man70
04-28-2007, 08:08 PM
hi i'm a [teenage] guy who just started lifting about a month ago. there is a considerable amount of growth in all of the muscle groups i've been working, but after a while it is getting harder and harder to get those muscle groups sore. i've tried to add intensity to my workouts through muscle failure. the soreness is a lot milder now and i want to know if that's a sign that the muscle is not gaining any mass or does that have nothing to do with it?
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Naxis
04-29-2007, 06:37 PM
Soreness is *not* an indication of a good workout. You always much more sore much mor eoften when you first start, but that diminishes as you get more fit. Occasionally an exceptionally hard workout or a major change in routine will get you to the point of being sore again, but don't use that as a gauge for progress or success.
man70
04-30-2007, 12:35 AM
but shouldn't i feel sore when i do such intense workouts such as muscle failure? because that is completely overworking the muscle to the point of almost being completely smitten. and that used to result in an amazing amount of soreness the next day and considerable growth in a couple of weeks.
thanks in advance
thanks in advance
Willapp
04-30-2007, 10:37 AM
No.
I don't believe that scientists have proved exactly why DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) occurs. All that is known is that it affects people new to exercise much more than seasoned weight users, unless there is a significant change in workout such as targetting new muscle groups in which case soreness can occur again.
I know this to be true, as I've been training about 2 years now, and haven't had any symptoms of DOMS for months (when I had a short break and changed my routine) and yet I'm still making progress and getting bigger.
I don't believe that scientists have proved exactly why DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) occurs. All that is known is that it affects people new to exercise much more than seasoned weight users, unless there is a significant change in workout such as targetting new muscle groups in which case soreness can occur again.
I know this to be true, as I've been training about 2 years now, and haven't had any symptoms of DOMS for months (when I had a short break and changed my routine) and yet I'm still making progress and getting bigger.
man70
05-01-2007, 12:20 AM
well i'm not a seasoned weight lifter. that's for sure. but i think i'm in pretty good shape, and for example i was getting frustrated that i wasn't getting sore after the days i worked out so i did intense muscle failure. so what i want to know now is: is it bad to overwork your muscles? what happens?
thanks
thanks
Naxis
05-01-2007, 01:08 AM
"Overworking" can lead to injury since it can lend itself to sloppy form. Hitting failure consistently isn't exactly overworking as long as you're careful. It's "overtraining" you need to be more concerned about, which is lifting too often and not allowing enough time for muscle recovery. If muscles have no time to repair, you end up with muscle atrophy, lowered immune system, injuries, and your progress will stop in a big way.
man70
05-02-2007, 12:18 AM
so how often should i work out a certain muscle group? should i not work out until i'm not sore from the previous workout? or if i'm not sore then how do i know if i should work out or not?
Naxis
05-02-2007, 02:19 PM
You should allow at least 24 to 48 hours recovery time for whatever muscle you work. Again, soreness doesn't necessarily mean anything.
man70
05-02-2007, 07:40 PM
is tightness in the muscles the day after workout a good sign of muscle mass increase?
Naxis
05-02-2007, 07:55 PM
No. You won't really "feel" the mass accumulate. If you're tight, you just need to stretch more.
man70
05-03-2007, 10:58 PM
Well, today I tried lifting for my bicep muscle group after 3 days of rest and I could still feel the effects of weakness from that muscle that would come from soreness, but I wasn't sore anymore. I wasn't able to lift the same amount of weight because my muscle still felt weak, but without soreness. I've already rested the muscle more than 48 hours and it still isn't fully recuperated. Should I have worked it out?
Naxis
05-04-2007, 11:39 AM
I'm not trying to bag on you, but you're really over thinking this. 3 days is plenty of time for a muscle to recuperate. If you're feeling weaker, then there may be other factors involved to account for that. If you keep a consistent schedule allowing enough recovery time for each muscle group, you will keep seeing progress. Do you have a set lifting schedule right now or do you just kind of "play it by ear"? How's your diet? What do you eat before and after lifting?
man70
05-04-2007, 10:51 PM
Yeah I have a lifting schedule that covers all of my muscle groups. Before lifting I take some creatine and afterwards I drink some whey protein.
Naxis
05-05-2007, 12:16 AM
Do you have any carbohydrates with your creatine? You should have carbs (ideally, plain sugar or dextrose) in your post workout shake too. Make sure there's no fat, no fiber in there. you want the pwo shake to digest and absorb as fast as possible.
Just stick to your schedule, but occasionally vary your routine to avoid plateauing. If you're feeling "off" for any reason, try to identify what's changed that might be causing that. If you really think you need more recovery time, skip that muscle that week or swap days so you work it later in the week. Be consistent, but allow for a little flexibility.
Just stick to your schedule, but occasionally vary your routine to avoid plateauing. If you're feeling "off" for any reason, try to identify what's changed that might be causing that. If you really think you need more recovery time, skip that muscle that week or swap days so you work it later in the week. Be consistent, but allow for a little flexibility.
man70
05-05-2007, 03:42 AM
Like supplemental cabrohydrates?
Naxis
05-05-2007, 10:18 AM
No. As in food. Carbohydrates are just a macronutrient. Table sugar, juice, Gatorade, fruit... most creatine requires a certain amount of sugar (carbohydrate) intake to help absorption. Maybe yours doesn't but some carbohydrates before your workout will provide you with energy to work with.
Dextrose is just the simplest form of sugar (glucose) so I guess technically you can call it a supplement, but you can buy it in most health food stores with the baking items like any sugar. It's just ideal for post workout shakes because the body has to do no conversion. It's already glucose so it gets used right away to refill your glycogen stores and start repairing muscles.
Dextrose is just the simplest form of sugar (glucose) so I guess technically you can call it a supplement, but you can buy it in most health food stores with the baking items like any sugar. It's just ideal for post workout shakes because the body has to do no conversion. It's already glucose so it gets used right away to refill your glycogen stores and start repairing muscles.
man70
05-05-2007, 06:24 PM
Yeah I take supplemental glucose along with the creatine. But, up until now I didn't really know what it did because it was given to me as a gift by a friend. I also drink a substantial amount of water when I'm training with creatine.
Willapp
05-08-2007, 11:01 AM
Yeah I take supplemental glucose along with the creatine. But, up until now I didn't really know what it did because it was given to me as a gift by a friend. I also drink a substantial amount of water when I'm training with creatine.
You might find better results taking the creatine as part of your post-workout shake. I read an article which claims that the best time to take creatine that will allow your body to use it is immediately after working out since this is when the stores are depleted.
The article also says not to bother taking more than about 3 grams of creatine per day either, since excess creatine is just excreted and effectively you're wasting money taking too much.
You might find better results taking the creatine as part of your post-workout shake. I read an article which claims that the best time to take creatine that will allow your body to use it is immediately after working out since this is when the stores are depleted.
The article also says not to bother taking more than about 3 grams of creatine per day either, since excess creatine is just excreted and effectively you're wasting money taking too much.
man70
05-08-2007, 08:12 PM
But, creatine helps me effectively to lift heavier weights when taken before the workout. I don't know why that is, but I like it that way because then I'm able to lift heavier for longer and my muscle groups benefit from that.
man70
05-08-2007, 11:42 PM
I use milk instead of orange juice. I don't know if that makes a difference or not. I also drink water when I'm taking creatine. Is this the correct thing to do? And, not just the amount of water an exerciser takes because he's thirsty because of the vehement workout. It's a very high amount. I heard that this is what you're supposed to do, please let me know if this has more cons than pros.