Working through soreness?

[hecad84]

Hi there all! Just a quick question that perhaps may sound silly to some of you, but I've not been able to find the answer in any of my books, so here goes...

If you have a workout that's intense enough that you're still sore days later when its time to work that body part again, should you work it through the soreness, or should you wait until you're fully healed to work it again?

Thanks for the help, and wish me well, as I just starting picking up weights again after a couple year absense from them!

[wolfotehmoon]

Wait. I made the mistake of doing that with squats, and ended up with a strained MCL in my knee. If you're sore, ESPECIALLY your joints, it's best to wait a bit. Also, don't forget to stretch.

[xythan_shadow]

There's different levels of soreness. There's the kinda soreness that you feel when you flex the muscle hard, and there's the kidna soreness that you feel when you get out of the bed. If it's the latter, don't go. If the soreness isn't 'crippling', do a light workout.

The key is listening to your body. It's the best gauge of how hard you should work. Also, like wolf said, stretching is important. Make sure you're getting enough potassium and protien after your workout and stretch the muscles fully after you workout, before you go to bed and when you wake up. That'll make a lot of a difference.

[Slevin]

My suggestion is to think about why you are sore. Though there will be some disagreement, being sore everyday can be a sign of overtraining.

It is normal to be sore 12-48 hours after starting a new routine or changing the intensity of your workout (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

You can prevent muscle soreness and injury in general by adding a warm-up and cool down phase to exercising.

Some people respond to the soreness by taking NSAID's like Ibuprofen. The two thinks I would mention about that is that you are disabling a key indicator that you are overstressing your muscles/joints. Secondly, several studies have shown that taking Ibuprofen after a workout stops or severely inhibits the muscle growth process.

[Lucas88]

Ditto everything that's been said:

Warming up before a workout and stretching well after (there are arguments for and against stretching before and/or after working out; figure out what works for you) help to prevent the sorenes a little in the first place. Also...DRINK WATER! While your working out...after your workout...even when you aren't working out. Keep your body hydrated...I don't remember the chemistry but I think the soreness is mostly from lactic acid build up in the muscles you've worked. Keeping hydrated helps flush the body. I've seen some hardcore bodybuilders carrying a gallon jug of water with them while they workout.

Know the difference between soreness and pain: for me, soreness is kind of dull and achy...I kind of enjoy this because it makes me more aware of my body and warming up with lighter weights helps to loosen things up; pain is more sharp and likely to be more debilitating...this one might need some attention before you workout again because it could be a tear in the muscle, a tendon or damage to cartilage .

Don't forget doing some exercises FOR the joints and tendons. Just hauling the heavy metal may get your muscles lifting more than your joints can handle...that's where you get into torn ligaments and tendons which can really screw up your year.

[inflated]

Soreness is normal, pain is not. Leg workouts always make me sore, usually two days after the workout. Its best to get enough rest so that the soreness is lessened, then you can work that bodypart again. Nutrition is key, enough vitamins, minerals, H2O, can effect your ability to recuperate after your workouts. Do not take pain relievers they are not good for you. Instead take a hot Epsom salts bath and do some stretching immediately after the bath. Topical ointments like Ben-Gay or Bio-Freeze are good for muscle soreness and do not have any adverse effects--albeit the smell. Using good form is important, keep impeccable form and you will drastically reduce any chance of injury. Most of all, do not quit because of minor soreness it is normal to feel some soreness after an intense workout.