Soreness from Strength Training

flcaoh

I apologize if this question has already been asked and answered... I searched and didn't find anything.

I just started a moderate strength training regime. I try to strength train 3 times a week - Mon, Wed, and Fri. Sometimes I am sore 2-3 days after a session. Should I wait until I am not sore to train again, or should I go ahead and train on my scheduled day... which is better for muscle development?

flcaoh

I apologize if this question has already been asked and answered... I searched and didn't find anything.

I just started a moderate strength training regime. I try to strength train 3 times a week - Mon, Wed, and Fri. Sometimes I am sore 2-3 days after a session. Should I wait until I am not sore to train again, or should I go ahead and train on my scheduled day... which is better for muscle development?

benw

you may want to do legs on one day then arms this will give the muscles time to heal.

Fitness_Chick

I apologize if this question has already been asked and answered... I searched and didn't find anything.

I just started a moderate strength training regime. I try to strength train 3 times a week - Mon, Wed, and Fri. Sometimes I am sore 2-3 days after a session. Should I wait until I am not sore to train again, or should I go ahead and train on my scheduled day... which is better for muscle development?

Well first off since you just started strength training it's not uncommon that you'd be much more sore than once you get into more of a routine. Are you using free weights or machines with pulleys? I go everyother day even if my body is a bit sore but I've been doing it for awhile, soreness means you've been using your muscles, but if you have actual pain you definitely don't want to go then.

It's a toughie to answer unless one would know just how much of a workout you're doing. As benw shared you could switch up and do lower body one days, upper body the next. I don't do it that way but if I was doing more free weights I might. I use weight machines and currently do 12-15 machines, 3 sets each, 12-15 reps each and for myself I'd consider that moderate.

When I first began I was only doing 1 set with 8-12 reps 2 times a week and yes I was sore much more so than these days. Do you plan to do them twice a week? Perhaps if you spread out the days a bit in the beginning until you get a bit more used to it that might help a bit.

FC

singfree

When you are beginning a strenth training routine, muscle soreness is inevitable. After your body gets over the initial shock of the added stress from weight training, it will soon adapt and the soreness will diminish. It's something most all of us have dealt with. I still train when I am sore, but do a lot of stretching prior to the workout. Don't work the same muscle groups two days in a row. You also might want to consider adding another rest day for your muscles to rest and repair. Do some yoga, stretching and walking on the rest days.

SHBoss1673

Yep, from everything I've read (and, this is one area I feel like I still have a TON to learn), the major muscle groups only really need an exhaustive workout once a week with regards to strenght training.

By exhaustive I mean, you can't do another rep cuz your muscles are basically at technical failure. Most body builders only work a specific muscle group 1 to 2 times a week with at least 2 or 3 days in between.

so if you're staggering your workouts (I.E. legs one day, then chest, arms, shoulders another) then 3 workouts a week should be ok.

One thing to keep in mind, soreness is good, it means you have worked your muscles to fatigue and they are rebuilding. When muscles rebuild is when they repair the micro tears that you create by using weights, it's also when the body will decide to add additional mass and density to existing muscles to compensate for the increased work load.

That's about the limit of my knowledge of weight training and muscles And some of that stuff might be slightly off, SongByrdSweet would probably be a better source since she does weight training quite a bit and knows human physiology far better then I do.

flcaoh

Thanks everyone!

I am trying to ease into strength training and right now am just doing the hundredpushups.com and twohundredsitups.com programs along with some random moves with handweights on my workout ball for my legs. The 100 PU and 200 SU program require you to work out 3 days a week... that's why I'm working out Mon, Wed, and Fri.

Once again, thanks for the feedback