Muscle soreness, and shrinkage - Exercise & Fitness Message Board

Haulin200 · 01-20-2005, 11:16 AM

Okay, so I have started back on the weights, in hopes of building/keeping my muscle mass, as I diet and lose the weight.
My question is this..
I know that because I have not worked out, or Physically been very active in well over a year, that my muscles are currently smaller than they should be, because of shrinkage.

My 1st question is how much work is needed till my muscles reach there proper size, and can begin growing again?

My 2nd question is, I know the expresion "no pain, no gain" is a corner stone of building your body. When I work out, sometimes I can feel a tightness in the muscles worked out the day before. Its nothing uncomfortable, but I know I have worked that area well. This soreness starts to goes away after 2-3 days of staying off that muscle group, and is gone in about 4 days

Is it wise to go back to that muscle group and work it again, before that soreness disapeers? Or should I be waiting longer?

ChappyBoy · 01-20-2005, 12:30 PM

1) How fast you will regain any muscle mass depends on several factors, diet, sleep, proper lifting technique, adequate rest, supplementation. As well as a genetic predisposition on how quick you can gain lean mass (and how old you are) Bottom Line- no one can really tell you this. I will say that there is a thing called muscle memory - the second time is easier than the first.

2) The muscle soreness that occurs 24-48 hours is DOMS delayed onset muscle soreness. As you know muscle growth occurs outside the gym when you rest. Depending on your intensity and your conditioning level, this will tell you how often you should train a muscle group. Just returning to lifting and assuming you are not following Arnolds 1975 training routine you could go twice a week for a period of time. It is my opinion that it is much better to under train rather than overtrain - i believe that no (non - steroid) using person needs to train a bodypart more than once per week. The true indicator is progress. If you are getting stronger every three weeks (while using good form) then you should keep doing what you are doing if not change.

Haulin200 · 01-20-2005, 12:54 PM

Thanks Chappyboy, you are allot of help. I was hopin you would ring in on this thread, cause you sound like you have allot of experience in this. So I will pose another question to you.

On my first diet (about 2 years ago) I acheived great results due to walking daily for 1/2 hour to 1hour , and trying to keep my heart rate at an elevated level. When my rate fell, my pace quickened , and when it raised, I slowed down.

But I had a knee injury about 6 months ago, and I am affraid to really walk hard on it. So on this diet I have decided to work on building my muscles up, on my entire body, and hoping that the raised muscle mass will increase the ammount of calories my body burns a day to operate. Combined with a good moderate calorie diet that gives me adequate protein, and a balance of carbs and fats, I am hoping that any weight loss will be true fat loss.

Does this sound like a stable plan to you?

ChappyBoy · 01-20-2005, 01:12 PM

Optimally you would want to do a weight resistance plan along with some cardio. However, the workout will burn a large amount of calories much like the walking you did and the weight training will add lean mass raising your BMR. With the workout try to use the multi muscle exercises (unless injury prevents them) the more muscles reqcruited the more calories burned. I think you will see similar if not better goals. If I had to say I would put diet at about 80% of battle

I train many bodybuilders and I myself compete. In these extreme cases I have to watch cardio very carefully as it can quickly start to catabolize muscle mass. My goal when preping for a show is always as little cardio as possible

Other thought- how about a rower, or some other form of cardio that would take the strain or bodyweight off your knee.

Haulin200 · 01-20-2005, 01:27 PM

Thanks for the quick reply.

Rowing excersises are done currently on my Bowflex, and my knee is getting stronger daily.

I am thinking about just sticking to the compound movenments for now, and recruiting as much muscle as I can on weights.

I have decided to go "Baby Steps" for a week or so, to gain the flexibility, and learn the proper motions for my excersises. After those 2 weeks, I will start to kick up the weight used, and push for reps of 10-12 just under failure. I think after a few weeks of that, My muscles should be ready to get to work, and I can attempt to put on some muscle mass.

I have to watch and adjust the diet along with that as well.
Sound good?>