OK to weight lift if still sore?

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cekeys
cekeys Posts: 397 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I searched for an answer to this, but didn't find anything conclusive...

My quads, hamstrings & gluts feel like they've been beaten with reeds, but my upperbody is ok. I did a Body Pump class on Saturday (2 days ago), and the instructor told me to wait 2 days before coming back to give the muscles time to repair. There is a class tonight, and I'm wondering if I should go. I've been doing so much cardio the last few months that I figured my lower half was in good shape, but I was wrong; running & ellipticals are no substitute for squats, deadlifts, etc...

I've heard that you shouldn't because your muscles aren't ready yet, and I've heard do it to clear out the lactic acid buildup. Which is right?

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  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    I honestly don't know, because I lose all motivation when I am sore, so I haven't tried.

    From what I understand if you are working a different set of muscles today than what you worked two days ago, you should be fine.

    I also know from personal experience that if I load up on protein I am a lot less sore than I would be if I ate normally.

    Good luck in whatever you decide to do, and I hope you feel better soon.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    Lactic acid is cleared from the muscle within minutes. The soreness is due to muscle stress and damage. If its been two days then you should be ok, but you kind of have to judge for yourself how much soreness is still there and whether or not that soreness interferes with your ability to do the exercise.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    If you're sore, then yes it's ok. The stimulation will cause increased blood flow to the muscle, which can help with soreness.

    If you're hurt then no, don't lift.
  • cekeys
    cekeys Posts: 397 Member
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    If you're sore, then yes it's ok. The stimulation will cause increased blood flow to the muscle, which can help with soreness.

    If you're hurt then no, don't lift.

    No, not hurt, I know the difference. It's just really sore; esp. the quads.

    I can go easier on the legs during that time if I need to. I think I may want to do 10-15 mins of stretching before the class.
  • Nopedotjpeg
    Nopedotjpeg Posts: 1,806 Member
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  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
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    I'd say your best bet is work a different muscle group, be it upper-body one day and lower the next, or broken down to more specific muscles every day of the week.

    If my arms are sore, I don't do arms

    I feel its counterproductive to work-out muscles that haven't fully recovered.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    If you're sore, then yes it's ok. The stimulation will cause increased blood flow to the muscle, which can help with soreness.

    If you're hurt then no, don't lift.

    I agree with this! I've done body pump classes and know exactly how you're feeling but trust me a few minutes into class tonight, you'll get the blood flowing, loosened up and you'll make it through just fine!

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