Split vs total body workout - DOMS problem

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alereck
alereck Posts: 343 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I’ve been doing this strength routine for a few weeks now that I really like but I’m having trouble with DOMS after my leg workouts. I work full time, go to school, have two kids under 5 and cannot go as slow as I am right now ;-)

This is what I do now and it has been giving me good results:
Monday – arms/shoulders
Wednesday – legs/cardio
Thursday or Friday – chest / back
I also do a set of 30 reps of ab exercises in between supersets for a total of 3-4 sets.

Now from about Thursday morning until probably Sunday I am so sore I walk like a penguin and have to lean on my hands when sitting down, it’s pathetic. My kids keep running into my legs or trying to sit on my lap and I feel guilty for yelling at them to stop. So I was thinking about going back to what I was doing before which was a total body workout type of day where I implement different exercises from all muscle groups into 60 minutes.

My question is, does anyone know or have experience with one set up being better than the other? I really think I am getting better results as far as getting leaner and stronger with the split but I can’t deal with this DOMS. Anyone has any suggestions?

I do warm up for 6 minutes before working out; I do stretch after I am done. I even started massaging my legs with cream after my showers but nothing helps. Painkillers help but I'm not about to take them weekly.

Thank you.

Replies

  • trojan_bb
    trojan_bb Posts: 699 Member
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    I think you'll just have to ride it out. DOMS should start decreasing after a few weeks to where it's fairly minimal unless you change the volume or intensity.

    Not sure if this is possible based on whatever diet you follow, but a carb drink with BCAA's or hydrolyzed whey protein (must be hydrolyzed) DURING a workout can dramatically reduce muscle fatigue and increase recovery.

    If you want to do it on the cheap, just gatorade powder (dextrose) with cheap BCAA's should do the trick. Sip while you train legs
  • liznotyet
    liznotyet Posts: 402 Member
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    If your goal is to build, this may not be the best advice. I can't imagine doing legs and cardio just one day a week.

    what makes DOMS worse for me is a combination of overstrain and inflammatory diet (white food.) I also get a rebound effect from aspirin/tylenol/motrin that the pain is felt more intensely when the painkillers wear off. I get DOMS less when I workout in short bits daily and always remember to leave something for the next day. When I do overdo it I always work gently to keep the hurting parts mobile (slow, not fast or still) until the next workout and make sure to stay hydrated.

    My vote for you is to return to the full body in 60 minutes as many days as you can.
  • nlcs_nickyv32
    nlcs_nickyv32 Posts: 84
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    My vote for you is to return to the full body in 60 minutes as many days as you can.

    You don't need to do a full body workout as many days as possible that leads to burning yourself out.

    Take a look as some basic full body workouts such as the Strong lift 5x5. You only workout 3 days a week and it is one of the best workout programs you can follow. It is the first workout I recommend to anyone looking to build muscle, burn fat and get stronger. The workout is done in a progressive fashion. Meaning you will increase the amount of weight you are lifting each week.

    For DOMS it does get better with time. Keep at your workout and it shouldn't be a problem anymore. I suggest buying a foam roller if you don't have one and use it before and after each workout, and whenever you feel tightness or soreness anywhere.
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
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    I think you'll just have to ride it out. DOMS should start decreasing after a few weeks to where it's fairly minimal unless you change the volume or intensity.

    Not sure if this is possible based on whatever diet you follow, but a carb drink with BCAA's or hydrolyzed whey protein (must be hydrolyzed) DURING a workout can dramatically reduce muscle fatigue and increase recovery.

    If you want to do it on the cheap, just gatorade powder (dextrose) with cheap BCAA's should do the trick. Sip while you train legs

    I have been increasing the volume since I've read that is how you continue to grow muscle and get stronger; my guess is that if I don't increase volume or intensity I would plateau.

    I have read about BCAA's but have not tried them. I will buy some and see if it helps.
    Thanks for commenting
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
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    You don't need to do a full body workout as many days as possible that leads to burning yourself out.

    Take a look as some basic full body workouts such as the Strong lift 5x5. You only workout 3 days a week and it is one of the best workout programs you can follow. It is the first workout I recommend to anyone looking to build muscle, burn fat and get stronger. The workout is done in a progressive fashion. Meaning you will increase the amount of weight you are lifting each week.

    For DOMS it does get better with time. Keep at your workout and it shouldn't be a problem anymore. I suggest buying a foam roller if you don't have one and use it before and after each workout, and whenever you feel tightness or soreness anywhere.


    Someone had told me about the strong lift 5x5 but I am partial to it since I do not have anyone to spot me at the gym and I’m afraid of getting injured, I can’t afford that. But maybe I have not educated myself enough about it to make a decision.

    I’ve seen the rollers at the gym I go to and I had no idea what they were for. Funny because I’ve seen people use them for everything but this. I will give it a try.

    Thanks
  • trojan_bb
    trojan_bb Posts: 699 Member
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    I think you'll just have to ride it out. DOMS should start decreasing after a few weeks to where it's fairly minimal unless you change the volume or intensity.

    Not sure if this is possible based on whatever diet you follow, but a carb drink with BCAA's or hydrolyzed whey protein (must be hydrolyzed) DURING a workout can dramatically reduce muscle fatigue and increase recovery.

    If you want to do it on the cheap, just gatorade powder (dextrose) with cheap BCAA's should do the trick. Sip while you train legs

    I have been increasing the volume since I've read that is how you continue to grow muscle and get stronger; my guess is that if I don't increase volume or intensity I would plateau.

    I have read about BCAA's but have not tried them. I will buy some and see if it helps.
    Thanks for commenting

    Increasing volume and intensity is a good way to grow. But it doesn't take too long to reach a point where you dont want to increase volume because it's just too much and intensity is near max. So you increase the weights you use, which is much easier on DOMS.

    Volume and total work done is what really affects DOM.
  • Aussie_in_PA
    Aussie_in_PA Posts: 100 Member
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    Fish oil can reduce DOMS... does for me at least and i'm sure research still supports it.
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
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    Fish oil can reduce DOMS... does for me at least and i'm sure research still supports it.

    I do not take it as a supplement but I eat so much salmon I think I'm covered :)
  • mayfrayy
    mayfrayy Posts: 198 Member
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    Fish oil can reduce DOMS... does for me at least and i'm sure research still supports it.

    I do not take it as a supplement but I eat so much salmon I think I'm covered :)

    unless you eat over 8oz of salmon a day you would benefit from fish oil.
    bcaa's would probably help, depends on types of protein and amount you take in.

    you dont really need a spotter for SS or SL, just a rack. Only exception being bench press. If you dont want to bench without a spotter just DB press.
  • ecphillips1286
    ecphillips1286 Posts: 331 Member
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    Not sure if this is possible based on whatever diet you follow, but a carb drink with BCAA's or hydrolyzed whey protein (must be hydrolyzed) DURING a workout can dramatically reduce muscle fatigue and increase recovery.

    If you want to do it on the cheap, just gatorade powder (dextrose) with cheap BCAA's should do the trick. Sip while you train legs

    BCAAs helped me a lot when I started getting back in the gym. I drink 2 servings everyday and notice a big difference compared to when I wasn't.
  • alpinehealth
    alpinehealth Posts: 85 Member
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    If you seriously want to build muscle you need to hit each body part 2 x per week. Get you macros right minimum 1- 1.5 grams of protein per lb. of body weight. End of story.
  • puremuscle56
    puremuscle56 Posts: 4 Member
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    Split routine is much better for building muscle. It is impossible for anyone, past a beginner, to train with enough intensity to grow muscle and work the whole body in one day. Growing muscle takes a lot of overload and intensity, perhaps even more so for a woman. The pain you feel is that intensity. You have tore the muscle down and it is rebuilding and growing, that is a painful process. Enjoy the pain. It means you were doing something right.

    Once a week workout, per body part, works fine for many. Some prefer twice a week and some can even go three times a week. If you are growing and it is working, why change? Leg work is painful. It is the largest muscle in the body thus it takes tons of energy to train with enough intensity to grow. It also painful because we use our lower body much more than our upper body in our daily life. But sounds to me like you are discovering that..lol Good luck.

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