Is this normal???

GvMeSmthn2Lstn2

So Sunday I went to a gym for the first time in a while (I've been walking/swimming at home) and someone wanted to show me how to use free weights, I usually just stick to the machines. We did a lot with them and most of the time we worked my arms and shoulders. We did a little leg work too.

Monday, I went to work (I'm a bagger at a grocery store) but my thighs, shoulders, and especially, my arms were sore. It was kind of a long shift so I did a bit of lifting, and my arms are still suuuuper sore.

Is this ok??? Is there anything I can do to make it better? I've just been taking Advil.

I went to yoga today, luckily we focused mostly on legs and then did 30 minutes and a stationary bike, so hopefully I didn't make them even worse. I didn't want to miss a day of exercise.

tammyr76

ASoreness is to be expected,,you are waking up muscles that have been asleep,,when I started back working out I thought I would die from the soreness but if possible just keep going work through the soreness and it will lessen....
Good Luck to you on your fitness....

natekorpusik

Completely normal. If you continue to lift weights (and I always suggest people lift weights) the pain will subside. If you work out hard enough you will always feel a little sore, but the initial soreness that you are feeling will subside as long as you keep at it. good luck.

MarieNevada

Yep, perfectly normal. It means you got a full range of motion work out. make sure you drink plenty of water, have some protein right after your workout and it'll be fine. remember not to work a muscle more than once a week, so do arms once a week, legs, etc when it comes to strength training.

The pain is from microscopic tears in your muscles. Your muscles will repair the tears and be stronger. That's how strength training works. you damage your muscles, and they repair themselves better and stronger. Which is why you need the protein, which muscles use for the repair. If you're not sore from working on the machines I would say you need to up your weights a little. If you're not pushing your limits, you're not getting any benefits. Muscles can do three things, get smaller, not change, or get bigger. "Toning" is really your muscles getting bigger. Don't worry, you can't ever bulk up unless you start taking testosterones. lol

I lift weights three times a week and I absolutely love it.

poustotah

If you aren't used to lifting at all, then yes, this is normal. As you start lifting more, the pain gradually starts to get less and less. One thing that helps me is to have a protein shake or a protein bar after I work out. This helps to replenish the decrease in lactic acid that lifting has caused in the body. Another thing to do is to take a day off to rest. Your muscles NEED to rest so that they can repair.

live4turns

I'm sorry but I couldn't help laughing when I read your post. Yes, it's normal! I've been lifting for years now and there's nothing worse than the soreness that comes with lifting. But fight through the soreness and sooner or later you won't be experiencing the soreness at all (unless you do a real heavy/intense workout). Don't wait until your soreness goes away. That could take days and you'll only be back at square one when you start up again. Just work through it.

Through my years of lifting, there were times I took a couple of weeks or sometimes months off. When I restarted the lifting, that was the worst soreness. I'm talking not even being able to walk properly in the morning (from running the day before) or struggling to get off the couch (from upper body and ab workouts). Sore is good.

Just make sure you warm up and stretch before your next workout. Stretch your muscles and also do some light cardio for ten minutes to get your body warm. Very important. It'll decrease the soreness during the workout and even more important reduce the chance for any injuries.

And yes - Poustah is right, your muscles need to recover so rest those muscles you worked the day before. That doesn't mean stay at home. Go to the gym and work a different set of muscles...

Here's a sample routine: (cardio should be everyday)
Monday: upper body
Tuesday: lower body
Wednesday: extra cardio
Thursday: upper body
Friday: lower body
Saturday: extra cardio
Sunday: rest or light cardio

As you progress you can fine tune your routine and target specific muscle groups per day. Good luck!

hilhall822

STRETCH before and after when you do weights! Be sure to drink plenty of water to flush out any lactic acid build up, too!

GvMeSmthn2Lstn2

Thanks guys!
I was mainly concerned with working out while I'm sore. I'm sure I can work through it, but I wasn't sure if that was what you were supposed to do. I always heard you were supposed to rest a day after so I wasn't sure if all the soreness was supposed to be gone in a day.

And I appreciate the workout schedule example. I wasn't quite sure how specific you were supposed to be when dividing up strength training.

Any opinions on free weights vs. machines?

Free weights seem so intimidating Everyone on that side of the gym is already healthy. I feel like a chubby lil nugget when I go over there haha

drygravytrain

Everyone's body reacts a little differently. IF i get sore, I get sore 2 days after a workout.

Rest is relative. During the day your muscles are not "at rest" they are just being used at a lower intensity. Intensity is a more proper term. Every other day is just a good rule of thumb because it is harder to balance Frequency, Volume, and Intensity in your workout, if it varies.

I find increasing frequency but varying intensity decreases soreness but I have never seen a negative effect for muscle gain. Also running After an intense workout will decrease recovery time.

free weights vs machines - to me I enjoy free weights because they require a little more work to do them properly. Machines can be good for isolation.

For example, it is physically less complicated to do a bench press if all you have to do is push a bar up. It requires more concentration and muscle control, to hold the bar up and keep it from swaying forward back or side to side, while also doing the exercise.

corieueber

I love waking up sore - l know l've had a good workout and really pushed it!

As for working out over in the free weight section with the 'fitties' l realised something today when at the gym - everyone there is so focused on themselves and their workout they aren't really paying attention to you at all!

mamagooskie

Yup that is normal.

live4turns

Use both free weights and machines. Free weights as primary and then move on to the machines as secondary. This way you'll have the most strength when lifting the free weights.

BUT before you do free weights (and machines) make sure you get your form/technique down or else you could seriously hurt yourself and set yourself back for weeks...

Ask a trainer at the gym before doing any exercise. They are there for a reason. Also, check out youtube. There are tons of videos showing technique and form for whatever exercise you're trying.

Go light weight for a while so you can work on technique. In fact, don't even worry about putting any weights...use the bars without weights, light weight dumbbells, and machines without weight. Technique is not only important for safety reasons but its the only way to get the most out of your workout.

Good luck!

GvMeSmthn2Lstn2

I did some weight machines today and my body already feels so much better! It's good to know the worst is over once I get back to the gym again

I think using a heavier weight was part of my problem and why I was so sore. This guy offered to help me and I was self conscious and therefore decided to use a heavier weight than I was sure I could handle oops. On the weight machines I can lift more. But that's expected since you aren't using all of your body like you would with free weights.

I think I'll try the free weights again the next time I go in. I think I can handle it a little better now