Weight Classes for Women

emmyvera

Hey All!

Went to an awesome free weight/aerobic class for women on Monday! I'm still really sore. I've been stretching and drinking as much water as I can.

This class normally is Mondays and Wednesdays.
I can't go tonight, because of a conflict.

(My Question Is:)
But if I go to the gym later tonight on my own, is it good to get right back using the weights even if I'm still sore?

I haven't lifted weights in months so I have bundles of that lactic acid I'm sure :grumble:
By sore I mean, not pain, but trouble dressing, drying hair, bending over, etc. It is better than yesterday!

Thanks for any help!

frogmommy

No lifting again until most of the soreness has subsided. First, your muscles are repairing (part of the growth) and second, lifting with sore muscles can be dangerous and/or less effective.

End6ame

No lifting again until most of the soreness has subsided. First, your muscles are repairing (part of the growth) and second, lifting with sore muscles can be dangerous and/or less effective.

Complete nonsense. Preventing use will only prolong soreness. Go lift again and your soreness will be less pronounced the next day. Just make sure you do sufficient stretching a head of time. Consistency is what will get you results, not excuses. If you keep taking days off because of soreness your body will take longer to get into the routine.

STR0NGisSEXY

on top of drinking tons of water, if i were you, i'd start taking glutamine if this lifting class is going to stay a part of your routine. it will make your life a lot easier and a lot less sore! lol

I would even maybe take one today... by tomorrow you should feel better.

I definitely don't think lifting will hurt anything while you're sore (as long as you don't overdo it), but if you'd rather wait.. until you are a little less sore there is no harm in that.. just make sure you're stretching everyday. The glutamine will help you in the future so you don't miss any more classes.

End6ame

on top of drinking tons of water, if i were you, i'd start taking glutamine if this lifting class is going to stay a part of your routine. it will make your life a lot easier and a lot less sore! lol

I would even maybe take one today... by tomorrow you should feel better.

I definitely don't think lifting will hurt anything while you're sore (as long as you don't overdo it), but if you'd rather wait.. until you are a little less sore there is no harm in that.. just make sure you're stretching everyday. The glutamine will help you in the future so you don't miss any more classes.

You don't need supplements either. Your body knows how to repair itself better then the supplement industry does. Consistency will eliminate soreness. You don't get sore from walking everyday; why? because you do it consistently. A couple weeks of this routine and you will no longer be sore at all, rather your muscles will just feel tired.

I lift heavy three days per week and guess what? absolutely zero soreness.

PS. Sorry for possibly coming off as a bit harsh; not trying to be, just speaking from experience.

STR0NGisSEXY

on top of drinking tons of water, if i were you, i'd start taking glutamine if this lifting class is going to stay a part of your routine. it will make your life a lot easier and a lot less sore! lol

I would even maybe take one today... by tomorrow you should feel better.

I definitely don't think lifting will hurt anything while you're sore (as long as you don't overdo it), but if you'd rather wait.. until you are a little less sore there is no harm in that.. just make sure you're stretching everyday. The glutamine will help you in the future so you don't miss any more classes.

You don't need supplements either. Your body knows how to repair itself better then the supplement industry does. Consistency will eliminate soreness. You don't get sore from walking everyday; why? because you do it consistently. A couple weeks of this routine and you will no longer be sore at all, rather your muscles will just feel tired.

I lift heavy three days per week and guess what? absolutely zero soreness.

PS. Sorry for possibly coming off as a bit harsh; not trying to be, just speaking from experience.

For some people, it's harder to work through soreness (I am one of those people). Glutamine will help her do that. it's a natural amino acid that helps flush out the lactic acid creating the soreness.

Maybe for you it's not hard to work through soreness, but I have seen several people slack off/give up (including myself in the past) because it hurt to even walk without limping let alone work out through the intense muscle pain.

Just my 2 cents.

End6ame

on top of drinking tons of water, if i were you, i'd start taking glutamine if this lifting class is going to stay a part of your routine. it will make your life a lot easier and a lot less sore! lol

I would even maybe take one today... by tomorrow you should feel better.

I definitely don't think lifting will hurt anything while you're sore (as long as you don't overdo it), but if you'd rather wait.. until you are a little less sore there is no harm in that.. just make sure you're stretching everyday. The glutamine will help you in the future so you don't miss any more classes.

You don't need supplements either. Your body knows how to repair itself better then the supplement industry does. Consistency will eliminate soreness. You don't get sore from walking everyday; why? because you do it consistently. A couple weeks of this routine and you will no longer be sore at all, rather your muscles will just feel tired.

I lift heavy three days per week and guess what? absolutely zero soreness.

PS. Sorry for possibly coming off as a bit harsh; not trying to be, just speaking from experience.

For some people, it's harder to work through soreness (I am one of those people). Glutamine will help her do that. it's a natural amino acid that helps flush out the lactic acid creating the soreness.

Maybe for you it's not hard to work through soreness, but I have seen several people slack off/give up (including myself in the past) because it hurt to even walk without limping let alone work out through the intense muscle pain.

Just my 2 cents.

The soreness from heavy weight training is not lactic acid; it is torn muscle fibers. And working out again, i.e. flushing more blood to the muscles is the best way to relieve it.

kate205gti

they recommend at least a day of rest between weight classes to let your body recover - but you've had that so I would say go do it if you feel up to it although the 2nd day after is often more sore than the first!
when i first did body pump the next 2 days i could hardly move, seriously i had trouble putting my key in the door coz it hurt to lift my arm lol! but now im lifting twice the weight 2-3 times a week with hardly any soreness its only because you've woken up some muscles that havent been used in a while! the soreness afterwards will get less the more you do it

emmyvera

thanks guys! this really helps!

i think i will do mostly cardio tonight and then do a little lifting, some arm free weights, ab machine and some leg press things.
i don't plan on recreating what i did in the class, because it was so involved and had many reps and sets.... etc.

i think attempting to work the muscles out with a little attention to each area, should help.

thanks!

frogmommy

I lift fairly heavy (for a woman) three days a week and have been for years. I agree that stretching post workout helps quite a bit.

I stand by my post about giving your muscles time to recover. If you are quite sore (as it sounds like you are), trying to lift the same as normal is a recipe for injury. Also, the soreness is from the torn muscle fibers. They need their time to repair before you tear them up again . As you progress in your training, it is likely that your muscles will be less sore post workout, so you will not always need two days to recover ~ one will probably be sufficient.

Bodybuilding.com is a great resource for women and lifting.

emmyvera

Thanks!! Again

edorice

It is OK to lift a few times per week, but not the same body parts. If you work chest and back on Monday, then give it at least two days of rest. That is not say that you can't workout for two days. You can do cardio or do a leg workout.

End6ame

It is OK to lift a few times per week, but not the same body parts. If you work chest and back on Monday, then give it at least two days of rest. That is not say that you can't workout for two days. You can do cardio or do a leg workout.

Completely untrue. The only sport that uses this philosophy is bodybuilding. (which is not the same as strength training by the way) Look at any sport; swimming, soccer, football, cycling, etc... All of these athletes use the same muscle groups hard multiple times per week without "over training"

I personally do full body strength routines three times per week which included squats three times per week and I am still progressing (adding 5lbs) on every single exercise every day.

AEROBICVIC

I teach aerobic/fitness classes and if the class you took was standard format and you haven't worked out with weights in a while, i'm sure you have some soreness. if that was Monday, i would suggest going to gym tonight and listening to your body. do a proper warm up, gradually work your way into your workout and if too much, then back off. not knowing you and your body, it is hard to say exactly what to do, but keep moving ...but with common sense. most importantly, listen to your body, no one knows it better than you.

edorice

It is OK to lift a few times per week, but not the same body parts. If you work chest and back on Monday, then give it at least two days of rest. That is not say that you can't workout for two days. You can do cardio or do a leg workout.

Completely untrue. The only sport that uses this philosophy is bodybuilding. (which is not the same as strength training by the way) Look at any sport; swimming, soccer, football, cycling, etc... All of these athletes use the same muscle groups hard multiple times per week without "over training"

I personally do full body strength routines three times per week which included squats three times per week and I am still progressing (adding 5lbs) on every single exercise every day.

For the purpose of her question about general weight lifting I don't think that what I said was UNTRUE. If she is just starting out and hasn't done any weightlifting in months then telling her to work the same body part once a week or with a break would not be completely outrageous.