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Good Pain vs. Bad Pain after weight lifting


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Questions to people who regularly lift here:

 

1. When you do vigorous weight lifting, do you feel sore the next day? if so, how long does that last?

 

2. How can you tell whether it's a good pain or bad pain? Also, when you feel sore after lifting, do you usually go for another exercise the next day, says, like kickboxing?

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Usually to some degree, 24-48 hours

 

Good pain is a general soreness/stiffness in the right areas. Bad pain catches your attention and you find yourself trying to compensate for it. Usually not, unless it's a sport entirely unassociated with what I trained, but I know I'm going to "feel it"

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Usually to some degree, 24-48 hours

 

Good pain is a general soreness/stiffness in the right areas. Bad pain catches your attention and you find yourself trying to compensate for it. Usually not, unless it's a sport entirely unassociated with what I trained, but I know I'm going to "feel it"

 

When you have the good pain, do you usually continue with your workout routine or you rest?

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When you have the good pain, do you usually continue with your workout routine or you rest?

 

my workout routine consists of monday, wednesday, friday, then saturday or sunday whichever I don't have to work on.

 

I continue the work out just because I work on different muscle groups each day (for instance right now my back and legs are pretty sore from the past 2 days, but friday is arms and they feel fine). Even if I don't want to go I go anyway because I don't have enough faith in myself to miss a day and then just start going again the next day.

 

For instance today i was really sore AND had a stuffy nose/sore throat, and I still went cause I don't think I'd go friday if I missed wednesday.

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Questions to people who regularly lift here:

 

1. When you do vigorous weight lifting, do you feel sore the next day? if so, how long does that last?

 

2. How can you tell whether it's a good pain or bad pain? Also, when you feel sore after lifting, do you usually go for another exercise the next day, says, like kickboxing?

 

I usually begin to feel sore the next day, with the soreness peaking during the second day and then tapering off. The duration of the muscle being sore can depend on a bunch of different factors such as diet, what how well you sleep, water intake (I think this has a lot to do with it actually), soft tissue work (like foam rolling), stress levels, and of course, how hard you hit that particular muscle in training.

 

Good pain should not be shooting or localized to one side. I.e. if one of your hamstrings is extremely tender, while the other one is fine, you might have injured it. Also, joint pain is not good. Sometimes joints get stiff, but this can be mitigated a lot of times with soft tissue work.

 

You can work a muscle when it's sore, but I personally avoid hitting the same muscle directly two days in a row. Even if you're doing full body workouts, it's good to change the planes of motion in which the muscle is used. For example, if you're hitting chest, back and legs all in one day, you could do dips, pull ups, and squats one day, and the next training session hit bench press, bent over row, and deadlift/powerclean.

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Good pain should not be shooting or localized to one side. I.e. if one of your hamstrings is extremely tender, while the other one is fine, you might have injured it. Also, joint pain is not good. Sometimes joints get stiff, but this can be mitigated a lot of times with soft tissue work.

 

 

tman, I saw your other post about foam rolling. I just ordered one from amazon, hope this helps! (I also do hot soak with epsom salt, works wonder). Thanks for all your wonderful suggestion.

 

Right now, my left shoulder is slightly swollen, the right one is fine. Since I'm right handed, when I did dumbbell clean & jerk last night, the right one was strong and could keep up, the left one wobbled and when I pulled the dumbbell to the shoulder before I thrust up to the air, it hit the left shoulder a few times (with 25#, I could definitely feel it).

 

Do you feel that with the deadlift, you feel fine the next day but it hit you on the 2nd day instead? For me, after hard deadlift workout (usually thursday), I usually feel it on Saturday morning (the tightness) then by Sunday, it goes away.

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I usually begin to feel sore the next day, with the soreness peaking during the second day and then tapering off. The duration of the muscle being sore can depend on a bunch of different factors such as diet, what how well you sleep, water intake (I think this has a lot to do with it actually), soft tissue work (like foam rolling), stress levels, and of course, how hard you hit that particular muscle in training.

 

Good pain should not be shooting or localized to one side. I.e. if one of your hamstrings is extremely tender, while the other one is fine, you might have injured it. Also, joint pain is not good. Sometimes joints get stiff, but this can be mitigated a lot of times with soft tissue work.

 

You can work a muscle when it's sore, but I personally avoid hitting the same muscle directly two days in a row. Even if you're doing full body workouts, it's good to change the planes of motion in which the muscle is used. For example, if you're hitting chest, back and legs all in one day, you could do dips, pull ups, and squats one day, and the next training session hit bench press, bent over row, and deadlift/powerclean.

 

 

Tman beat me to it this time...:p

 

Everything he said need not be repeated. I personally hate the two-day after point as the soreness does peak after 48 hours...

 

For me, pain /= soreness. They are two different feelings. Soreness always magically disappears during a workout after I've gotten the body warmed up and the blood flowing. Pain, on the other hand, remains, and I generally use it as a convenient excuse to leave the gym.

 

I'm so used to the soreness after lifting that it doesn't affect my workout schedule or routine. And by the time I'm into my workout, the soreness is gone.

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Do you feel that with the deadlift, you feel fine the next day but it hit you on the 2nd day instead? For me, after hard deadlift workout (usually thursday), I usually feel it on Saturday morning (the tightness) then by Sunday, it goes away.

 

 

Oh geez, deadlift is the worst one...I will generally feel it for days, if not the entire week...but then again, I don't deadlift often enough...because it wreaks havoc on golf training...

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Good pain should not be shooting or localized to one side. I.e. if one of your hamstrings is extremely tender, while the other one is fine, you might have injured it. Also, joint pain is not good. Sometimes joints get stiff, but this can be mitigated a lot of times with soft tissue work.

 

 

tman, I saw your other post about foam rolling. I just ordered one from amazon, hope this helps! (I also do hot soak with epsom salt, works wonder). Thanks for all your wonderful suggestion.

 

Right now, my left shoulder is slightly swollen, the right one is fine. Since I'm right handed, when I did dumbbell clean & jerk last night, the right one was strong and could keep up, the left one wobbled and when I pulled the dumbbell to the shoulder before I thrust up to the air, it hit the left shoulder a few times (with 25#, I could definitely feel it).

 

Do you feel that with the deadlift, you feel fine the next day but it hit you on the 2nd day instead? For me, after hard deadlift workout (usually thursday), I usually feel it on Saturday morning (the tightness) then by Sunday, it goes away.

 

I use my foam roller just about every day. The IT bands and the Rectus Femoris is the most painful for me, but oh so worth it. :cool:

 

I get more sore in the posterior chain after heavy squats (especially Zercher squats) than anything else. Deadlifts are a close second. With both squats and deadlifts, I tend to peak soreness during the second day. The day after I usually just feel a little more fatigued and a lot more hungry...

 

I'm not sure why people perform dumbbell cleans. I can see doing dumbbell snatches, but one of the integral parts of a clean is the catch across the front of the shoulders, and I fail to see how anyone can properly perform the catch with a dumbbell or kettlebell. That's just my personal opinion on them though. Perhaps I'm missing something. Hope your shoulder gets to feeling better!

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Well, for example, last night I did bis, tris, and shoulders. I kinda feel it now, but I'll feel it more so later tonight and tomorrow morning. I'm not going to work those same muscles today, nor tomorrow when they're still sore. Instead, I'll focus on another muscle group, like legs.

 

So, your muscles cannot recover and get stronger without adequate rest. That's one of the reasons why I think Jillian's workouts are bad - you do the same damn exercises every single day. Bad, bad, bad. If I had done a leg workout last night, I would not be, for example, running or kickboxing today. I tend to do yoga or take a day of rest the day after a leg workout.

 

Honestly, even before P90X I followed a very similar rotation, which allows you to get maximum lift time in with adequate recovery. This is what I try do (and yes, I'm a day behind this week!):

 

Monday: AM - Cardio (running or elliptical), PM - Bis, tris, shoulders

Tuesday: AM - Cardio (running or elliptical), PM - Core/abs

Wednesday: AM - Legs/butt

Thursday: PM - Yoga, core/abs

Friday: AM - Chest and back, PM -Cardio (running or elliptical)

Saturday: Skiing (legs/butt and cardio)

Sunday: Rest, maybe some stretching or core/ab work

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I'm not sure why people perform dumbbell cleans. I can see doing dumbbell snatches, but one of the integral parts of a clean is the catch across the front of the shoulders, and I fail to see how anyone can properly perform the catch with a dumbbell or kettlebell. That's just my personal opinion on them though. Perhaps I'm missing something. Hope your shoulder gets to feeling better!

 

Yep yep, I'm not a fan of this either. Especially we combined it with bear crawl & military press strength training. We did high rep too (75 total in 13 mins). So at some point, I felt like my shoulder was shot and I started bending my wrist & hitting my shoulder. They call this movement power hang clean & jerk dumbbell.

 

Sure enough, I went to kickboxing today and the conditioning is dumbbell again. Some said dumbbell is better than those bars because it offers wide range of movement. But when it's heavy, it's hard for me not to bounce my wrists. I am not a fan of this either :(, in fact, I actually prefer kettlebells for this, it feels more natural than dumbbell (easier on the wrists).

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Well, for example, last night I did bis, tris, and shoulders. I kinda feel it now, but I'll feel it more so later tonight and tomorrow morning. I'm not going to work those same muscles today, nor tomorrow when they're still sore. Instead, I'll focus on another muscle group, like legs.

 

So, your muscles cannot recover and get stronger without adequate rest. That's one of the reasons why I think Jillian's workouts are bad - you do the same damn exercises every single day. Bad, bad, bad. If I had done a leg workout last night, I would not be, for example, running or kickboxing today. I tend to do yoga or take a day of rest the day after a leg workout.

 

Honestly, even before P90X I followed a very similar rotation, which allows you to get maximum lift time in with adequate recovery. This is what I try do (and yes, I'm a day behind this week!):

 

Monday: AM - Cardio (running or elliptical), PM - Bis, tris, shoulders

Tuesday: AM - Cardio (running or elliptical), PM - Core/abs

Wednesday: AM - Legs/butt

Thursday: PM - Yoga, core/abs

Friday: AM - Chest and back, PM -Cardio (running or elliptical)

Saturday: Skiing (legs/butt and cardio)

Sunday: Rest, maybe some stretching or core/ab work

 

 

You have an awesome routine. I think you will get the body that you are looking for soon (if you don't have it already)! Post pic if you don't mind, I think pic is better than weight goal :).

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You have an awesome routine. I think you will get the body that you are looking for soon (if you don't have it already)! Post pic if you don't mind, I think pic is better than weight goal :).

 

 

Oooh...I was actually thinking about posting a pic one of these days...hopefully everyone on LS wouldn't think I'm "one of those guys"...

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Lauriebell82

My arms and legs usually do get sore. My legs moreso get sore from running though.

 

One time I did this exercise that I don't usually do and my arms literally hurt for days and days. They were sooo sore, I could barely lift my arms to put my hair in a ponytail. Fiance is a bodybuilder and he said that with that kind of pain it is best to supplement with other exercises that do not target that part of the body for a few days. He said that lifting with severely sore muscles can cause injuries and make the soreness worse.

 

That was kind of a fluke though, generally I feel a little soreness/stiffness the next day but not enough to the point where I'm actually in pain. IMO that's the difference between healthy pain and unhealthy pain.

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Oooh...I was actually thinking about posting a pic one of these days...hopefully everyone on LS wouldn't think I'm "one of those guys"...

 

what do you mean by "one of those guys"? :eek:

This forum is physical fitness, health & weight management, what's wrong of uploading pics to motivate ourselves as well as others?

 

Having said this, I can imagine that you and tman are probably really ripped & fit with all those workouts you two have been talking about.

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My arms and legs usually do get sore. My legs moreso get sore from running though.

 

One time I did this exercise that I don't usually do and my arms literally hurt for days and days. They were sooo sore, I could barely lift my arms to put my hair in a ponytail. Fiance is a bodybuilder and he said that with that kind of pain it is best to supplement with other exercises that do not target that part of the body for a few days. He said that lifting with severely sore muscles can cause injuries and make the soreness worse.

 

That was kind of a fluke though, generally I feel a little soreness/stiffness the next day but not enough to the point where I'm actually in pain. IMO that's the difference between healthy pain and unhealthy pain.

 

Oddly enough, i haven't had this since I up my workouts and started to lift heavy. Maybe what stargazer said is right, I used to do Jillian Michaels almost everyday and I had a few episodes where my muscles were locked and I could barely move without extreme pain :p.

 

Yeah, my pain from my dumbbell clean & jerks last tuesday night is almost gone but I will get a new one with deadlift tonight. It seems that I will just be in constant stiffness all week long. Maybe at some point, I will get used to this "good pain".

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what do you mean by "one of those guys"? :eek:

This forum is physical fitness, health & weight management, what's wrong of uploading pics to motivate ourselves as well as others?

 

Having said this, I can imagine that you and tman are probably really ripped & fit with all those workouts you two have been talking about.

 

 

Well you know, "one of those guys"...I'm not sure how else to describe it...but I s'pose you're right... :o I guess it'd give me a sliver of credibility in these parts...? I have a feeling that tman would blow me out of the water... :)

 

I'll have to pick up my camera from my car that's in the shop right now...I'm doing alright...quite happy with where I'm at now...it's just a pain to maintain it...

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Haha yeah, you definitely don't want to be "one of those guys"! :laugh:

 

My favorite are all of the little dudes walking around with ILS-Invisible Lat Syndrome. It's so sad really...

 

Then there's "flex in the mirror after each set" guy, and "walk around in the locker room butt-ass naked and talk to people" guy, and "I curl in the squat rack" guy, and "emaciated, shaved head guy doing strange medicine ball exercises" guy.

 

Then there are also the people that walk up to you and ask you what you're training for, or what position you play in football/baseball. I guess this is more flattering than anything, but then I feel like a elitist dickhead when I tell them that I'm just here to get stronger and more athletic. I don't know why I feel this way. Mostly, I'm happiest when people don't talk to me in the gym (other than simple pleasantries, of course).

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Haha yeah, you definitely don't want to be "one of those guys"! :laugh:

 

My favorite are all of the little dudes walking around with ILS-Invisible Lat Syndrome. It's so sad really...

 

Hahahah, yep, gotta love the guys with ILS...unfortunately for me, when I try to keep my arms down at my side, they pop right back up, like Ralphie's little brother wearing that jacket in "A Christmas Story"... :D

 

 

Then there's "flex in the mirror after each set" guy, and "walk around in the locker room butt-ass naked and talk to people" guy, and "I curl in the squat rack" guy, and "emaciated, shaved head guy doing strange medicine ball exercises" guy.

 

I was washing my hands in the locker room after my workout one day, and this dude comes out of the shower and steps right directly behind me, drying his back with his towel...with arms outstretched behind him...conveniently in full view in the mirror...yea...

 

 

Then there are also the people that walk up to you and ask you what you're training for, or what position you play in football/baseball. I guess this is more flattering than anything, but then I feel like a elitist dickhead when I tell them that I'm just here to get stronger and more athletic. I don't know why I feel this way. Mostly, I'm happiest when people don't talk to me in the gym (other than simple pleasantries, of course).

 

Heh, I tell them I play golf...and then they give me a bewildered look...but I do like talking to people at the gym...A LOT of guys and even some older women will approach me and introduce themselves...it's definitely cool and very flattering to have people come up and ask about some of the things I'm doing...and I learn a few things from them too...

 

Sometimes I wish I got my personal training certs...I could realistically clean house at my gym...a lot of people know me there...which is also nice...if only more of them were younger ladies... :rolleyes:

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I feel guilty (not really the right word but it's the closest I could come up with) if I'm not sore the next day. Like I should have worked out harder somehow. Not really a problem (since I always work until sore XD) except after 'arm' days, I can never seem to make my arms sore at all.

 

Is that just normal for arms or can I push them even more and I don't realize it? I did arms this morning and while they might be a little tired they are nowhere near sore, and I really pushed today :confused:

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I feel guilty (not really the right word but it's the closest I could come up with) if I'm not sore the next day. Like I should have worked out harder somehow. Not really a problem (since I always work until sore XD) except after 'arm' days, I can never seem to make my arms sore at all.

 

Is that just normal for arms or can I push them even more and I don't realize it? I did arms this morning and while they might be a little tired they are nowhere near sore, and I really pushed today :confused:

 

Rorschach, define push.

 

I feel sore every Tuesday & Thursday. I can't imagine not being sore if you push yourself hard.

 

Here are some of the workouts that I think make me sore:

 

Complete the following cycle for time: 10 burpees/Then three rounds of run 200m &10 dumbbell shoulder to overhead (M:35#/W:25#)/Then 10 burpees. Rest 2 minutes and repeat for a total of three cycles.

 

 

So it's like this:

10 burpees

200 M Sprint

10 35# (each side) dumbbell shoulder to overhead

200 M Sprint

10 35# dumbbell shoulder to overhead

200 M Sprint

10 35# dumbbell shoulder to overhead

10 burpees

 

(jot down your time)

rest 2 mins.

 

Repeat again for 2 more cycles.

 

Or if you have weights & other equipements, this one is a killer too:

 

 

Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of 7 thrusters (M:115#/W:75#)/12 kettlebell swings (M:53#/W:35#)/7 chest to bar pull-ups.

 

Or this one (try to aim for 5 - 7 mins including the penalty), or you can be creative, instead of running, you can do 10 burpees for each 100 m :) :

 

Run 400m for time.

100 dumbbell shoulder to overhead in any manner (M:25#/W:15# or less) for time. Stopping for longer than 3 seconds or putting the dumbbells on the ground constitutes a 100m run penalty (1600m cap).

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Yeah I'll be honest, I have no idea what half those exercises are. I'm just a lightweight at the gym in that respect XD but by 'push myself' I mean spend a good half hour to 45 minutes doing nothing but free weights with different arm exercises in a 5 sets of 5 reps format (doing what tman said and using more weight than normal while making a concious effort to move quicker and use more effort).

 

I do plan on getting into a position where I know all those different gym moves and whatnot, but my primary focus right now is staying on my diet, getting in alot of cardio to increase my stamina, and only minor in building muscle. But I do the same type of workout on my arms (actually, probably more) than I do on my chest, abs, back, legs, and those get sore all the time XD. I'll see tomorrow if I'm sore (since sometimes it doesn't sneak up on you until you go to sleep) but from the way I feel right now I feel like I could do arms again tomorrow without dying.

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I do have some soreness and stiffness in my arms today, it's certainly not as intense as when i get it in other parts of my body (my abs are still somewhat sore 4 days later XD but I kinda surprised them by pushing them 10x harder than normal). But it's something, so yay.

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I do have some soreness and stiffness in my arms today, it's certainly not as intense as when i get it in other parts of my body (my abs are still somewhat sore 4 days later XD but I kinda surprised them by pushing them 10x harder than normal). But it's something, so yay.

 

I woke up today feeling very sore too. I'm not sure if it's the kickboxing (kind of went extra hard yesterday), the deadlift (on Thursday), or the fact that I went dancing last night in my high heels.

 

My guess is the deadlift. Always hit me the hardest 2 days later.

 

You should soak in hot water with Epsom salt. I am going to try my foam roller now, Tman said it works wonder. I kind of tested a little bit this morning on my back, it hurts but it feels good too.

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Good pain:

 

Where in I feel some soreness in the areas I worked but I can still get through the tasks of the day.

Where in I participated in activities that used muscles I didn't intend to work or used muscles I don't typically use as often (snowboarding, swimming) and might need some ibuprofen to function comfortably.

 

Bad pain: I HURT in ways I did not foresee or intend that physical area. Nerve spasms. Joint pain. Pain relievers don't do much to diminish the pain. These indicate injury or damage and that I employed improper safety during the activity to me.

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