Lifting and soreness

smotheredincheese
smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started stronglifts 5x5 two days ago, using weights quite a lot lighter than the programme suggested because I'm a newbie and didn't want to overdo it.
Despite this I'm still incredibly sore, I'm fine once I've been moving round for a while but everytime I sit down it's a challenge to get back up.
I'm supposed to be doing my second 5x5 workout tonight but don't know if I should put it off until tomorrow. Is it safe to lift when you're still feeling sore from the last workout?
I don't want to injure myself or get so stiff I can't walk tomorrow.

Replies

  • shanye12345
    shanye12345 Posts: 11 Member
    Hi I am suffering with you my poor body is in bits like yourself I am very new to weights and I am on a program at my local gym for me to strengthen up my lower back.
    This is my second day this week and I really am so tight two-day,
    I am planning on spending a half hour in the jacuzzi so this should help me .... hopefully
  • treehugnmama
    treehugnmama Posts: 816 Member
    I'm a total lightweight lol just doing the resistance weights in the pool....but am so sore I found that having a hot Epson salt bath Immediately after the exercise helps so much. When I have it hours later it isn't neerly as effective for me.
  • megan_elizabeth8
    megan_elizabeth8 Posts: 216 Member
    This morning I read this article about this exact topic! :smile:

    http://www.kaylaitsines.com/blogs/news/should-i-train-with-sore-muscles?utm_source=Master+List+•+English&utm_campaign=5fa7e4ab56-Newsletter_English_train_sore_m_28_7_16_WW&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bd2f136c59-5fa7e4ab56-175568877&mc_cid=5fa7e4ab56&mc_eid=8850d548b9
  • jmf552
    jmf552 Posts: 47 Member
    I do a circuit of eight strength exercises, 3 sets at weights I can do no more than 12 reps with. It also serves as cardio, because I don't stop between exercises. It takes me about 30 minutes, followed by a 10 minute walk down. It gets my heart rate up 80% or more after the first set and keeps it there through most of the walk-down. At the end, I feel totally spent, but really good. Here's the thing: Even though I'm 64 and have a sedentary job, I never get sore with this workout, even if I have to take a break from it for a while. The trainer has done tests showing I have gained muscle mass and reduced body fat doing this only three times a week over a three months.

    I am no training expert, but perhaps the 5x5 thing is too intense and too focused on muscle building and less on weight loss. That sounds like a routine for a body builder.
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
    I had a hot bath this morning which helped while I was in it...but as soon as I got out I stiffened up again.
    If I do todays workout will the DOMS be worse or better after? I've been reading some pretty conflicting things online, some people say work through the soreness and lift anyway, and that it can actually help DOMS.
    But other people say (like in the article meg2166 has posted) that it's a bad idea and your muscles need to fully recover.
    Ideally I would like to do my workout tonight but will it be harmful if I'm still feeling so sore?
  • megan_elizabeth8
    megan_elizabeth8 Posts: 216 Member
    To add to this... I wish I had read that article last week! After an intense training session last week I was extremely sore, but decided to push through the soreness for my next workout, which was two days later. One of my arms was still particularly sore, but I decided to push through anyway. This was an extremely poor decision on my part to ignore my body (my arm had been quite painful to train), and I ended up with a pulled muscle, and have not been able to use my arm properly for the last week, let alone train. If you're extremely sore and it is painful to workout (as opposed to just an ache) I wouldn't recommend pushing it, as injuring yourself will delay your program much more than simply resting would have. If you do decide to train be careful! And if something is causing more pain than it should be stop! Listen to your body. Hope this is helpful :smile:
  • samhennings
    samhennings Posts: 441 Member
    If you can do the work out, do it. It really does get better once you push through the first few workouts.

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited July 2016
    Personally, if being sore has a significant impact on my ability to do the lifts, then I'll put off the workout for a day or 2 until I can give it the proper effort with the correct form/technique. Otherwise I make sure to do a proper warmup and I stay with the program. I've been at this long enough to know that I'm not going to feel great every workout. The process is the process.

    But that's me.

    You mention that you're usually ok once you've been up and moving for a while, but that you get sore/tight when sitting. That's what warm-ups are for. Take some time and do a good warmup before your workout to get you loosened up and ready for your lifts. This should be normal protocol and part of every workout, but it's ESPECIALLY important if you're tight going into the session.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    jmf552 wrote: »
    I do a circuit of eight strength exercises, 3 sets at weights I can do no more than 12 reps with. It also serves as cardio, because I don't stop between exercises. It takes me about 30 minutes, followed by a 10 minute walk down. It gets my heart rate up 80% or more after the first set and keeps it there through most of the walk-down. At the end, I feel totally spent, but really good. Here's the thing: Even though I'm 64 and have a sedentary job, I never get sore with this workout, even if I have to take a break from it for a while. The trainer has done tests showing I have gained muscle mass and reduced body fat doing this only three times a week over a three months.

    I am no training expert, but perhaps the 5x5 thing is too intense and too focused on muscle building and less on weight loss. That sounds like a routine for a body builder.

    Stronglifts is a beginners program to learn the basics of lifting and to build strength. It helps build a foundation for more advanced work.

    OP has DOMS, from using their body in a way that may not have been done for a while. It is really commonplace and with the exception of where they may have seriously injured themselves, will resolve with time and experience.
  • getalife9353
    getalife9353 Posts: 100 Member
    For myself, if it is general muscle soreness that goes away after doing some warm up, I wouldn't worry about it and proceed with my exercise routine. If it is spot specific pain or soreness, especially at a joint, I would be more concerned about an actual injury. I might still do some light movement as long as the movement didn't increase the soreness or pain. If it is spot specific and doesn't resolve itself after a few days, it might be time to make an appointment with a doctor or physical therapist. To help prevent muscle soreness I do some type of warm up activity such as walking or light cycling and follow the workout with 5-10 minutes of cool down (walk, light cycle as examples) and / or 5-10 minutes of static stretches, and be sure to re-hydrate.
  • stapark
    stapark Posts: 35 Member
    smotheredincheese wrote: »
    Well by the time I got home last night I was still very sore and having to go down the stairs sideways :D
    I decided to try doing my workout anyway, and stop if I felt like it was doing more harm than good or affecting my form. In the end it was fine, the doms didn't affect my workout at all and I actually felt a lot less sore afterwards.

    Glad you were feeling better! DOMS mostly went away after a few weeks of Stronglifts for me, you won't always have it!
  • maranarasauce93
    maranarasauce93 Posts: 293 Member
    Yup like others have said DOMs. Also, in part I feel like it's also a matter of becoming used to certain exercises over time. Ex: I do powerlifting training and incorporate some accessory work. I felt fine after my workout and my boyfriend wanted to try the same exercises and he was sore the next day :D ! Also, I feel like sometimes stretching before and after can help prevent soreness overtime. So try some foam rolling and see if it can help!

    Still experiencing some mild DOMs from arms day a while back mehh!
  • billr42
    billr42 Posts: 12 Member
    Stretching and walking helps me a lot. I find that the soreness lasts longer if I'm inactive after lifting. Make sure you get extra water, and ibuprofen helps too.

    Also, don't worry too much about hurting yourself if you're lifting appropriate weight when you're sore. You should be fine.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,974 Member
    edited August 2016
    FWIW, people often say it's fine to workout despite soreness but rest is really the best recourse. Heat or ice, massage and other therapies can help relieve the symptoms but rest is the ultimate solution.

    With soreness, your body is telling you that it needs time to recover and it is best to heed that warning. Doing so will allow your muscles time to heal and will avoid possibly overtaxing those muscles in a way that may cause injury.

    I've mentioned this b4 in other thread asking the same question and have been criticized for it. The criticism doesn't make the advice unwarranted. Ignore it if you please but be aware of the risk of actual injury if you do.
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 650 Member
    I'm glad you asked this. I do SL every other day (3 days a week) and sometimes my DOMS begins on the day I'm supposed to lift again. I often wondered if it hinders your progress by being sore.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,974 Member
    edited August 2016
    KDar1988 wrote: »
    I often wondered if it hinders your progress by being sore.

    Soreness is does not hinder your progress, it is an indication of it. It's your body's response to doing more physical work and that it needs time to adapt to the new requirements.

    As reported in the article referenced below, muscle soreness is actually caused by micro-tears or fractures in your muscles that need to heal in order to progress. Once your muscles have healed, you will be stronger but if you continue to exercise the muscles while they are still healing, you will delay your recovery and strength development.

    See: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/08/what-causes-muscle-soreness-after-exercising-note-its-not-lactic-acid/

    So, IMO the best thing you can do when you feel muscle soreness is to rest those muscles to allow them to fully heal. You can exercise other body parts but you should give your body the time it needs to repair those muscles that are sore, so that they can become stronger when you use them again.

    However, if you read the article, it reports that counter-intuitively doing HIIT exercise may actually reduce muscle soreness. So, there are obviously opposing opinions on this. On the other hand, the article reports that while doing warm-ups of unused body parts will help reduce soreness, stretching generally will not.

    The one thing that I know from personal experience doing Stronglifts and Starting Stength is, as also reported in the article, that progressively increasing the weight lifted nominally (10% in the article) will reduce the likeliness of experiencing further soreness. I can personally attest to this because I've done both programs and have never experienced any muscle soreness despite increasing the amount lifted significantly over time.

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