My muscles are on FIRE - what is that?

joethetrainer.com

EVERYBODY can relate to muscle soreness!  Even if it was raking the leaves, going bowling, or like many people this time of year - EXERCISE!   There's an actual term for this:  DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and it will occur 24 to 48 hours after your activity.  Don't be alarmed, this is a good thing in most cases!

After the activity, the muscle begins to rebuild itself and this process creates new lean muscle that is stronger than before.  DOMS pain is different from the burning sensation and pump you feel during a workout and also different from the pain you get from an injury.  This is a good thing, the more lean muscle you have the more calories you will burn throughout the day!

Beginners who have never exercised before or, in a long time would experience quite severe DOMS at first. However, the human body is an amazing thing and even the beginner’s body will slowly adapt to the workload and eventually – these episodes of soreness will be less severe.  This also goes for anyone who is currently exercising regularly, so don't fear...like I said - EVERYBODY.  It's NORMAL! 

What if I’m still sore from my previous workout? Should I still train?
I say if the soreness is very minor, then yes – go ahead and train right through it! As blood gets in the area and your body temperature increases, the remaining soreness will dissipate.  So, if you went for a run yesterday and your legs are on fire and your rear is tight, it's ok to get back up on the horse.  However, if there is a substantial amount of soreness remaining from the last workout, this is a sign that you have not recovered enough and your body is still “healing”. Listen to your body and take it easy.. perhaps just go for cardio and skip the weights for the day. You can probably reduce soreness by stretching the body part AFTER the workout and by getting circulation into the area with cardio. However, if you constantly ignore the signs and if you keep training and ‘breaking down’ muscle tissue before it has a chance to recover, the effect will be the opposite of what you want – you will get weaker.

In short, if you haven't worked out in a while (more than 2 weeks - seriously!), then expect to be sore.  I recommend Aleve myself and it is always nearby!  Always do SOMETHING to stay in motion and, when you start the new exercise, here are a few things you must know:

1.  You're going to be tired the next day up to the next 3 weeks- that's ok!  You're doing something you're body is not used to...ever start gettting up at 5 am when you were used to 630?  It's tough, but after a couple of weeks, it's what you do.

2.  You're going to be sore.  Whether, it has been 2 weeks, 2 years or 2 decades soreness will be apparent - trust me.  Again, it's ok!

3.  Your appetite may grow.  This is such a critical time to be planned out and make great decisions on what you put in your mouth.  George Foreman and a crockpot make cooking SO much easier...another rule of eating - stay close to the farm (not processed).

4.  You need motivation.   It comes from within, but sometimes we all need a little help.  If your friends are not supporting you (including eating poorly around you, smoking, etc.), stay away from them until you are in the groove.  Hire a certified personal trainer if you need...my suggestion is to train with them 2x before hiring them and making sure you're a good fit. 

Sample workout to get you going:

Warm up (elliptical, treadmill, walk, etc) for 10-15 minutes to get your heartrate up.  On a scale of 1-10 and 10 being that your heart will pop out, stay at a 4-6.

Lift lighter weights and do a circuit.  Start with the bigger muscle groups and work to smaller.  Lift a weight that is comfortable to do 15-20 times and do 3 sets of that.  Work three different body parts.

Cardio/Cool down (elliptical, treadmill, walk) for 10-15 minutes and you are done! 

One step at a time always moving closer to where you want to be...YOU CAN DO IT!