overcoming muscle soreness

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  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
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    So this past Friday I did the entire (well as much as possible) 40 minute workout of Jillian's "No More Trouble Zones". Then yesterday I hurt so bad I couldn't move. My upper body was a little tender but my lower body was so sore I could hardly go up and down stairs. Now here's my question. Was that too much? She says to push as hard as you can but does that mean you shouldn't be able to move the next day. I'm still a little sore today but went for a walk with some running in it and it was fine but I'm afraid to do the dvd again because I'm really into this exercising everyday thing. Any comments or suggestions?

    This is going to sound harsh but:

    Suck it up. DOMS is a great indicator that you kicked your own butt in your workout. RICE anything that may be an injury (rest/ice/compression/elevation). Soreness is a proud badge of your work. Wear it with a grimace/smile. Each workout will get progressively easier (recovery-wise)

    Also, ibuprofen isn't a bad alternative.
  • chizumlassstar
    chizumlassstar Posts: 49 Member
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    I know this is deviating from the original topic but is it normal to "gain" weight after just one session. Do your muscles hold more water when they are sore or something? I hate to sound stupid but before the workout I weight 241 and the day after the workout I was at 246. Today I'm down to 240. I know that the human body can fluctiate up to 8 pounds per day based on bowel movements, water intake/output, food intake and many other reasons but this dumbfounded me. Just wondering if anyone could clue me in. I also know that muscle weighs more than fat but I highly doubt that I gained 5 pounds of muscle in one workout only to lose it again two days later. What's up?

    And yes, it was harsh but its true. Thank you. I would expect no less from my fellow MFPers.:heart:
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    Yes water, and stop weighing yourself so often, you'll only drive yourself crazy.
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
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    Pre-medicating with anti-inflammatories before exercise - there is stupid information and there is dangerous information. Pre-medicating is stupidly dangerous. Taking anti-inflamatoriues or pain meds before exercise is awful advice, so what if you really injure yourself with something like tendon damage, is it not likely that the meds are masking serious problems. Constant self-medicating with Ibuprofen is just 100% wrong for lots of reasons which anyone can google or a search engine like Wolfram Alpha.

    DOMS just is, the only thing we know about DOMS is that nobody really understands it. Stretching does not prevent it, myofascial release seems too to some degree, by far the best is to do the exercise again but without the gusto of the first time (a bit like the expression for drinking, A hair of the dog that bit you) and warmup followed by DYNAMIC STRETCHING is much better than static stretching and into exercising.

    See it written all the time on these boards, Stretch then exercise, it is warm up, dynamic stretch, exercise, stretch, cool down, cold shower, done. Second stretch and cold shower optional.
  • Arrabindi
    Arrabindi Posts: 169 Member
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    Pre-medicating with anti-inflammatories before exercise - there is stupid information and there is dangerous information. Pre-medicating is stupidly dangerous. Taking anti-inflamatoriues or pain meds before exercise is awful advice, so what if you really injure yourself with something like tendon damage, is it not likely that the meds are masking serious problems. Constant self-medicating with Ibuprofen is just 100% wrong for lots of reasons which anyone can google or a search engine like Wolfram Alpha.

    DOMS just is, the only thing we know about DOMS is that nobody really understands it. Stretching does not prevent it, myofascial release seems too to some degree, by far the best is to do the exercise again but without the gusto of the first time (a bit like the expression for drinking, A hair of the dog that bit you) and warmup followed by DYNAMIC STRETCHING is much better than static stretching and into exercising.

    See it written all the time on these boards, Stretch then exercise, it is warm up, dynamic stretch, exercise, stretch, cool down, cold shower, done. Second stretch and cold shower optional.

    So true!
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
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    I know this is deviating from the original topic but is it normal to "gain" weight after just one session. Do your muscles hold more water when they are sore or something? I hate to sound stupid but before the workout I weight 241 and the day after the workout I was at 246. Today I'm down to 240. I know that the human body can fluctiate up to 8 pounds per day based on bowel movements, water intake/output, food intake and many other reasons but this dumbfounded me. Just wondering if anyone could clue me in. I also know that muscle weighs more than fat but I highly doubt that I gained 5 pounds of muscle in one workout only to lose it again two days later. What's up?

    And yes, it was harsh but its true. Thank you. I would expect no less from my fellow MFPers.:heart:

    Please don't say muscle weighs more than fat. It doesn't. A pound is a pound. Muscle is more DENSE than fat, yes. And if you're a woman, if you can gain 5 lbs of muscle in 6 months, you're amazing. It won't happen after one workout. To me, it sounds like water retention. I weigh myself every day in the morning.
  • chunkymunky74
    chunkymunky74 Posts: 1
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    Stretch before, stretch after and a glass of milk will help recovery as well.
  • eden2760
    eden2760 Posts: 19 Member
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    So this past Friday I did the entire (well as much as possible) 40 minute workout of Jillian's "No More Trouble Zones". Then yesterday I hurt so bad I couldn't move. My upper body was a little tender but my lower body was so sore I could hardly go up and down stairs. Now here's my question. Was that too much? She says to push as hard as you can but does that mean you shouldn't be able to move the next day. I'm still a little sore today but went for a walk with some running in it and it was fine but I'm afraid to do the dvd again because I'm really into this exercising everyday thing. Any comments or suggestions?

    Enjoy it! DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is a rite of passage, and a medal of honor! If you've got it, it means you've probably worked your *kitten* off and should pat yourself on the back (if it didn't hurt so much to stretch that far).

    In all seriousness... if you're doing something your body isn't used it, it's going to complain at you for awhile probably. Take it as a good sign, and take the good (getting in better shape) with the bad (feeling uncomfortable for a bit).

    There's lots of people out there who won't do what you're doing because they don't want to experience any discomfort... so you're better than them. :d
  • jlongieliere
    jlongieliere Posts: 2 Member
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    I agree. I was weighing myself each morning and I was going insane. I would work really hard and eat right and get on the scale only to find a gain....very discouraging. So now I weigh myself each Monday morning (my way of trying to make sure I am good over the weekend) and I do my measurements once a month. I figure if I am seeing movement in either area than I am doing it right and making progress.
  • cjc166
    cjc166 Posts: 222
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    as long as there is no injury, muscle soreness is fine. wait until you're not sore anymore, and then hit it again. each time it will get easier, and there will be little to no soreness in a short matter of time. be sure to give yourself at least 1 day rest in between each time.
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
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    as long as there is no injury, muscle soreness is fine. wait until you're not sore anymore, and then hit it again. each time it will get easier, and there will be little to no soreness in a short matter of time. be sure to give yourself at least 1 day rest in between each time.

    Each time it will get easier - for some that is simply not true, and for people aiming for hypertrophy it is very untrue. As for rest, also not true for relieving muscle soreness/discomfort, better to exercise.
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
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    Stretch before, stretch after and a glass of milk will help recovery as well.

    I will rush to Wikipedia to edit all the DOMS and other muscle related articles to correct sports and medical science on their current - "We don't really know why." Milk, it is.

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