Aches and Pains: Sizing Up Soreness After Exercise

General Workout

i have been doing work outs at home to bulk and tone up for a while now, and for the first time ever i went to the gym the other day, because i weren't getting enough results at home only using one set of weights! so at the gym i went pretty crazy on every piece of equipment there including leg weights, and all other aspects of the body, now 2 days later i'm really feeling the pain, i can't lift my arms over my shoulders or really do anything, even my chest muscle is to tender and sore to touch! i just want to know, is this going to happen everytime i go gym, i hope not, because i'm looking to bulk uip fast! any suggestions on how to avoid getting in this much pain, but i still want to go gym 3-4 times a week, Please help :)

Competition

About a week ago, i headed down to the gym to train myself for an upcoming competition. But i think i pushed myself a little too much that my arms have no energy at all now. The competition is a week away and i'm getting so tensed. How do i recover faster? Will i recover in time? Help me!

Aching muscles...

Aching muscles after a work out is normal. This is due to some layers of the muscle tissues being torn so that when they grow, those layers will come back stronger, this is how we build muscle -whether it's to tone up or to bulk up.

The aching should disappear quicker than normal if you take more protein. Lots of lean meat and other food/ food supplements rich in protein. Protein helps repair our muscle tissues quicker hence the aching goes away quicker.

Also, do not work on the same mucle group the next day after working on them the day before. Do another muscle group. Make sure you stretch before AND after working out.

Ab workout

I started MMA training a couple weeks ago. At the end of our class on Friday we did three sets of up downs where your partner throws your legs down and you cant let them hit the ground. I was fine until a little over a day later I went to bed and couldnt lay on my stomach. Over the next two days it felt like my muscles were constantly contracted and I had to sit or lay in a certain position to be comfortable. Should I wait until the pain is completely gone before I work out again?

Bad arm pain

After working my arms out for the first time in a while i've been experiencing really bad pain in both arms. This has been occuring for nearly 24 hours. The pain is worse when my arms are completely straight, however it is really hard to get my arms to go straight or even near-straight. When i relax my arms at my side my arm's don't go anywhere near straight.

Would you concider this be normal pain or would your recommend I see a doctor?

Katherine Hobson: I'm not a doctor, but per the experts I quoted, if you're still hurting 24-48 hours later and it's affecting how you hold your arms, it's probably safest to get checked out.

Achiness after work-outs

My wife works out regularly and each time experiences achiness the following day.

She's been doing the same workout for months with regular input from a personal trainer.

What is your advice?

Katherine Hobson: Good question, and one I'll have to look into. If it's a progressive program-- that is, if she's using more and more weight or doing more reps every time -- it may just be the normal aches and pains of muscle fatigue. Some people find this a pleasant reminder of a workout done hard, while others are bothered by it. If it's the latter, back off a little and see if it goes away. If it's the same workout every time, she shouldn't be getting muscle soreness unless it's very strenuous. I suggest seeing a doctor to make sure it isn't an injury or some other kind of problem. (P.S. Hi Dad and Shirley!)

Assessing soreness after exercise.

Excellent explanation of soreness after over exercising or exercising when not use to it. Is the pain you feel just feeling muscles you haven't used before or is it an injury. Great thoughts with backup information.