Help with muscle recovery
mkupartist
Posts: 79 Member
I'm not new to lifting and have been doing it for a couple years casually. In the last 5 months I have gotten serious about getting fit and am struggling with muscle recovery while I push myself.
I am one of those that if I'm really sore won't go back to the gym for a week and it sends me into a bad habit cycle.
I use BCAAs & a Calcium/Magnesium supplement but am wondering what else you all can suggest for recovery?
Any help is appreciated!!! I am walking like a nutcracker and wish I had a catheter.
I am one of those that if I'm really sore won't go back to the gym for a week and it sends me into a bad habit cycle.
I use BCAAs & a Calcium/Magnesium supplement but am wondering what else you all can suggest for recovery?
Any help is appreciated!!! I am walking like a nutcracker and wish I had a catheter.
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Replies
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PS foam rolling doesn't help & is a moderate form of torture.1
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Have you tried stretching after your workout?0
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I have, but light stretching. It's not like it's a part of the workout.0
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Do you track your macros and are you getting enough protein?
I will tell you flat out that the best solution to soreness though is another workout. That's part of the problem you're experiencing. When you get sore you delay going back to the gym.7 -
I usually do active stretching for 10-15 minutes before my workout and about 5-8 minutes of static stretching (holds for 20 secs) and some yoga poses afterwards. It doesn't eliminate the soreness, but it does help more than most other suggestions. Also hot Epsom salt bath will help a bit too.0
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gentle stretching while the muscles are still warm post-workout seems to help me. GENTLE stretching, and 60 second-ish holds. idea is just to prevent them from seizing and shortening up while they cool down again, and then throughout the day little shorter stretches to try and maintain the same length. i'm bad about this and only tend to do it when bad consequences re-make a convert of me. my chiropractor swears by it though. sez 'we have found' that post stretching seems to result in a better 'quality' of muscle tissue than putting it off, i.e. smoother and longer. he also advocates first-thing after wakeup stretches. i've never gotten rid of hte image he planted in me: stretching is like combing the muscle fibres to 'tell' them how to align themselves as they get made.
i take a bcaa dose in water with me to the gym. post-workout has sometimes been effective, but a steady provision during may be what's been protecting me recently.
immediate post- workout recovery, i'm making a habit of eating something that grew on a tree. i may just have terrible habits and be deficient in vitamin c, but apples or oranges do seem to be a better recovery food than gummy bears
i'm also currently hydrating like crazy and trying teh fish-oil approach.
also within a few hours post-workout, been making intentional effort to feed myself a serious protein hit. my standard smoothie is 30g so that's about what i try to aim for.
context: been lifting two years, starting with SL 5x5, then 5x3, and now in a fourth cycle of wendler 5-3-1. the change that has happened for me recently is i've suddenly added 50%-training-max sets at 3x15 for the lifts that i'm already doing as part of the main wendler stuff. i expected death by doms in the first week, but it hasn't happened.0 -
If you're too sore for you regular workout you could consider just doing a very light one. That way you stay in the habit of going to the gym when you need to. Plus just doing the range of motion with light weights helps with soreness. Another thing to keep in mind (on top of watching your protein levels) is how much sleep you get. It should be 7 hours or more if you're lifting.1
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I take a scoop of glutamine powder before a heavy lift! Lots of water! No soreness0
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CONSISTENCY reduces DOMS. If it's a matter of recovery, then first ibuprofen and an epsom salt bath.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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sunnybeaches105 wrote: »Do you track your macros and are you getting enough protein?
I will tell you flat out that the best solution to soreness though is another workout. That's part of the problem you're experiencing. When you get sore you delay going back to the gym.
I haven't been tracking macros, no. Been meaning to get back to this. I felt like I had been getting enough protein but you may have hit the nail on the head with this one. Could probably use a lot more protein.
Day after leg day (yesterday), I was back in the gym, not allowing myself to stop. Today I haven't yet had the guts to go but sounds like I should!
Thank you for everyone's candid input. Changes ahead!
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DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) should go away within a week or two of starting a new exercise routine. If you've been experiencing pain for five months, you're either not working out consistently enough or what you're feeling is an injury, not DOMS. You shouldn't still be getting sore after workouts if you've been doing them consistently for five months.1
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Any "powders" taken before workouts don't affect the micro tearing of muscles. That's what DOMS is. It's directly caused by resistance that's VERY challenging to either contraction or muscular endurance.Glampinupdoll wrote: »I take a scoop of glutamine powder before a heavy lift! Lots of water! No soreness
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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mkupartist wrote: »sunnybeaches105 wrote: »Do you track your macros and are you getting enough protein?
I will tell you flat out that the best solution to soreness though is another workout. That's part of the problem you're experiencing. When you get sore you delay going back to the gym.
I haven't been tracking macros, no. Been meaning to get back to this. I felt like I had been getting enough protein but you may have hit the nail on the head with this one. Could probably use a lot more protein.
Day after leg day (yesterday), I was back in the gym, not allowing myself to stop. Today I haven't yet had the guts to go but sounds like I should!
Thank you for everyone's candid input. Changes ahead!
On days when you really feel bad, just tell yourself you're going in to warm up. If you still feel like hell after warming up then go light. Also, I don't mean warming up via cardio. I mean start by warming up with lighter weights and slowly adding weight until you feel like your muscles are ready for you to hit your routine. Most programs use this type of warm-up but I want to be clear.1 -
Make sure your diet is in check, and that you're getting enough rest. you really don't need BCAAs as long as you're taking in enough protein. And if you're sore, say your legs, why not just work your upper body instead of skipping the gym till your legs have recovered1
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mkupartist wrote: »PS foam rolling doesn't help & is a moderate form of torture.
Foam rolling does help just not in the way you want it to. There's not a lot you can do about lactic acid build up once it is there. Foam rolling is a great tool for tight muscles as it mimics deep tissue massages (which is why it hurts so good
) and will work on some of the tension from tight muscles and scar tissue, but it will not push the lactic acid out of your legs, butt, back , etc. Lactic Acid and inflammation are what cause soreness. The amount of inflammation you have is very likely dependent on your diet and then obviously how hard you workout. If you're struggling with soreness you should be avoiding inflammatory foods like sugar, anything processed, beans, dairy, peanuts, soy etc. This is an incredibly strict way of eating, but once your diet is in check you'll notice a world of difference as far as soreness is concerned. I'd suggest looking at the Paleo diet and learning what foods are inflammatory so you know what to avoid.
Once you're already sore there's not much you can do other than drink a lot of water, Epsom salt baths, and stretching. But it's still going to take 2-4 days to recover depending on how sore you are.
Another recommendation I would make when you're sore is do an active rest day. If your entire body is sore instead of lifting just go walk for a few miles.1 -
DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) should go away within a week or two of starting a new exercise routine. If you've been experiencing pain for five months, you're either not working out consistently enough or what you're feeling is an injury, not DOMS. You shouldn't still be getting sore after workouts if you've been doing them consistently for five months.
This isn't necessarily true. I'm sore every week and I've been consistently working out for 6 months and I'm injury free. It's all about muscle memory. The more you confuse the muscles, the more often you'll be sore. Confusion can happen by increasing weight, changing reps, or just doing something you're not used to. If I normally do a 3 rep max on my bench press, but this week I'm going to do a 3 max effort at 95# you best believe my arms are going to be sore. They're used to lifting 155# 3 times, not 95# 30 times.1 -
CONSISTENCY reduces DOMS. If it's a matter of recovery, then first ibuprofen and an epsom salt bath.
This can't be said enough. For people who get bad DOMS, stretching, BCAAs, rolling, glutamine ... none of it does anything at all.
What works is not taking time off from working out. If I don't work out more than 4 or so days in a row, I'm going to pay for it the next few days with severe DOMS. This is why I rarely take time off.
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Incorrect. Lactic Acid IS NOT the cause of soreness. This is bad information that gets passed on by people who aren't well versed in how physiology actually works. DOMS is from micro tears in the muscle created by intense exercise that the muscle is not accustomed to.beautifulwarrior18 wrote: »mkupartist wrote: »PS foam rolling doesn't help & is a moderate form of torture.
Foam rolling does help just not in the way you want it to. There's not a lot you can do about lactic acid build up once it is there. Foam rolling is a great tool for tight muscles as it mimics deep tissue massages (which is why it hurts so good) and will work on some of the tension from tight muscles and scar tissue, but it will not push the lactic acid out of your legs, butt, back , etc. Lactic Acid and inflammation are what cause soreness. The amount of inflammation you have is very likely dependent on your diet and then obviously how hard you workout. If you're struggling with soreness you should be avoiding inflammatory foods like sugar, anything processed, beans, dairy, peanuts, soy etc. This is an incredibly strict way of eating, but once your diet is in check you'll notice a world of difference as far as soreness is concerned. I'd suggest looking at the Paleo diet and learning what foods are inflammatory so you know what to avoid.
Once you're already sore there's not much you can do other than drink a lot of water, Epsom salt baths, and stretching. But it's still going to take 2-4 days to recover depending on how sore you are.
Another recommendation I would make when you're sore is do an active rest day. If your entire body is sore instead of lifting just go walk for a few miles.
And unless one has an issue with inflammations DUE to actual foods, eating a Paleo diet isn't going to reduce recovery time any more than one where protein supplements and processed foods are used. Recovery factor is based on fitness, age, rest and genetics.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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You misunderstud him. CONSISTENTLY would mean the SAME EXERCISE with the SAME REPS and SAME RESISTANCE. You're speaking of training strength one time, and then muscular endurance the next. Two different types of training.beautifulwarrior18 wrote: »DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) should go away within a week or two of starting a new exercise routine. If you've been experiencing pain for five months, you're either not working out consistently enough or what you're feeling is an injury, not DOMS. You shouldn't still be getting sore after workouts if you've been doing them consistently for five months.
This isn't necessarily true. I'm sore every week and I've been consistently working out for 6 months and I'm injury free. It's all about muscle memory. The more you confuse the muscles, the more often you'll be sore. Confusion can happen by increasing weight, changing reps, or just doing something you're not used to. If I normally do a 3 rep max on my bench press, but this week I'm going to do a 3 max effort at 95# you best believe my arms are going to be sore. They're used to lifting 155# 3 times, not 95# 30 times.
It's like the difference between sprinting vs long distance running.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 1 -
I have been on a Whole30 diet for a few months. Just added rice & quinoa back in. Definitely could use more protein but I feel like my diet is pretty good. No sugars for me! I will do an Epsom Salt bath too.
You all are awesome! Thanks for your input.0 -
More protein and potassium. Maybe creatine powder?0
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mkupartist wrote: »I have been on a Whole30 diet for a few months. Just added rice & quinoa back in. Definitely could use more protein but I feel like my diet is pretty good. No sugars for me! I will do an Epsom Salt bath too.
You all are awesome! Thanks for your input.
I find quite naturally I dont eat a great deal of protein. Once I started tracking it was clear I was eating a lot less than I expected.
I have since started using a protein powder to have pre-workout and make a concerted effort to go for protein rich foods.
It may be you are similar.0
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