Exercise! Love it or hate it, let's motivate each other to just DO IT!

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Old 05-20-2005, 12:10 PM   #1  
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Default Recently started but in soooo much pain!

Hi everyone. I'm new here. This is my first REAL full blown attempt at losing all this extra weight. I've joined a gym and I've got a personal trainer. I've been working out (lifting weights 3 times a week, and cardio 6 times a week) for almost two weeks now.

I'm in so much freakin pain that I couldnt even come to work yesterday. Is there anything that any of you ladies can recommend to help with all the pain. I'm not big into taking pills (don't want to have to take a pill every day for the next 3 years!) I've been carrying around a heating pad with me everywhere I go.

Everytime I feel like "this muscle pain is the worse so far" I'm stunned to find that no, what I work out next is worse. Lately its my abs. Did them for the first time this Monday that just passed. Did 150 sit ups on some weird ball thingy, plus 40 reg crunches, and 40 oblique crunches. I'm in sooooo much pain. It hurts to do anything. I'm walkin like a little old lady most of the time.

Any help would be appreciated.

Last edited by hunbun; 05-20-2005 at 12:20 PM.
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Old 05-20-2005, 12:29 PM   #2  
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Have you mentioned how sore you are getting to your trainer? Maybe they can modify your workout some. Also, make sure that you are stretching after each workout (including after weights!), that helps cut down on soreness.

There's a difference between generally being sore and "pulling" a muscle. General soreness is an achy kind of pain, but if you pull a muscle it's more like a shooting pain (if I'm wrong, someone please correct me!). If you're just sore, then as you increase your strenght the soreness will be a lot less. If you've pulled a muscle though, you need to let it rest and recover for a little while to avoid damaging it.

I guess my best advice is that if it's just muscle soreness, then after you have been working out a little longer it will start to go away. Please do mention it to your trainer though. The abdominal muscles are some of the worst when you pull them because you actually use them for just about any sort of movement (sitting down, getting up, walking, everything!) so you feel it all the time. I know you said you don't want to take pills, but if it gets really bad try taking a tylenol. Massaging the area might help too.

I know what you mean about the abs -- a couple years ago I took a karate class for the first time, and they had us to 50 sit-ups (like the kind you do in middle school, all the way up). It was incredibly hard for me to do it, and my stomach was killing me for days afterwards! Nowadays I know when I need to stop to avoid hurting myself, and I make sure to stretch every time. I still get sore fairly often, especially after doing weights, but it's not nearly as bad as the first time. (Actually, my abs are sore today because I tried doing my crunches on an incline this morning! Ouch!)
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Old 05-20-2005, 12:29 PM   #3  
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don't be afraid to take an anti-inflammatory (Advil, Motrin or Alieve) or plain old ASA....my doctor has rec. up to 800 mg. for my muscle pain...I piggy-back advil and tylenol as rec. by my dentist after a tooth extraction...take with food or milk.

maybe take a day off, hot bath, cut down on the reps. for a couple of days until you feel less sore.....if you overdo, you won't want to do....

congrats on the exercise.
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Old 05-20-2005, 03:04 PM   #4  
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Thanks ladies. i really appreciate it. It feels like the abs pain is starting to subside.... I really hope this all gets easier.

I'm going to start *attempting* to do a yoga class twice a week to see if it helps with stretching. I don't even know how to stretch my abs. I guess that's a question for the trainer tonight.

Thanks again. I REALLY appreciate it.
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Old 05-20-2005, 03:10 PM   #5  
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Michelle, here is one way to stretch your abs (be careful if they hurt a lot already though) -- lay flat on your stomach on a flat surface, then push your torso up on your elbows (not like doing a push-up, just up enough so that you can rest your weight on your elbows). If that feels okay, then you can push up onto your hands w/your arms straight (your hips should stay on the ground the whole time). It's like getting into push-up position, but with your hips and legs on the ground.

Definitely ask the trainer for demos of some stretches though! Good luck!
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Old 05-20-2005, 04:49 PM   #6  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paperclippy
Michelle, here is one way to stretch your abs (be careful if they hurt a lot already though) -- lay flat on your stomach on a flat surface, then push your torso up on your elbows (not like doing a push-up, just up enough so that you can rest your weight on your elbows). If that feels okay, then you can push up onto your hands w/your arms straight (your hips should stay on the ground the whole time). It's like getting into push-up position, but with your hips and legs on the ground.

Definitely ask the trainer for demos of some stretches though! Good luck!
I love this stretch it feels so good it's called the swan, oh and also another good ab stretch is to lay flat on your back with your knees in a 45 degree angle as if you were going to do crunches extend your hands above your head and rest them on the mat as if you were reaching for something above you and then drop both knees to one side and hold it for about 5-8 seconds then bring your knees back up and drop both knees over to the other side and hold for 5-8 seconds. For sore abs it is one of the best feelings in the world to do that stretch sorry I don't know what it's called though.
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Old 05-20-2005, 04:56 PM   #7  
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don't forget that the more stuff you do the easier it gets. When ever you start a new excerise, it will hurt more at the begining and then get easier and easier so dont' let it get you down. keep at and I promise your muscles will thank you.
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Old 05-20-2005, 05:03 PM   #8  
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Michelle,

I hope you are feeling better. I personally now when I am maintaining instead of loosing - I like muscle pain. I basically tells you that you used your muscles to failure and they will grow... So that is a good sign. On the other hand, thinking that you are probably deconditioned - take it easy, ask your trainer for slower pace. I am not sure what cardio you do - but when I was in my 170-ties I could not run at all - all I did was brisk walking. After loosing 20 pounds running was easy though. It is not only pounds, it is also your endurance towards exercise. The slower you increase your pace, the easier for your body to adapt. The same with abs - I guess you should go just as far as you can and take a rest before next repetition.

Hope it helps,
Sandy.
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Old 05-20-2005, 05:25 PM   #9  
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Michelle,
Please talk to your trainer frankly about the degree of pain you are experiencing. I'm a trainer and have worked with deconditioned, overweight clients who saw a lot of success, and they've never had to miss a day of work because of muscle pain! Being somewhat sore is good- excruciating pain is not. Your trainer needs to have feed back from you to tailor your workouts to your level.

On the other hand, there are some trainers out there who like to hurt people. Sadly, they equate inflicting as much pain as possible with being a good trainer. If you find your trainer isn't taking your pain level seriously and adapting your workouts, look for a different trainer. Be honest with yourself about muscle soreness vs. debilitating pain. No trainer likes a whiney client, but having to miss a day of work sounds extreme. Even as a beginner, you shouldn't be that sore. If you really weren't doing any kind of exercise previously, your program should start out very gradual.

Even after you've been training for a long time, you still will get sore. The only way to progress or even maintain once you reach a certain level of fitness is to keep increasing the weights, intensity or complexity of your training. But again- soreness shouldn't be debilitating pain.

Keep at it! Don't let this derail you....

Mel
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Old 05-21-2005, 11:15 AM   #10  
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Michelle -- Please do express your pain to your trainer OR find a new trainer if he/she doen't listen. You shouldn't be in that much pain. Here are a couple of suggestions to alleviate the pain of a gruelling workout: Apply ice, stretch gently, get a massage, take ibuprofen, there's evidence that vitamine C may decrease soreness, take Glutamine after a workout... I hope this helps and that you are feeling better ... Let us know...
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Old 05-21-2005, 08:43 PM   #11  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsDawsondn
I love this stretch it feels so good it's called the swan, oh and also another good ab stretch is to lay flat on your back with your knees in a 45 degree angle as if you were going to do crunches extend your hands above your head and rest them on the mat as if you were reaching for something above you and then drop both knees to one side and hold it for about 5-8 seconds then bring your knees back up and drop both knees over to the other side and hold for 5-8 seconds. For sore abs it is one of the best feelings in the world to do that stretch sorry I don't know what it's called though.
My yoga instructor called those deep knee twists.
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