (can't straighten my arms soreness/ hurts to sit down or stand up soreness) doesn't happen anymore (tendons/ ligaments?) though.

greypilgrimess

Roughly how many reps is taking you to failure?

Were you doing exercises before the strength training?

What does your routine generally look like?

SeanTheITGuy

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is an inevitable part of starting any new exercise regime. Some people get it very easily, while some are more resistant to it.

Personally, I've been doing stronglifts for a few months now (squatting 205 today) and I feel it the next day. Ways to avoid DOMS:

- ensure you are getting enough protein. With insufficient protein in your diet, it takes longer for your body to rebuild the muscle tissue. General rule of thumb for lifters is about 0.7-1 gram per lb of body weight daily, but find out what works for you.

- take a creatine supplementation. Creatine can help you get out a couple extra reps in the gym, and it also floods your muscle cells with water which aids the transport of wastes out and nutrients in, which can lessen DOMS. Side note: creatine supplementation can make the scale go up, as all that extra water can add a few pounds, but if you're more worried about strength and appearance, this shouldn't matter. As soon as you stop taking the creatine, the water weight will all come off.

- Stretch and/or foam roll after a heavy workout. This can get your circulation going and help get the bad stuff out and the good stuff into your muscle cells. It will also ensure you keep maximum mobility.

Ways to treat DOMS:

- Take a warm bath or use a warm compress. This will help relax muscles and increase circulation.
- Antiinflammatories (NSAIDS) like advil or aleve. Tylenol is a fever reducer and pain releiver, but isn't optimal for muscle pain. NSAIDS work much better for that.
- Stretch, foam roll or massage. This can work after the fact to lessen doms, as well as beforehand as a preventative

The intense pain of DOMS that you get when you first start lifting does lessen over time. I still feel sore from time to time but never "oh lord, I can't walk" like when I first started hitting the heavy weights.

Keep lifting. It only gets better.

c33smith

I wasn't doing any active exercise until about 2 weeks ago, well, except walking about 30 minutes a day ( one of those Leslie Sansone workouts, because Michigan is freezing) . I started doing a Sunny Airwalk trainer 15-20 minutes a day, plus squats, basic core workout from." Core Training For Dummies ". Upper Body bicep um curl thingys ( I have three girly exercise books that call the same exercise different names) with 8 pound weights, 20 or so reps till failure, triceps 10 till.failure 8 lbs.

GillianMcK

Maybe you need to up the weight, when I'm in the weights class if we can manage 3x15 reps then the weight isn't heavy enough (although that does plateau when you get heavy or if the jumps quite big i.e. 15kg dumbells to 17.5kg, in this case I increas the intensity of the push until I can move up).