Need Advice on Working Out

[S O F I]

Alright, here's the story. I started lifting weights on Thursday for the first time like ever, and did it on Friday too. Now, I was sore as fuck on Thursday and even more sore after Friday. Now, I stretched before I worked out and after. But, I'm still sore. Now, I took a break from working out on Saturday and Sunday, and I still feel the soreness. Should I just continue working out and work through the soreness, or wait till it's gone?

 

[Outla Spirit]

yea, you will experience soreness if you haven't lifeted weights for a long time or for the first time ever...

even if you stretch out, your muscles are still doing new things... you are pushing them to new limits...

all i can advise is, start of light... that way you wont be pushing your muscles too far over the edge and wont cause damage, the soreness is normal... say, do weights one day... if it's sore after that... miss a day, and the day after that get back on the weights...

eventually the soreness will go away and your body will become use to lifting weights and gradually you can start doing it everyday, increasing the weight and reps you do...

if whilst lifting the weights, you experience to much pain... just stop and do it again a day or so later... otherwise you'll put yourself out for longer...

hope that helps...

oh, and what weight are you lifting and how many reps?

 

[The.Menace]

I'd suggest to take it slow. Basically working out while your sore isn't a good idea, your muscles need rest - but you can work around it. IF you lift on Monday for your pec and biceps, you could work two days later on your legs and 4 days after on your Back/shoulders for example. Basically you can improve a lot if you work on one muscle group one time a week, cause of the sorness, it's basically not possible to work on one muscle more often then twice a week - if you work out hard.

 

[simo]

when you first start lifting weights your body will take longer to repair itself and therefore you will be sore for a while. this period of muscle soreness will decrease until your body is used to you training.

when i first started, i remember the first day i did arms, i couldnt unbend my elbow for a couple of days. so its important that you dont overdo it at first. these days even if i train really hard i am only tight in the muscles the next day, i wouldnt call it pain.

good luck with the training.

 

[Ghetto_Ghost]

some advice,
when you workout, dont forget to breath.
your muscles wont do anything without oxygen

 

[Sebastian]

ask bigmack

 

[Ghetto_Ghost]

^ and if he's not in ask big harv

 

[DJ Harris]

if you've just started it will urt bcuz ur body aint used to anything like that, just take it easy and don't over do it, if u do u can cause sum nasty injusries, when i first started i wen to the gym like 4 times a week and pulled a muscle n my stomach, excruciatingly painful.

 

[The.Menace]

Yeah take it slow, like I said. Don't go to the limit yet, but work harder every time u work out. After 2-3 weeks you actually should be able 2 go to the limit already. Like I said above, make sure you're muscles get enoug hrest, it makes no sense to work on your arms 4 times a week.

 

[S O F I]

First, thanks for the replies. Now, is it ok to work out five days a week? For example, I'd do shoulders and triceps one day, then biceps and pecs one day, then back and legs, and so on? Or, is that too much? Also, I'd do 3 sets of each exercise.

 

[LesanePCrooks96]

First, thanks for the replies. Now, is it ok to work out five days a week? For example, I'd do shoulders and triceps one day, then biceps and pecs one day, then back and legs, and so on? Or, is that too much? Also, I'd do 3 sets of each exercise.

Yes, it is. I normally work out 4x per week.

Ex. of my schedule:


Monday: Biceps
Tuesday: Shoulders/Abs
Wednesday - Day Off
Thursday: Back (Lats)
Friday - Day Off
Saturday: Chest (bench/"superman")

I normally do 10-12 sets in all. After working out for about 7-8 months, I feel virtually no pain or discomfort during the time that my muscles are repairing themselves. It'll probably only take a few weeks for the same to happen to you, your body gets used to it, along with you getting more and more accustomed to your routine. And if something doesn't seem to be working for you...switch it up! whether it be types of exercises or days of workout; you need to change it or else your body gets too used to it and won't perform maximally. hope this helps you out, good luck on your lifting!


P.S. - If you got any questions at all about lifting just PM me man. pz

 

[Swollen_Member]

Sometimes it's good to be sore. I've been working out for about 5 years now, and when I'm sore the next day thats when I know I've had a good workout. S O F I S T I K, I think it would really help for you if you figured out what your body type is before getting started in your routines. For example, if your what they call a "hardgainer", which is someone with a slim physique, you need lots of rest between workouts. Which is the opposite of what many hardgainers do, cus they think they have to overcompensate, which only makes the muscles exesively tired, and when muscles are tired they don't grow. If your naturally thick, with a solid muscle foundation, maybe you could work out everday and make huge gains. That's why you should really find out early, so you can maximize your gains. You should check out this guy's site, it really helped me get started, and I picked up like a to of tips from him. www.skinnyguy.net.

 

[bigmack]

rule #1, dont stretch before you work out, makes you more prone to injury

now, because you havent worked out in awhile, first week, you're gonna be sore as hell,its totally normal.

1 hour before working out, get 30 grams of protein and 60 grams of complexe carbs (oats,rice,etc... no sugars). this will help your muscles get ready for the intensity.

now,here's a little trick. it might sound crazy,but it will definitely help with muscle repair(less soreness too) and protein synthesis. Half way through your workout, drink about a can of coke or pepsi(not diet) as quick as you can, then finish your workout. this will essentially refill your muscle glycogen so you dont lose intensity and strength. your muscles will be on track doing their work. plus,you will feel orgasmic pumps

half hour after you're done workout out, get 30 grams of protein,and some simple sugars(yes sugars, so add sugar to a protein shake,or eat some cereal). NO FRUITS because those sugars are fructose and wont do a damn thing to the muscles.

follow this plan everytime you work out,and i guarantee soreness will not last that long. you must at least use this advice the first week because thats when you experience the most soreness.

if you've been training for awhile and you dont feel soreness, you need to up your intensity. soreness is a sign that you really worked them muscles.if you dont feel sore everyday after you workout,you're doing something wrong.

make sure you get enough sleep,muscle wont repiar itself while you're still working them.

last piece of advice. never work the same bodypart 2 days in a row. if you did biceps today, dont do them tomorrow. a bodypart needs 24-48 hours to repair itself enough for another workout. if you dont give it enough time,then this thing called muscle wasting happens. your body will say fuck this,this muscle is too damaged, just scrap it i dont have time for this. so you will lose muscle this way.

good luck

 

[The.Menace]

First, thanks for the replies. Now, is it ok to work out five days a week? For example, I'd do shoulders and triceps one day, then biceps and pecs one day, then back and legs, and so on? Or, is that too much? Also, I'd do 3 sets of each exercise.

5 times a week is the maximum in my opinion - guess it would be better to lift 4 times a week until you know your body and gathered some knowledge about weightlifting. With your actual schedule there is one problem: You gotta understand that for example if you work your pec out, that means you do bench press right.Bench press is a greta exercice for pec, but it works on the triceps too and even the shoulders a bit. So If you work on your triceps/shoulders one day and you do bench press the other, your triceps will be sore from the day before and theirfor you'll not be able to go to the limit with your benchpressing, or rather - the limit will be set by the triceps and not by the pec and that ain't what you want!
So you always gotta consider the "sideeffects" too. I also doesn't make sense to work on your triceps and then go on with benchpressing etc, that's why biceps/triceps should always be the last exercices in a session - cause you need the arms for almost every other muscle group (besides legs).

So, a shedule you could try would be

day 1: back/legs
day 2: pec/arms/abs
day 3 off
day 4 Shoulders/neck
day 5 pec/arms/abs
day 6 off
day 7 off

This is already a very intense prorgam, I put pec twice in there cause if you wanna get big quickly, benchpress is a great exercice. But you don't have to lift 4 times a week, 3 times a week with every musclegroup once a week is enough to make a huge progress! That's what people don't understand - you don't even have to train every day, 3 times a week does make a huge difference, if you do it right and lift hard whenever u do.

edit: Swollen got a good point too. Every man is different. Therfor what we can provide are hints and principales - but in the end your body is different then mine therefor listen what your body is telling you. Bigmack said a muscle needs 24-48 hours to repair and his right, but some people need 72 hours to repair the muscles - 24 hours is also not a long time - I definatly need a lil more time. Over all, listen what people say and if you want to - try it. But in the end you gotta devellop your own shedule with exercices you choose - you're different then anyone else and just to copy a shedule won't be the best way. Of course you gotta start somewhere, but keep that in mind. Noone can tell you what's best for you - always listen to your body and remember - you are different then anyone else.

 

[bigmack]

5 times a week is the maximum in my opinion - guess it would be better to lift 4 times a week until you know your body and gathered some knowledge about weightlifting. With your actual schedule there is one problem: You gotta understand that for example if you work your pec out, that means you do bench press right.Bench press is a greta exercice for pec, but it works on the triceps too and even the shoulders a bit. So If you work on your triceps/shoulders one day and you do bench press the other, your triceps will be sore from the day before and theirfor you'll not be able to go to the limit with your benchpressing, or rather - the limit will be set by the triceps and not by the pec and that ain't what you want!
So you always gotta consider the "sideeffects" too. I also doesn't make sense to work on your triceps and then go on with benchpressing etc, that's why biceps/triceps should always be the last exercices in a session - cause you need the arms for almost every other muscle group (besides legs).

So, a shedule you could try would be

day 1: back/legs
day 2: pec/arms/abs
day 3 off
day 4 Shoulders/neck
day 5 pec/arms/abs
day 6 off
day 7 off

This is already a very intense prorgam, I put pec twice in there cause if you wanna get big quickly, benchpress is a great exercice. But you don't have to lift 4 times a week, 3 times a week with every musclegroup once a week is enough to make a huge progress! That's what people don't understand - you don't even have to train every day, 3 times a week does make a huge difference, if you do it right and lift hard whenever u do.

good advice. just like to point out a few things.

you're right, benchpress does work both the chest and the triceps. but you dont want to do biceps and triceps the same day. Chest and Triceps in the same day makes more sense. Biceps and shoulders go good together.so a plan would look like this(only example,obviously you choose your own workout plan)

day1:chest,triceps
day2:back,legs
day3:biceps,shoulders
day4ff
day5:chest triceps
day6:legs,biceps
day7ff

also, you dont want to take 2 consecutive days off. spread them out.

 

[ill-matic]

may i ask what "reps" are?

 

[Swollen_Member]

may i ask what "reps" are?

Repetitions. Like if you do 4 sets at 10 reps, thats like lifting 10 times, resting, then repeatin 3 more times until you reach 4 sets.

 

[The.Menace]

you're right, benchpress does work both the chest and the triceps. but you dont want to do biceps and triceps the same day.

Yeah chest and triceps go well together but if you work out biceps and triceps one day you won't die neigther.

also, you dont want to take 2 consecutive days off. spread them out.

Well, I dunno - I think it's a good thing to really make sure every muscle has enoug htime to heal - bigmack you gotta remember he just started weightlifting.

 

[S O F I]

rule #1, dont stretch before you work out, makes you more prone to injury

now, because you havent worked out in awhile, first week, you're gonna be sore as hell,its totally normal.

1 hour before working out, get 30 grams of protein and 60 grams of complexe carbs (oats,rice,etc... no sugars). this will help your muscles get ready for the intensity.

now,here's a little trick. it might sound crazy,but it will definitely help with muscle repair(less soreness too) and protein synthesis. Half way through your workout, drink about a can of coke or pepsi(not diet) as quick as you can, then finish your workout. this will essentially refill your muscle glycogen so you dont lose intensity and strength. your muscles will be on track doing their work. plus,you will feel orgasmic pumps

half hour after you're done workout out, get 30 grams of protein,and some simple sugars(yes sugars, so add sugar to a protein shake,or eat some cereal). NO FRUITS because those sugars are fructose and wont do a damn thing to the muscles.

follow this plan everytime you work out,and i guarantee soreness will not last that long. you must at least use this advice the first week because thats when you experience the most soreness.

if you've been training for awhile and you dont feel soreness, you need to up your intensity. soreness is a sign that you really worked them muscles.if you dont feel sore everyday after you workout,you're doing something wrong.

make sure you get enough sleep,muscle wont repiar itself while you're still working them.

last piece of advice. never work the same bodypart 2 days in a row. if you did biceps today, dont do them tomorrow. a bodypart needs 24-48 hours to repair itself enough for another workout. if you dont give it enough time,then this thing called muscle wasting happens. your body will say fuck this,this muscle is too damaged, just scrap it i dont have time for this. so you will lose muscle this way.

good luck

Thanks for the help. I appreciate it. But, I always thought you're prone to injury if you don't stretch. Also, you say 60 grams of protein? Do you mean like a protein shake or something?

 

[S O F I]

Another question. For how long should I work out each day and how many different machines/exercises should I do for the muscle groups I do that particular day? Or, should I go about how my body feels, if it has any real strength left, lol?