Recovery from muscle pain: take a break, or lighter lifting?

gcarterIT
gcarterIT Posts: 20 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

I work out 3 times a week and each day requires some arm and/or shoulder weight/resistance exercises. I have a slight muscle pain in my left bicep. The pain is most prominent when I do the preacher's curl, and may have originated from me trying to curl too much.

Should I

1. take a break from all arm/shoulder exercises for a week (or more) and do cardio and continue leg exercises, or

2. continue the arm/shoulder exercises but using a lighter weight/resistance that does not result in pain, and slowly increase back up to where I was when the pain started, or

3. try identify the exercises specific to the bicep and then don't do those exercises for a week or more, or

4. try identify the exercises specific to the bicep and do those exercises using using a lighter weight/resistance that does not result in pain, and slowly increase back up to where I was when the pain started, or

6. or anything else; I'm open to all suggestions.

During the day, if pain flares up, aspirin does a good job of masking the pain. But I don't think it would be prudent to take an aspirin prior to workout since I might unknowingly create more damage.

Please share all thoughts, comments, etc.

Thanks,
George

Replies

  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Theres a difference between DOM and pain. You never said how long you have bicep pain?
  • ROBJ3411
    ROBJ3411 Posts: 72 Member
    You really need to ID whether it is Soreness (ie DOMS) or if it is an injury (ie muscle pull/strain/tear etc) like the guy above said.... If it is lingering pain that has been there for a while it may be the later and rest as well as stretching and message would help. If it is DOMS- some stretching and Massage should help aleviate the soreness and you should be able to drive on....
    You really have to know your body and what it is trying to tell you.... You may need to just take an extra day rest, or try something alittle different.
  • gcarterIT
    gcarterIT Posts: 20 Member
    I had this for about 2 weeks.
  • jwilkinson95
    jwilkinson95 Posts: 6 Member
    It gets easier plain and simple. Keep doing what your doing
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    6. do some different stuff at the gym for awhile. Instead of preacher curls. maybe chin ups and overhead press? balance it out? or just skip the biceps and do dips and pull ups? maybe working them with other muscles will help it take it easy til it can catch up.
  • branflakes1980
    branflakes1980 Posts: 2,516 Member
    DOMS don't last for 2 weeks. Sounds like you may have injured something. Best to rest it until the pain subsides. You don't want to injure it further.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    gcarterIT wrote: »
    I had this for about 2 weeks.

    Pain comes when you straight your arm. Yeah I had that before when I lifted with a friend from very high high volume day like close to 100 curls. I would just do a light day.

  • gcarterIT
    gcarterIT Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks guys. I going to lighten up on the bicep intensive exercises and see how it goes. If no change, eliminate those exercises for a while, and then slowly come back. But keep up with everything else (legs, shoulders, cardio) unless I have a good reason not to. I fear if I stop exercising for only a week, I might loose a lot of what I've gained (strength wise). Maybe I worry too much.
    Thanks again.

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