Workout when muscles still feel a bit stiff

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bazfitness
bazfitness Posts: 275 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started using a gym a week ago. I'm alternating 1 day cardio and 1 day weight training. I did weights 2 days ago so am due to do it again today. I'm still feeling a bit stiff in some areas from the previous weight training day, guess being in my 40s doesn't help with recovery :(. I'm keen to do another weight training day though, especially as it's unlikely I'll get to the gym over the weekend and I don't want to do 2 cardio days in a row.

So asking you more experienced gym goers what's my best course of action?
Thanks for any help.

Replies

  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    Go.

    I find that it actually improves my muscle soreness.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    If its just muscle tightness and aches, rather than pain, then you should be fine to workout. If you experience any discomfort then give it another day's rest, or just work muscle groups that are not sore.
  • RunFarLiveHappy
    RunFarLiveHappy Posts: 805 Member
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    Working out helps relieve/prevent DOMS for me so I say if you're not in "pain" do it! If you are in "pain" you might want to check your form. Your schedule sounds great also!
  • fitnessfreddie
    fitnessfreddie Posts: 74 Member
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    Just get a good warm up in and your soreness should be gone, they say one of the best ways to overcome muscle soreness is to stay active with the muscle.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Go.

    I find that it actually improves my muscle soreness.

    This.
  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
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    I vote no to weights, listen to your body. However, big yes to light swimming for 30-60 mins, if you have pool access, it's AMAZING for recovery. That's gotten me out of DOMS fastest, personally, like the next day I'm good to go. But not a power swim for calorie burn, really just a gentle, consistent breaststroke. Point is to get blood (nutrients, oxygen) to muscles, NOT burn. Also eat enough food to support recovery.

    edit: You just started a week ago, you have to condition your ligaments, tendons, the whole thing to all these new movements and challenges. It will just take time. You will be able to handle more volume in a short while, IF you're careful and just space things out the way your body wants you to (so long as you lift at least 2x a week, being sensible, 2-3 x 8-12 reps)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    If from lifting heavy for you weights until almost failure, then sore water-retaining muscle is still trying to repair.

    If you want to throw away some of the potential repair, and therefore waste some of the previous workout, by all means put another heavy load on it.

    Exercise tears down, but it's the rest, recovery, and repair that build everything back up, and stronger if you allow it to.

    Now, if you can discern the difference between still a tad stiff, and the same soreness as you already had, you can warm up stiff muscles.
    But if your DOMS was a tad more delayed, and this is still the main repair process, let it rest.

    As others have said, it'll get better the longer you do it, as long as they can keep repairing completely.

    Gentle cardio is fine, as long as not putting another load on the muscle, just blood flow for repair.

    And this is only if you want to get the most from the lifting, which is presumably why someone would be doing it, but some like to do maintenance level stuff, which is fine too.
  • bazfitness
    bazfitness Posts: 275 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies. I'm not doing heavy weights - doing 3 sets of 15 on machines as instructed by the instructor. I'm not in pain, just a tad stiff so on balance I've decided I'm going - I'll put in a good warm-up.
    @upgetupgetup - thanks for the advice but my gym doesn't have a swimming pool and I'm a useless swimmer anyway.

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