Thread: Sore Legs

Hey,

I have only started, and as suggested by members in my other post, I should concentrate on core exercises and legs etc.
I have been doing squats twice a week, tues/fri and the next day my upper legs are quite sore and at times it kills sitting down or standing, just that movement.

But i have found that if i do a walk at night 3-5km then the pain is a lot less the next day, I also start my exercise with a 3km walk, and then to my cardio followed by weights or whatever i have scheduled.

Would/should i be resting more, or if i can push through it and get through my workout should i continue.
I'm in favor of pushing forward but at the same time don't want to get any injuries as i will be worse off in the end.

cheers

Hi Soulweaver - If you've only just started training you should firstly pat yourself on the back. Secondly, get used to the pain, it's called DOM's (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) and it's a sign that you are doing something right!!! I would suggest that you might be better off squatting only once per week though, Squats are the best exercise for you but they are taxing on the body and central nervous system so give yourself time to recover. Pushing through the pain is not the way to go, or you will get injured. Rest and let your muscles repair and grow.

CM

I too get soreness in the upper quads. It's fine, just remember to stretch! Even just standing at the lights, pull that leg up and stretch.

DOMS doesnt normally quick in for me until a day or two after.

Make sure you warm up before you start, try and ease yourself into it. When you finish do a couple of stretches, or like you said go for a walk if thats what works.

What the others have said is all good.

Take the pain as a sign of victory. However - also keep up those walks.

Trying to run or jog with that pain can hamper recovery as you are still using and abusing those muscles while they try to fix themselves. However gentle walking will still increase the flow of blood around your muscles. This can aid recorvery while you are sore. You may recover quicker and feel ab it less pain.

i'm not sure doms is a good thing by any stretch - most times it doesn't allow for you to back uo your training as good as you could if you weren't sore

also stretching doesn't do anything for soreness and can prolong soreness as your tearing the muscle fibres again with stetching, just not on the same scale as training

manage fatigue, don't seek it...the point of training is to not just blow yourself up but to train to just the right point of fatigue that you can recover 100% before the enxt training session...that includes the nervous system and the muscles

Originally Posted by swans05

the point of training is to not just blow yourself up but to train to just the right point of fatigue that you can recover 100% before the enxt training session...that includes the nervous system and the muscles

I think we are in agreement but looking at it from different angles. You should not train a body part until it has fully recovered, however my point was that you should not go light with your training to fit in with your training splits. If you squat once a week then you should have recovered by the time it comes around again.

My leg workout used to kill - but until I got into my running, I wouldn't do more leg workout for a week.

So I classed 4-5 days of burn as a good thing.

does any body not get doms?? even when they train like an animal

I don't. But I don't do alot of weights anymore.

I used to have to try really hard to get it in my smaller muscle groups. Biceps, triceps, etc.

Got them real good in the bigger muscles though - quads, hams, etc.

Thanks for the help/advice. Today I woke up great again, no pain, so I did legs again, and at the moment I feel good and not the same soreness i was going through. There is pain to indicate the workout, but not to the point where i can't move. I will just walk again tonight and keep up the routine.

Lately I have also been struggling to get to 15mins cardio which consists of running up and down a step. But today felt great and went to 20mins for the first time ever with easy. Even in 30 degree heat!

cheers

i don't get much but my volume isn't super high and my reps are low

haven't done a single leg exercise for a while and i start a new program on mon wbhich i know will have them in it (will see it tomorrow) so i know i'll be hurting for most of next week but it's more from a lack of doing that movement then actually causing a shitload of muscle damage