Work Outs While Sore

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peaceout_aly
peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello All!
I worked out three days in a row (Fri-Sun) and each time had about 15 minutes of cardio (elliptical) and switched it up between different leg, arm and shoulder/back muscles. I skipped a work out Monday as a recovery day and feel the need to go back today, but I'm still pretty sore. Is this detrimental to my work out? Do I need to allow more recovery time?
Thanks,
☮ Aly

Replies

  • JustMe2691
    JustMe2691 Posts: 111 Member
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    Why not try a light workout? Do some cardio to warm up and then some light strength exercises. Possibly even just bodyweight exercises.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    edited June 2015
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    alykief wrote: »

    Is this detrimental to my work out? - Probably not.

    Do I need to allow more recovery time? - It depends.... What sort of workout? Lifts, Sets, Reps, Intensity etc. I would assume you've had adequate rest if you were to follow the same rotation of body part split.

  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
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    Some muscles will recover slower than others. My upper body will recover faster than my lower body does. At any rate, there shouldn’t be any issue working a muscle group after it has been allowed to rest a full 24 hours. If you remain sore after a few weeks of training, I’d consider lightening it up or taking two to three days off for a full recovery.

    Also, make sure you’re getting plenty of water, protein and good, slow carbs. These will help with recovery.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    I work out M-F and take the weekends off, so I'm always sore except for on Mondays. If you feel like it would compromise your form, do something light or take a rest. Otherwise go for it.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    I walk on sore legs at a moderate rate to minimize the soreness. Nothing crazy. Just 30 minutes at 3 mph or so.

    Upper body sore gets a day off.

    The muscles grow when fed and sleeping. So rest and recovery is a big component in your plan.

    I don't even count normal activity like waking as a workout. It is just part of an active lifestyle.

    Muscle Fitness Hers

    Check them out. Lots of good info.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    professionalHobbyist wrote: »

    The muscles grow when fed and sleeping. So rest and recovery is a big component in your plan.

    But this doesn't matter if you're trying to lose weight and not bulk up, since hopefully your muscles are getting more efficient but are not growing,.
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
    edited June 2015
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    As long as you're only feeling DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and not injury pain then it's fine to work out. Make sure you warm up and cool down properly, incorporate foam rolling prior to static stretching and if needed use warm baths with epsom salts to help ease stiffness and soreness and you'll be fine.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    You should know your own body. As heather 884 points out know the difference between Doms and the start or actual injury. The second aspect is if you are going to work through DOMS then know enough as to whether toy are recovered and the additional exercise isnt going to set back your recovery. I sometimes have to say no to the gym because the exercise I know will be too much and take me even longe to recover from.

    I prefer the suggestions above of just doing something lika a light workout. Im sat here with exactly your dilemma.
  • palmettoadventurer
    palmettoadventurer Posts: 51 Member
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    If it's just DOMS, working out can actually make it feel better.
    sofaking6 wrote: »
    professionalHobbyist wrote: »

    The muscles grow when fed and sleeping. So rest and recovery is a big component in your plan.

    But this doesn't matter if you're trying to lose weight and not bulk up, since hopefully your muscles are getting more efficient but are not growing,.

    I'm not sure what you mean by this. Increasing muscle mass will generally make you appear leaner unless you're eating at a surplus, because muscle is denser than fat, so it takes up less volume, and it's more metabolically active as well, which helps you burn more calories. "Bulking up" takes intent, food, and work, especially for women with typical hormone balances.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    palmettoadventurer wrote: »
    If it's just DOMS, working out can actually make it feel better.
    sofaking6 wrote: »
    professionalHobbyist wrote: »

    The muscles grow when fed and sleeping. So rest and recovery is a big component in your plan.

    But this doesn't matter if you're trying to lose weight and not bulk up, since hopefully your muscles are getting more efficient but are not growing,.

    I'm not sure what you mean by this. Increasing muscle mass will generally make you appear leaner unless you're eating at a surplus, because muscle is denser than fat, so it takes up less volume, and it's more metabolically active as well, which helps you burn more calories. "Bulking up" takes intent, food, and work, especially for women with typical hormone balances.

    The poster had said that it's important to rest in order to grow muscles. However, muscles don't grow in a calorie deficit which is what I presume the OP is on since she is trying to lose weight. When you appear leaner while losing weight, it's just from not having fat covering up the muscles. When you get stronger while losing weight, it's just from something called 'neuromuscular adaptation' and not from adding new muscle. Adding new muscle only happens when you are intentionally gaining weight ie "bulking up". So yes it takes a lot more effort for women to bulk, but even men can only do it while eating more than they need to maintain their weight.

    Now this is not to say that it's not important to do resistance training while losing weight. In a calorie deficit, what that does is help you lose a higher percentage of weight from body fat than you otherwise would, thus preserving more of the lean body mass that you already have. But it won't create more.
  • j75j75
    j75j75 Posts: 854 Member
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    sofaking6 wrote: »
    professionalHobbyist wrote: »

    The muscles grow when fed and sleeping. So rest and recovery is a big component in your plan.

    But this doesn't matter if you're trying to lose weight and not bulk up, since hopefully your muscles are getting more efficient but are not growing,.

    Rest and recovery don't matter if you aren't trying to bulk???
  • Justthisgirl1994
    Justthisgirl1994 Posts: 226 Member
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    I workout while sore all the time. I usually just have one to two rest days a week. I've noticed that doing cardio after strength really helps lessen the intensity of DOMS the next day.

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