A Few Days Without Doing Weights....The Ache?

NoIdea101NoIdea
NoIdea101NoIdea Posts: 659 Member
edited November 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi All; I'm pretty new to the whole 'lifting' thing, and so I apologise if this is a really dumb question!

I have recently started lifting again after a break of about three years. I am looking to lose fat, not gain muscle, and so am doing a full body work out, 'circuit' style at least three times a week. I have been doing this for a couple of months now, which isn't really very long. But last week I went away and so didn't manage to get to do any lifting, and I found that my muscles ached so bad! It was almost as if they were screaming 'what's with this inactivity? We need to work out!' So when I got back from my vacation I worked out with the weights as I usually do and it just felt soooooo much better.

So is this normal? I would expect something like this after a few months of lifting, but can you really experience it after just a couple of months? Does it maybe mean that actually, I am pushing myself too hard and should ease up a bit? Or is it just all in my head and I'm actually craving that 'feel good' feeling after you have done any sort of exercise, rather than specifically my muscles feel they are missing out?

I apologise again if that is a pretty dumb question, but if you don't ask you don't learn! Many thanks in advance for anyone who has any suggestions :)

Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    IF you went back balls to wall using the same weight you stopped with,, then yes you should be sore.. And any inactivity for more than month will warrant soreness though..you can loose strength and mass in as little as 3 - 4 weeks of no longer using your muscles.

    The good thing is that you already built the nuclei in your muscles so you will bypass this stage in the muscle building, however you should start back with a lower weight and work back up to what you are comfortable with in your sets and reps...
  • tycoon460
    tycoon460 Posts: 28 Member
    It depends on how long it lasts. Sometimes after a hard workout you might not get sore immediately but then get sore one to three days afterwards. If it lasts for an entire week then I would say probably pushing a little hard that previous workout or you have other issues.

    Even if you're not active you can still do some basic stretches. Just don't hold them as long as you would for your normal cooldowns. Even 5 minutes of stretching each group for 20 seconds can help out greatly. I have two recovery days, but one I do 10-15 minutes of stretches/yoga at the end of the week prior to my full recovery day.

    There are a variety of other things that can cause severe pains such as deficiency in Potassium and others. If it's something you notice and it concerns you should just make an appointment with your doctor to discuss it.
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