I got to ask, I’m I the only one who likes the soreness?
I don’t see it as a hindrance, I see it as motivation, but I agree with you on something. Muscle pain is very uncomfortable.
From experience, I can tell you that post-workout muscle pain or soreness often manifests twelve or even twenty-four hours after intense workout.
That’s why day one working out was, “YEAH!”, and day two you were like, “God NO!”.
Today we answer all questions you may have about post workout muscle soreness, we will explore the causes, why you experience muscle soreness, and what to do when you are stuck in the dreaded “plateau”
What is Post-Workout Soreness and Why Does it Occur?
“Pain is nothing compared to what if feels like to quit”
Why is quitting painful? Quitting is, in my opinion, the most painful form of suffering for a bodybuilder, why? You will never reach your full potential and you will never forgive yourself.
But today, we are talking about a different type of pain.
Post-workout soreness or DOMs, can be caused by several things including, insufficient or no warm-up exercises, heavy resistance or load on the muscles, microdamage in the muscles, and intense exercise.
Question, why do muscles hurt more on the second day?
According to Craig Nolan, Residential Faculty, Exercise Science at Mesa Community College. “we are not sure why we get delayed muscle soreness or DOMS”. he added. what we do know is. “when you work out, you damage muscles. Damaged tissues swell up and push on nerves and that can cause pain. the muscle repair process can last for up to 72 hours.”
He also adds “a lot of delayed muscle soreness depends on the intensity of the workout”
In short, when you participate in any kind of strenuous physical activity, soreness is the natural outcome.
There is no avoiding muscle pain in bodybuilding. Sure, you can try pain sprays or pop a pill or two, but the pain will remain as-long-as it wants.
Should I feel post-workout soreness every time I workout?
The short answer is NO, the long answer is, what you feel depends on what you lift and how much physical activity you engage in.
Post-workout pain is okay but intense crippling pain is not.
What’s normal and what’s not?
Dull or mild pain that starts to disappear gradually until you can’t remember you were in pain (tolerable). That’s normal.
the pain is injury-related if you experience gnawing, stabbing, radiating or extreme pain in your muscles, joints or ligaments. If you experience this type of pain, seek medical assistance.
In a previous article, we talked about getting used to bodybuilding pain. That is something you must-do if you want to make any real progress.
If you are starting out as a bodybuilder, what you should know is. You will get sore, and the pain might make you want to quit. What distinguishes winners from losers is the drive to continue. If you don’t have that, try something else.
Who experiences post-workout pain?
“you are going to hate me for this, but you will thank me later”. That’s what you are telling your body when you start lifting or trying out a new workout routine.
We all experience post-workout pain, however, if you are inexperienced, you will suffer more, why?
- Your body is not used to this new habit.
- Building muscles requires muscle damage.
According to research, 33% of individuals do not experience delayed muscle soreness, there are findings that dispute these findings.
What we are sure of is, you are more likely to experience muscle soreness if you perform the same activity over and over again without taking breaks, increase the intensity of a routine such as weight lifted or reps in your program, and when starting a workout program for the first time.
In short, it is highly likely you will experience post-workout soreness.
Normal pain usually begins after or during the exercise. This is your body’s way of telling you that you are doing something.
However, if you experience any of the following. Go to the hospital:
- Pain and discomfort that lasts more than five days
- Severely swollen limbs.
- Unbearable pain.
- Loss of joint motion due to swelling.
The amount of pain you experience in your first days may make you want to quit, but you must push through. My advice:
- Prepare mentally and focus on the result: the stronger your mind becomes, the more pain you will be able to tolerate.
- Think positive, accept negative thoughts, and don’t let pain dictate your behavior.
- Have some faith or believe in yourself
- Practice, practice, practice.
Some people experience intense bouts of pain from time to time. As your body gets used to bodybuilding, this pain will become more tolerable. Once you get used to it, there will be nothing stopping you from reaching your bodybuilding goals.
Don’t forget, pain is a good thing, it tells you when to stop and when you need a break. It is a warning that tells you what’s wrong and where. So, don’t avoid it, push through it!
I’m stuck in a ‘Plateau’
Your body is designed to learn. Let’s say you started a workout routine four months ago. In the first two months, you experienced the expected pain and made big gains.
You are now used to the pain, but your muscles stopped growing or you are putting on fat no matter what you try. What do you do?
First, when you stop growing and experiencing pain, it means that your body has adapted to your workout or is now used to it. To fix this problem you should:
- Change your sets and reps to stimulate muscle fibers.
- Eccentric overload.
- Mix up your workout regiments.
What is eccentric overload?
This refers to muscle contractions. when the eccentric force is larger than the maximal concentric force. The aim is to reach your maximal force in the eccentric phase.
Recommended exercises:
- Flywheel machine
- Single leg eccentric calf raises
- Nordic hamstrings exercise
- Smith machine
