New Rules of Lifting For Women (NROL4W)

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Muscle recovery??? (repost from another board)

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TiffyChick
TiffyChick Posts: 89 Member
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I'm doing NROL4W, Stage 1. I am *supposed* to be doing 3 workouts/week, but the muscle pain has been really intense. I forced myself to lift in the first week even though I was still in major pain. Huge mistake. I couldn't workout from Thursday evening until Tuesday afternoon! Just too much intense pain. A friend of mine who is a bodybuilder said that much pain is due to overtraining, and that if I didn't rest/heal I would go backwards in my muscle growth goals. So I took the time to heal until the pain was very minimal. While I want to do the program as it is written, I think I should only do 2 workouts/week until the pain is less intense - DOMS instead of completely overworked/overtrained. And no, sadly, I'm not using mammoth-huge weights. I'm just that out of shape, I guess. Anyone else have to do 2 workouts/week initially? Will it really mess up the program if I lower my weekly workouts? Any thoughts would be appreciated. I'm annoyed that my muscles are being so difficult! : (

BTW...I still am doing cardio twice a week (nothing intense) and am wanting to implement yoga as well to help with the stretching that will aid in the muscle recovery.

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  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 11,995 Member
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    You will be perfectly fine doing just 2 work-outs per week. When you are gaining some strength, you might be able to move to 3 x per week, but remember, the *magic* is in the rest periods, anyway....that's when your muscles are GROWING.
  • TiffyChick
    TiffyChick Posts: 89 Member
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    Thank you, Beeps! A little reassurance goes a long way. : )
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    also have a look at your calories and macros. protein helps greatly with muscle recovery as well as making sure you get enough calories in general. i dont know what your goals are calorie wise, but i know when i dropped my calories too low it was taking me longer than normal to recover (like 3-4 days instead 2). i had to tweak it over several week until i found a range that was above my bmr, but below my tdee so i could still lose weight
  • TiffyChick
    TiffyChick Posts: 89 Member
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    Meshashesha - I am really good at hitting my macro's, including my protein (150 grams/day). My caloric intake based upon my tdee (set at moderate activity), with the 15% cut is 2000/day. I am def. planning on getting a Bodymedia Fit Link so I can accurately know without a doubt what my TDEE is. : )
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    then maybe you are over reaching a bit. do you have pain in your joints (like elbows, knees, wrists) or is mainly in the muscles?

    another thing that helps is taking alternating temp showers after you lift. if i have time i'll do a quick cool shower then jump in the whirlpool then once i'm done i'll take a quick cool shower again and then a warm one to finish

    also if possible use the foam roller, it's the next best thing to actually paying a masseuse
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    The pain is likely due to one or a combination of:

    1. Bad form (most likely culprit)
    2. Skipping the general warm-up and exercise specific warm-ups
    3. Skipping or inadequate stretching after lifting
  • TiffyChick
    TiffyChick Posts: 89 Member
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    Meshasha - No pain in the joints, it's all in the muscles. I don't have a gym with a whirpool or showers - it's just a simple box gym. I live 5 minutes away...could I do that at home? I have a roman tub with seperate shower in the same bathroom. Or do I need to do it immediately after lifting. If I went home it would be about a 15 minute wait between finishing my workout and getting in that cold shower (that sounds soooooo uncomfortable, but I'm willing to try it). ; )

    Bizco - I had the trainer at the gym watch me today, and my form is good (according to her), I have not done "exercise-specific" warmups, so I will try that next time. Thank you for the advice. : )
  • realrayne10
    realrayne10 Posts: 388 Member
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    I found that when I started Stage 1 I had to cut out my running completely for a few weeks. I made the mistake of trying to do hill repeaters during the first week of Stage 1 and thought I was going to die! :laugh:

    Stage 1 is all about getting used to lifting and figuring out what will work for you. Do what you can and keep pushing forward! Good luck!
  • dmcw19
    dmcw19 Posts: 129
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    I read your profile and it seems like you have had a tough go of things and and finally feel great in your situation. You mentioned you had a time where you were too thin. This could have decreased your muscle mass and so you are really feeling these workouts. I think two workouts a week is great until you feel like three is ok. The protein is important and you are doing amazing with that. I think you will be surprised how strong you get quickly. Your body is just waiting for this! Also, get lots of sleep....if you feel like a nap, take it. Your body knows what it needs.
  • TiffyChick
    TiffyChick Posts: 89 Member
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    Realrayne - I had to pull back on doing the stationary bike. My muscles just couldn't handle it on top of the lifting. I've actually been able to do it again in the second week. Also, the reminder that stage 1 is all about getting acquainted with lifting is a good one! I'll remind myself of that. : )

    Dmcw - I have had some struggles, but I am definitely in a great place now. I didn't even consider that my muscle mass may have "shrunk" due to unhealthy eating/exercise. Thanks for the kudos on the protein intake! I work really, really hard at my nutrition, especially getting in my protein, so I appreciate the encouragement. I'm definitely going to take the advice on the naps, too. I have noticed increased fatigue since starting to lift. I definitely want to be strong. I used to want to be stick-thin (major self esteem issues related to that), but now I want strength, curves and definition. That is much more attractive to me.
  • Tennybird
    Tennybird Posts: 22 Member
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    Same thing happen to me. I did the 1st workout on a Thursday and could hardly walk from squats for days. I wasn't able to lift again until Tuesday. It was very frustrating.

    Listen to your body and rest when you need to. I'm at the end of Stage 1 and can now do the work out 3x a week with a little bit of cardo thrown in there on my off days. But it will take me longer to finish Stage 1 then what the book says, because I need extra rest days in the beginning. However even in the beginning I tried to do light cardo, nothing that was too hard on my muscles.

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