squats - do i have poor form or am i just weak?

[tazer]

after doing 20 bodyweight squats on wednesday, i ended up so incredibly sore. it is still hard to walk up and down stairs today.

does this mean that i must have been doing them wrong, or is it possible my quads just suck and i should scale back?

i think i was doing them right - my back felt straight, and i asked my girl if it looked straight and she said yes. i feel like i should be able to do these without so much trouble. i'm not morbidly obese, and i do a lot of walking up and down hills and stuff.

also, does anyone know how to get those muscles to just heal up already? i feel like such a loser, haha.

[bigm141414]

after doing 20 bodyweight squats on wednesday, i ended up so incredibly sore. it is still hard to walk up and down stairs today.

does this mean that i must have been doing them wrong, or is it possible my quads just suck and i should scale back?

i think i was doing them right - my back felt straight, and i asked my girl if it looked straight and she said yes. i feel like i should be able to do these without so much trouble. i'm not morbidly obese, and i do a lot of walking up and down hills and stuff.

also, does anyone know how to get those muscles to just heal up already? i feel like such a loser, haha.

Well, depends. How long have you been doing them? Is this your first time working out in a long time?

You can do squats with perfect form and still have jello legs the next day. I have this issue from time to time (mainly when I take time off and decide it's fine to up the weight, one day I'll learn that's not the best idea).

[tazer]

it was the first day doing squats in a little under a year, but i have been using the elliptical, walking a lot, and stuff like that. it killed my legs - i am not going to be able to do any more squats for a few days, until i can at least go down a flight of stairs without support.

[chairohkey]

Yay for DOMS! The worst thing about new exercises.

[sylph]

Yay for DOMS! The best thing about new exercises.

Fixed.

[bigm141414]

it was the first day doing squats in a little under a year, but i have been using the elliptical, walking a lot, and stuff like that. it killed my legs - i am not going to be able to do any more squats for a few days, until i can at least go down a flight of stairs without support.

Yeah you've got the DOMS. Elliptical and walking doesn't really help much with squats (not to say they don't have their benefits). Squats are a whole other beast. Just take it slow outta the gate. It gets easier. And if you still worry about form issues, you can always post a video and we're more than happy to review it.

[Sloth the Enduring]

That's fabulous; you gotta work hard to get the jello legs. Don't worry, it'll get easier. Keep moving, if you just sit around everything will tighten up and it'll take longer to feel right. Self massage will help too, work toward the heart to help flush out the muscles.

[Guest Snake McClain]

Yay for DOMS! The worst thing about new exercises.

Exactly.

Here's the thing yo. See your thighs and ass are like..the two biggest muscles in your body. so they break down and they hurt like hell longer than anything else. and they take longer to rebuild (rebuilding = pain you feel). So...that being said yeah it'll suck. they will heal and then you'll be a bw squatting machine. This same thing happened to me the first time i did them a few months ago for my Pro Wrestling try out. I did like 120 in about five minutes. so...yeah. I was hurting literally for an entire week. so you'll be good yo. eat some heavy protein to help. supposedly also bananas help the pain alleviate. not sure though.

[andygates]

DOMsey-womsey goodness. Keep mobile, walk around, gentle stretching and massage, plenty of fluids and lots of sleep. If they're *brutal* then painkillers take the edge off.

You've got the newbie aches, is all. Keep doing your squats and you'll very rapidly adapt to them.

[tazer]

DOMS? days of muscle soreness? i have no idea what this stands for!

but glad to know that it is just from coming at it too hard out of the gate and that there's nothing wrong with me! i feel kind of lame for getting my ass so thoroughly kicked by the beginner workout... lol

i have been walking on them a lot just to keep moving, but workouts have been limited to cardio and upper body exercises for a bit. been eating a lot of protein and potassium-rich foods, so hopefully that is helping!

[Hermione Gainser]

DOMS? days of muscle soreness? i have no idea what this stands for!0

delayed onset muscle soreness. But yea... you're pretty right on with what you thought So get with the walking and maybe some light elliptical if you're so inclined. It'll help. And water. Mucho water. And everythign else everyone else said.

Really, I just had to comment b/c what you're doing to the cute kitteh in your picture makes me want to do that to said pic. Ultimate cuteness! teehee!

[Guest guest4729]

Same thing happens to me, don't worry. I do weighted squats while holding a 25 or 30lb weight. Try that, it'll hurt even more. Today I had some trouble walking (especially up and down the stairs). It gets better as the day goes on and by the end of the day I don't notice it as much unless I also worked.

[Lachy]

Just because you have sore muscles doesn't mean you can't use them again after a day or so of quality rest. Just take it easy. We all get it if we take a little time off, I think of it as my body's way of telling me I've left that exercise for too long!

[kg4ghn]

I find that when I get DOMS, working out again actually helps it. If you keep doing your squats(or whatever other exercise you get DOMS from in the future) on a regular schedule your body gets used to the movement and you won't be sore anymore. If you just do them every once in a while then you will keeping getting sore.

[Waldo]

The first DOMS is 10x more painful (and longer lasting) than it is in the future. It is a sign that you did things right moreso than that you did things wrong. If you don't get it it is a sign that you aren't working hard enough when lifting. Don't be scared off by it, only the first one is tough. The lesser version that you'll get after subsequent workouts almost feels good moreso than painful (you certainly enjoy your rest time more).

I think a good cardio exercise makes it feel better. It gets the muscles warmed up and loose and your blood flowing. And for the most part it works different muscle fibers so you aren't overtraining won't feel more sore afterwards.

[Guest guest4729]

Also, please remember that when you're working out you're essentially tearing your muscles. When you build muscle it's almost like a callous on your hand or foot. The weak muscle is rebuilding itself on top of itself forming a larger muscle. Your body is repairing itself so I'm sure the reason why it hurts so much (or hurts so good, however you look at it) is because your muscles are repairing themselves. I used to hate it, now I love it. (Unless it interferes with my job, then I just take some ibuprofen for it.)

Exercise on a more scientific level. Cool stuff.

[tazer]

@laura - that was a foster kitten who wouldnt stop biting, so i started biting him back. i hope for his new owner's sake that it worked!

@waldo - i did some good cardio last night on the elliptical, and it felt 100 times better afterwards!

@everyone else - thanks so much for the advice and encouragement! i am so determined to be awesome at squats now that they kicked my ass. i will have revenge!

[Sco]

I find that when I get DOMS, working out again actually helps it. If you keep doing your squats(or whatever other exercise you get DOMS from in the future) on a regular schedule your body gets used to the movement and you won't be sore anymore. If you just do them every once in a while then you will keeping getting sore.

I have found this to be true as well.

And ALSO - some dynamic stretching done before and after workouts really makes a difference in the level of soreness the next day - at least it did for me when I started incorporating them into my workouts this week. This link could give you some ideas to get you started on that: http://strengthrunning.com/2010/05/elite-core-and-dynamic-warm-ups-a-comprehensive-guide/. Just find what works for you. Or make up your own.

Hope that helps too!

[nightlight]

yeah. just sounds like DOMS.

if you want us to take a look at your form, maybe post a video?

[Guest guest4729]

@laura - that was a foster kitten who wouldnt stop biting, so i started biting him back. i hope for his new owner's sake that it worked!

@waldo - i did some good cardio last night on the elliptical, and it felt 100 times better afterwards!

@everyone else - thanks so much for the advice and encouragement! i am so determined to be awesome at squats now that they kicked my ass. i will have revenge!

If you really want pain try adding a heavy-ish dumbbell to it. I normally hold onto a 25lb dumbbell as I do my squats.

Sumo squats are also supposed to hurt but my legs are too sore from regular ones to even bother with those once I'm done. lol