Question for Seasoned Strength-Trainers...

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woolnimals
woolnimals Posts: 10 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just started a cardio and strength training routine with my trainer. I've been doing strength training exercises (leg presses, tricep pull downs, planks, assisted push ups, etc) 2 x per week. Every single time my muscles hurt for days afterwards. Sometimes it hurts to brush my hair - my shoulders are really sore. Does this get better? I mean, eventually does it stop hurting so much? Or am I lifting too much?

For reference, it's mostly my arms and shoulders that hurt...and the weights I'm lifting vary between 20 - 50 pounds depending on the excercise. I'm doing 3 sets of 10, 2 x per week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Replies

  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
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    You'll most likely get a bad case of DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness) the first couple of times, for most people it goes away after a week or two.
    They are not an indicator of progress or that you are lifting too much weight, so don't worry about it :smile:

    I don't get them anymore, unless I take 2 weeks off the gym, then I suffer for a week afterwards!


    Push through it but also listen to your body. I personally find that lifting through the DOMS when I get them normally makes it better, it's when I'm inactive that it hurts like hell (huh like when I wake up in the morning, that first move is horrible)

    They are the reason I don't take much time off the gym really, I hate the suffering lol
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    as weird as it may seem, I sometime miss that pain LOL until i try a new exercise them I remember how it is. It will get better after a few session.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
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    Yes it gets better but it will take some time for your body to adapt to lifting.

    After a 3 year hiatus on lifting I started back up in June. Took approximately seven weeks for me to stop being sore for days on end. Now I only get sore if I push myself hard on a particular day otherwise I might be sore for just a day and it's over. And the soreness the next day is not that bad, I only notice it if I have to do something around the house that uses the same muscles. It's usually gone by the evening. Day after that I feel great.

    Not everyone will respond the same. Your soreness may stop after a few weeks of lifting or it may take longer, but it does pass eventually.
  • JenBrown0210
    JenBrown0210 Posts: 985 Member
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    You'll most likely get a bad case of DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness) the first couple of times, for most people it goes away after a week or two.
    They are not an indicator of progress or that you are lifting too much weight, so don't worry about it :smile:

    I don't get them anymore, unless I take 2 weeks off the gym, then I suffer for a week afterwards!


    Push through it but also listen to your body. I personally find that lifting through the DOMS when I get them normally makes it better, it's when I'm inactive that it hurts like hell (huh like when I wake up in the morning, that first move is horrible)

    They are the reason I don't take much time off the gym really, I hate the suffering lol

    Thank goodness! I am so sore from starting lifting! I was thinking, I can't be sore like this all the time!
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    If it's sore, it's fine.

    If it's painful - like stabbing pain, then stop and check your form.

    DOMS will reduce over time if you keep up with the activity.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    It does get better...once it goes away, make sure you keep up with your routine. If I take off more than a few days of lifting, I can't move after my next workout!
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    The first day I did assisted pull-ups with my trainer, I couldn't straighten my arms for 2 days and one became swollen. I was so worried I tore something because of the pain. It went away and never came back. I rarely get sore now. Don't stress too much about it.
  • woolnimals
    woolnimals Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks everybody! I'm relieved that it will eventually go away! I can endure it from time to time, but I feel like if it hurt this bad every time I lifted, I would eventually get tired of it.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    its never as bad as the first time

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