Too sore from the last time to exercise again

[Burnet Bramblerose]

This isn't a current reload, this is something that kept happening last time I worked out regularly, and I'm trying to avoid it this time.

 

I want to work out three times a week. But how do I keep from being so sore after I lift that I'm ready to go again in two days?

 

Before you say "lift less", I've been... pretty sedentary for the last half a year or so, and yesterday I did ten box squats with bodyweight only (granted, it was the first time I'd done proper squats with my thighs below parallel) and today my quads hurt so much I can barely walk down a set of stairs.

 

It'll probably get easier as time goes on, but what can I do to minimize the limping in between and be ready for the next workout?

[Severynn]

It definitely does get better over time... or perhaps you just learn to embrace the pain. Since it's a good pain... it's a sign your body is working!

The only thing that I do on really bad days that seems to help is to pop an advil or two...

Sadly there are no shortcuts around the pain (that I know of, anyway! Granted I'm still fairly new to all of this...)

Hopefully somebody else can give you some helpful tips/tricks!

Good luck and keep up the hard work!!

[Burnet Bramblerose]

I know it's a good pain but it doesn't help my form if my muscles aren't doing what they're told two days after I exercise them. But yeah, I remember how I felt when I started biking, and how I could only do it twice a week, but within a month or so I was biking to work every day. Gotta remember that.

[Anita]

I remember helping my mom rub in muscle and ligament creams/oils when my dad used to go to the gym religiously. Massages may also help!

[Jord]

What do you do at the end of your session in terms of cool down/stretch? 

I do 20 min cardio after I lift and then do 5-10 min of stretches after that. The DOMS seem a lot better when I switched to that format. From what I have read some light exercise after lifting can help with DOMS, so I promise I'm not just relaying broscience, but in this case it would femscience anyway??

[Leon Lifts]

If your muscles are tight, foam rolling is great. If you don't have foam rollers at your gym, don't have time, or don't want to fork out the money to buy a foam roller, the easiest solution is to tie two tennis balls inside a tube sock. Then you can roll it around the area that's tight and work out the kinks. The best part about it-- apart from its cheapness-- is its size. I usually keep it in my purse or backpack when I'm not using it in case my muscles get tight when I'm out and about. 

 

Another good solution, as mentioned above, is giving yourself a massage. No rocket science/masseuse license needed-- just knead your hands over the muscles that hurt until you can feel them start to loosen. Don't be afraid to put some force into it!

 

(I have joint problems partially due to tight muscles, and this is what my physical therapist recommends. Maybe it'll work for you!) 

[Burnet Bramblerose]

It's not tightness, just feels like overwork. But once it stopped hurting I did squats again and there's no problem today. So maybe it'll repair and rebuild fast.

I also noticed that even if I do dumbbell presses to failure, I don't hurt the next day at all. Does that mean I should do it every day, or increase the weight even if that means failure happens at fewer reps?

[Burnet Bramblerose]

The DOMS seem a lot better when I switched to that format.

DOMS, yes, that's what it is. Not sure what kind of warmups and cool downs I can do for those muscles when all I can do is ten bodyweight squats just below parallel.

[Scream]

Hey there, one thing I would recommend is trying out three different types of exercises for each of the three days a week to start. For example, you could do Push exercises, Pull exercises, and lower body. Or you could do weights, running, and stretching. The whole point of the 3-day a week workout is to give you the minimum amount of time (48 hours) between workouts for your muscles to completely recover, and if they aren't doing that then the 3 days are better spent doing something else until your body becomes more responsive.

[Jord]

DOMS, yes, that's what it is. Not sure what kind of warmups and cool downs I can do for those muscles when all I can do is ten bodyweight squats just below parallel.

 

You don't have to be doing a variation on a squat to warm-up. Any activity that warms up your body (you feel warmer than before) and gets your heart rate up a bit, will work to get the blood flowing. A short walk on the treadmill will do, 5-15 minutes.

 

If you don't workout at the gym there is a great article here. This should be required reading before your next workout: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/01/09/warm-up/ 

 

If those exercises seem too difficult, DareBee (formerly Neila Rey website) has some straight forward warm-ups, here is one: http://darebee.com/workouts/fighters-warmup.html 

 

I "cool down" by actually doing 20 min on the elliptical with the last 5 minutes being less intense. Moving my body around loosens it up after lifting weights. You'll notice neither the warm up nor the cool down have any of the same movements as my weight lifting, but they help my whole body recover faster from lifting. 

[Kilo]

Good to see all the responses. Thought I would throw in my two cents.

Firstly, please please please please, do not work out a muscle group for consecutive days. That is going to get you injured faster then almost anything else. When you are in the gym, you are breaking down the muscles, and they rebuild themselves stronger over the next 48 hours. If you workout the same muscle group day after day, you are not allowing them to rebuild and you are just going to injure yourself.  If what you are doing is too easy, either up the weight or the repetitions. but seriously. Don't workout out the same muscle group for at least two days. If you are working out three days a week, I would recommend a break down something similar to this.:

1st day: Chest and Arms

2nd day: Back and Core

3rd day: Legs

Then just repeat this every week, upping the reps or weight as you are able. This gives you a whole week to rest a muscle group.

 

Secondly, Warm up . Somehow someway. It doesn't matter if you just walk for fifteen minutes beforehand or do jump rope for a minute or what ever. Do something that is going to get your body, and more importantly your heart, ready for a workout. Same goes for cool down. Do something that is easier, and just let your heart rate drop slowly. This can mean a fast walk that gradually slows or just doing the easiest exercise you can slowly. It is just not going to hit your body as hard.

 

I know I feel stupid doing it, and I can't immediately see the results. but stretching helps. It helps mostly if you do it before and after your workout. It will help diminish the DOMS. I also stretch the muscle group the day after a workout, and that really helps. Just do ten minutes of stretching. It will help.

 

Failing at a weight is actually a really good thing, so long as it is done properly. When you max out on any muscle group, you are tearing it down faster and harder then you ever have, and it will rebuild that much better. That being said, it is potentially dangerous and shouldn't be done unless you have a spotter. So many things can go wrong when pushing yourself to failure, you want someone there to make sure that you don't drop the weights on yourself, others or get yourself pinned. If you don't have a spotter, lower the weight a little and just do a few more reps then normal.

 

I hope this helps and good luck!

[Kilo]

Awesome coincidence (or is it?)

I don't know if you are subscribed to the blog posts, but Steve wrote this article on your question. It's like he knows.

Hope this helps and best of luck

[Jord]

Awesome coincidence (or is it?)

 

I had the same thought!