My quadriceps ache a lot

Texmom_2003

When ever I increase my exercise intensity little bit by doing more number of squats, lunges, up stairs manually etc. my quadriceps hurt, i need to relax mu muscles at-least a day to feel normal., is it normal, usual with others also? I mean why my muscles are not getting adjusted to this.. why its like a new thing to my muscles though the muscles are being used regularly, well at-least at regular intervals?

wackyfunster

Where does it hurt exactly? Soreness is normal when increasing intensity/changing routine. Make sure you are warming up before you start. Also, make sure your form is good on squats and lunges, or you can make your knees unhappy. Invest in a foam roller and use it regularly... they are like $20, and are amazing for reducing soreness.

JNick77

Invest in a foam roller and use it regularly... they are like $20, and are amazing for reducing soreness.

That's a good recommendation. I actually bought something called a Rumble Roller and it's helped so much with my muscle tension in my legs. Sometimes I get lazy and neglect to do it but frequent use has been amazing.

Texmom_2003

Front portions of my thighs..are the parts most hurtful. thanks for your advise.. i change routines frequently and increase intensity. I guess I am not warming up..i do not have much time to warm up..that could be the possible reason. how much time is needed to warm up?

wackyfunster

Front portions of my thighs..are the parts most hurtful. thanks for your advise.. i change routines frequently and increase intensity. I guess I am not warming up..i do not have much time to warm up..that could be the possible reason. how much time is needed to warm up?

You only need around 2-3 minutes for a general warm-up. If you're lifting heavy, you should incorporate at least 2-3 warm-up sets for each lift as well, depending on how much you're lifting (I know it sucks, but a injury can keep you out of the gym for 3-6 months, or more, so it's worth it). If that is just too much, at least do a single set at 50% of your working weight. Having had a couple of bad sprains from lifting, I can tell you that it is totally 100% worth the time investment.

For a general warm up, you pretty much just rotate/move all of your joints (rotate head, move head side to side, back and forth, turn head, roll shoulders forward/back, lift-drop shoulders, rotate arms to sides, rotate arms in front, rotate arms at elbow, wrist, etc.), just 4-5 rotations each way is fine. The main purpose of a warm-up is just to get the blood flowing, which will improve workout outcomes and reduce changes of injury. If you google/youtube it you can find a ton of videos with example warm-up routines.

Also, if you are squatting with weights, make sure that you are going down below parallel (your thighs should be slightly declined at the bottom of the squat), and that your knees are pushed outwards to be parallel to your toes at a ~45 degree angle. Failing to do that can put a lot of strain on your knees.

Soreness is generally a good sign... if you're not sore at all 24-48 hours after your workout, you aren't doing enough The main thing to watch out for is sharp or stabbing pain, which is a sign of an injury, or that you are about to injure yourself.

Hope that helps.

JNick77

Front portions of my thighs..are the parts most hurtful. thanks for your advise.. i change routines frequently and increase intensity. I guess I am not warming up..i do not have much time to warm up..that could be the possible reason. how much time is needed to warm up?

You only need around 2-3 minutes for a general warm-up. If you're lifting heavy, you should incorporate at least 2-3 warm-up sets for each lift as well, depending on how much you're lifting (I know it sucks, but a injury can keep you out of the gym for 3-6 months, or more, so it's worth it). If that is just too much, at least do a single set at 50% of your working weight. Having had a couple of bad sprains from lifting, I can tell you that it is totally 100% worth the time investment.

For a general warm up, you pretty much just rotate/move all of your joints (rotate head, move head side to side, back and forth, turn head, roll shoulders forward/back, lift-drop shoulders, rotate arms to sides, rotate arms in front, rotate arms at elbow, wrist, etc.), just 4-5 rotations each way is fine. The main purpose of a warm-up is just to get the blood flowing, which will improve workout outcomes and reduce changes of injury. If you google/youtube it you can find a ton of videos with example warm-up routines.

Also, if you are squatting with weights, make sure that you are going down below parallel (your thighs should be slightly declined at the bottom of the squat), and that your knees are pushed outwards to be parallel to your toes at a ~45 degree angle. Failing to do that can put a lot of strain on your knees.

Soreness is generally a good sign... if you're not sore at all 24-48 hours after your workout, you aren't doing enough The main thing to watch out for is sharp or stabbing pain, which is a sign of an injury, or that you are about to injure yourself.

Hope that helps.

One thing you can do is use the foam roller as part of your non-lifting warm-up. It really only works for your back and legs though. For my upper body I like to use various band movements to help warm-up before I get into my warm-up sets.

Texmom_2003

Thanks.. your tips will help me..improvise my exercise regime:-)