working out while sore?

mrsmammahunter

Do you wait until your not sore to work out again? Very very sore today so i skipped the weights and am just going to do cardio tomorrow if im still sore can i lift again or would that hurt the forming muscles? I don't want to get off track i am one of those people that if i skip a couple days its out the window so i need a schedule to follow and don't want to miss gym days BUT I want to promote muscle growth and not hurt myself. I'm kinda new to lifting so im unsure

jdhcm2006

I work out when sore, waiting until you aren't sore will only result in you being sore when you decide to work out again. But, especially for weight training, you shouldn't workout the same muscles 2 days in a row.

So one day you should do legs, the next arms, and then you can do legs again. Does that make any sense?

I'm sure someone on here can point you in the direction of how to build a weight training schedule.

cwolfman13

What kind of weight training program are you doing?

I workout sore all of the time...being sore just comes with the territory. I've pretty much had some level of DOMs for about 2 years now. It's worse in the beginning or when I really change up a program (i.e. go from an endurance/stamina cycle to a heavy strength cycle), etc...you just push on through it.

Really, after a little warm-up, most of that soreness dissipates, at least to a level to where I can perform. Movement is actually good for DOMs and soreness...sitting around isn't and only makes matters worse.

Soreness is not an indicator as to whether you've recovered from a workout or not...like I said, I'm always a little sore and sometimes I'm a lot sore.

Kalikel

At some point, you will have to let it heal. If you do it now, it will take less time to heal than if you push through it and make it worse.

mrsmammahunter

Well i did cardio + arms/shoulders/back then the next day did cardio + legs/abs and so today EVERYTHING is sore.

rachelrb85

Well i did cardio + arms/shoulders/back then the next day did cardio + legs/abs and so today EVERYTHING is sore.

Try taking a rest day in between strength training so it'll give your muscles more time to recover. It would be best to work out through DOMS but take it easy/deload if you really have to. Don't forget to do a warm up beforehand and stretch afterwards.

Early_Riser

I workout sore every day.

Elsie_Brownraisin

I was surprised at how often I was sore at first. I thought it'd just be when I was gettting started, but my runner husband informed me that he is sore to some degree at least 5 days out of 7. I thought the soreness would stop once I reached a level of fitness, nope.

Doing more exercise does help with it though, I go swimming and try to do some extra stretches.

allanakern

I do arms/shoulders Monday, legs Tuesday, and then only cardio on Wednesdays. then I do my weights again for the rest of the week except one weekend day just cardio or rest. kinda breaks up my week nicely

ana3067

I work out as scheduled unless I am ill, injured, or simply unable to go to the gym that day (in which case I'll push my schedule back by a day).

In my experience, if the soreness does not hurt in the way an injury does, then I will still work out and it's liekly that I need to stretch better and/or do a bit of cardio after weights to help with the DOMS. although I don't get DOMS all that much anymore, at least now right now since I'm mostly maintaining strength in my deficit.

If it's an injury, e.g. I hurt my elbow lifting too heavy/using barbells instead of dumbbells, then I needed a few days off and I pushed my schedule back a bit.

ETA as others noted, don't work the same muscles back to back. Either work individuals muscles once a week, do an upper/lower body day split 4x a week (upper, lower, break, upper, lower, break, break - this is what I do, you can do cardio on break days if desired), or do a full body routine 3x a week (MWF usually). As a newbie, either of the last 2 methods would be easiest to stick to. I did MWF full body when I first started but I trained daily (saw no growth in size/strength/lifts, also wasn't eating properly) and wasn't really lifting in a way that was conducive to whatever my goals were at that time. KNow your goals (strength, muscle size, or endurance? Or all? Maintain muscle while losing fat? Maintain or put on strength or muscle?) and learn how to eat and train for those goals.

970Mikaela1

Usually after the first set any sore I was is gone and actually feels good.

jennifer_417

I work out when sore-it actually helps!