Beating that godawful burn

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cfsmith60
cfsmith60 Posts: 13
in Fitness and Exercise
So, just wrote my intro, now into the fitness arena.

I just started working out two days ago, and dang, that burn kills me.

for the people that don't want to read the novelette below: My small, short workout HURTS ME days after I'm done. How do I build up my tolerance to this pain, and do I need to slow it down, keep it up, or increase my workout?

I started with the following : 3 reps of 5 pull-ups, 15 push-ups, and 25 situps for strength, then 10 minutes of jumping jacks and jogging in place for 10 minutes. It turned into this:

REP1
Pull-up: Got 5 out, but didn't hang all the way. Oh well, at least I got 5 in.
Push-ups: Hit 5 fine, then 5 were hard. Decided in mid-exercise to change to 5-10-25 because push-ups are hard!
Sit-ups: Got 25 out, no sweat, but legs started hurting (?)

REP2
Pull-up: Got 5 more, but again didn't hang down all the way.
Push-ups: 7 this time, tough tough tough.
Sit-ups: got 25, REALLY hurt. Also noticed my (noticeably large) stomach gets in the way.

---break---
At this point I took a "break" because I was HURTING. Went over and started jumping jacks and jogging in place. This one was tough - I could do like 30 jumping jacks before my ankles started hurting and calves started burning. I'd head to jogging in place for a few minutes, then started on the JJs again. I think I did 4 reps of JJs so a total of 120 or so, the rest jogging, lasted for 15 minutes, and that's because I didn't want to go back to the reps. :)

REP3
Pull-ups: 5 but not proud of them
Push-ups: 10 but not proud of them either
Sit-ups: Um... 5 I think. Then I petered out and gave up.

So, that was Wednesday, this is Friday, and it STILL hurts to get up out of the chair when I go get water or head through the plant. I can't get the heck up, and I'm trying to motivate myself for another workout today. My heart (and body) is just not into it.

How do we beat this dreaded burn and soreness? And do I just keep going or is my body telling me to pace myself better? I don't feel like I did a lot, particularly based on 15 years ago.

Advice?

-c

Replies

  • links_slayer
    links_slayer Posts: 1,151 Member
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    Just be patient and don't overdo it the first few days. Yes, they're rough and yes it hurts. I remember barely being able to walk for 3-4 days after I first started. It will get better.
  • TheMrsCole
    TheMrsCole Posts: 114 Member
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    For the most part I have learned to love the pain...

    If my body is not sore the following two-three days after a workout then I did not push myself nearly hard enough.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    It's called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS, and I personally don't try to avoid it anyway. I relish the feeling, because I feel it's the only way to know for sure if I'm pushing myself hard enough.

    It can diminish in severity though, the more used to a certain lift your muscles are. The first time I did weighted calf raises, I literally couldn't stand straight for a week, and couldn't even walk without crying out. Now they don't hurt at all, even though I've increased the original weight by 50% in the last month. So it does get better. Once you DO have them, sometimes a hot bath soak with epsom salts can help, and mke sure you stretch really well before and after.
  • ericzanetti
    ericzanetti Posts: 41 Member
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    Nutrition is a big part of recovery.

    Are you consuming protein and carbs 30 - 45 mins before and after exercising?

    When I first started exercising, my body ached for days after. Now that I drink my pre and recovery shakes, I feel great the next day.

    Google pre/post workout nutrition. There's lots of info out there.
  • Samby_v1
    Samby_v1 Posts: 202 Member
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    I think you're going to need to ease up a bit, so you can let your muscles recover fully, which will allow you to give it your all in your next workout. There's nothing unusual with being sore when you start a new programme, but that soreness shouldn't be debilitating. Once you've struck that balance you'll be able to incrementally increase intensity, perhaps even sooner than you think.
  • cfsmith60
    cfsmith60 Posts: 13
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    Thank you for the comments. I'll look to incorporate some stretching techniques into the workout and soak when needed. Embracing the burn will have to come with time :) Right now I just want it to go away! But as long as it's not lasting damage I'm doing, I'll keep on keeping on. I'll probably ease myself into the working out over the next two weeks at least.

    Interesting note about the nutrition pre and post workout. I'll look that up.

    -c
  • TheMrsCole
    TheMrsCole Posts: 114 Member
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    Thank you for the comments. I'll look to incorporate some stretching techniques into the workout and soak when needed. Embracing the burn will have to come with time :) Right now I just want it to go away! But as long as it's not lasting damage I'm doing, I'll keep on keeping on. I'll probably ease myself into the working out over the next two weeks at least.

    Interesting note about the nutrition pre and post workout. I'll look that up.

    -c

    Do you go to a gym for your workout? Or maybe have access to a sauna? This normally helps to relax my body a little more than it would normally before or after a workout to help with soreness if needed.
  • cfsmith60
    cfsmith60 Posts: 13
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    TheMrsCole,

    No gym yet, working out from home right now. And to be honest, in the town I'm in (rural south, <9k people) I couldn't imagine a sauna anywhere close.

    I do have a shower, could run some hot water and see if that works, assuming it's the heat that helps the muscle soreness. I'll try that to help the DOMS.

    My workout tonight? Hand-push non-assist mower! So I'll need it.

    -c
  • Vermilliana
    Vermilliana Posts: 42 Member
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    If you're just starting out, immediately jumping into unassisted pull-ups may not be the best idea. When I started getting into pull-ups, after years of weight training, I found that the pain I developed the next few days was Rediculous, and it wouldn't cease. It was like charlie horses up and down parts of my back, neck and hips that would not let up. So I did some research and found out that there were muscles that were undertrained that were putting way too much extra strain on my other muscles to compensate, so when I was done they all snapped back like a bunch of tangled rubber bands. The solution? Do pull ups with a chair, add in other exercises to build up the weaker muscles and be Patient. Another big key..STRETCH. You're putting your body through a good circuit, make sure you are warming up properly before hand to get the synovial fluid moving to make your muscles more pliant and stretching very well after to get the lactic acid moving Out. Lactic acid buildup left over in muscles leads to Far more sore muscles that recover a Lot slower. Take the Time, its worth it!! I never understood the importance of stretching until I actually started taking the time to do it and all of a sudden, there was Improvement in every area I worked on..my joints and muscles were so Happy that I went from 3 days of recovery to 1 day. I hope this helps..and Major kudos to you for joining the Fitness Path family *smile!*
  • cfsmith60
    cfsmith60 Posts: 13
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    V, I'll take that into account. How do we use a chair for pull-ups? I'm interested in this.

    -c
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
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    Op, a set it's a collection of reps together. Your post should have said
    Set 1: 5 pull ups etc.
  • cfsmith60
    cfsmith60 Posts: 13
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    Thanks for the correction, I'll take it into account in future postings.

    -c
  • Vermilliana
    Vermilliana Posts: 42 Member
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    Chair assisted push ups: Have your feet on a chair when you do your pull ups, but don't Stand on it when you pull-up, but rest your inactive legs on it to reduce the amount of weight you are pulling up. Move the chair further away as you get stronger, resting less of your lower body weight on it until you don't need it anymore. You can get straps or bands that do the same thing as well. The main thing is to remember to Not use your legs to move upwards. I hope that explaination makes sense..I'm far more used to Showing rather than explaining *L* I've coached people through P90X, so I'm no stranger to helping people with pull-ups *smile*
  • smand2000
    smand2000 Posts: 88
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    Think of it this way - you went from 0 to pulling 200+ pounds repeatedly, from a dead stop, dangling in midair. That is quite a jump for your body to adjust to. Work your way back slowly, and forget about what you could do 15 years ago, cause that's the surest way to get hurt. Spend a few weeks getting reacquainted with what you can do now, and slowly start increasing from there. Your only two goals to start should be gradual improvement, and not getting hurt! Good luck!
  • Laura732
    Laura732 Posts: 244 Member
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    Start slowly. There are a few programs I like:
    - hundredpushups.com and its sibling sites: 100 Squats, I think theres one for pullups, and there's definitely one for situps.
  • aubyshortcake
    aubyshortcake Posts: 796 Member
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    honestly the biggest thing that helped me was making sure I was getting enough protein, and not just the minimum that MFP put
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
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    Congrats! Epsom salts will be your best friend for soothing aching muscles after a work-out. Be sure to stay well hydrated too as dehydration will make your muscles hurt more. Listen to your body. It is good to challenge and push your body further but don't work through the pain. It is easy to injure yourself when just starting out so back it down a bit or alter your activity. Use RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for sprains and arnica cream and ice for any bruises. To lessen sore muscles, do a warm-up before exercising and a cool down after.

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