Well... ya'll convinced me and, after lurking in on you lifters for a while, I have finally kicked my weight work-out up a notch. Before I was just doing crunches and bi-cep curls and tri-ceps with 3 lb. weights (stop laughing) and nothing for lower body (since I bike, I didn't think I needed anything). Yesterday, with help from Bill Pearl's book, I started a rougher lower body work-out ( squats, lunges, and all)and today did a rougher upper body (ok -- I am only at 5 lb. weights but it was hard and I did the recommended reps and more exercises than normal. I'm a whimp...I know it). Since we are limited by funds, I am only using dumbells at home...but Pearl has a great work-out for dumbell users.

Anyhow...to the point...OUCH!! I did lower body yesterday and I am sore today. So...my question is this...I was planning on doing lower body tomorrow too. Should I wait until I am no longer sore or should I go to it through the soreness? Also, is it okay that I got sore or did I overdo it?

Thanks for any advice you might be able to offer.

Peace,
Paula

Hi Paula and welcome! You and I need to have a little talk about you being so apologetic! You are NOT a wimp and there is nothing at all wrong with your workout! Every one of us here had to start somewhere and that is right where you are. You should never compare yourself to anyone else when you lift weights — you are only competing against yourself. And a good way to get hurt is to try to lift more than you can with handle perfect form. So relax — you are doing great!

I think you can have terrific workouts with just dumbbells. As you progress, you will need to go up in weight but you are right where you should be for now. I’ve always said that with so many of those leg exercises — like squats and lunges — it’s not the weight but just the movement that kills me.

There’s nothing wrong with being sore. I’ve learned to love the soreness that I get after a great workout because it means I’ve done something good for myself. I even feel cheated if I am not sore the next day. (Warning: you could be even more sore the second day!) I know that some folks take something for muscle soreness but I never have so can’t help (hopefully someone will chime in here). And keep in mind that you will be the most sore when you try a new exercise for the first time.

That being said, the conventional wisdom is to wait at least 48 hours before you work out a muscle group again so it can rest and recuperate. If you are still quite sore, I would wait three days. Most of us are on a training “split” of one kind or another, which means that we split up our sessions according to body part or parts. For example, I do each body part once a week but I do an hour for each:

Monday — back
Tuesday — shoulders
Wednesday — legs
Thursday — arms
Friday — chest

So there is a week for each body part to rest before I work it again. Others combine body parts, like back and bi’s one day, chest and tri’s another etc. There’s no right or wrong to this. Something like this might be easier for you than just alternating upper and lower body workouts. Or if you feel comfortable doing it that way, perhaps try upper body, lower body, rest day, then repeat.

I’ve found that cardio — especially bike riding — right after a leg workout and the next day paradoxically helps with the muscle soreness.

Good luck with your new program! I’m sure you are going to love your results, both in speeding up your weight loss and in changing and firming your body. Please join us in posting on the main thread because, Paula, you too are now a Lady Who Lifts!

Meg

Hello Paula and Welcome, we LUVS newbies here!!

I agree, as usual, with Meg... Take your time we all had to start with the pink dumbells, and there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with that, because the last thing you want is an injury and that would be even worse...

A hint as to know when you should up your weight a bit is when you can do more than 12 reps, it's time to change and go up a notch of maybe 5 or 10% in your weight....I know that they sell some magnetic 1/4 lb weights you can attach to your dumbell or bar bell that will help .... and I've had our gym order some and I up my weights sometimes only by a half pound at a time....

Hope this helps and don't be a lurker any more....

Geez the whole point of my post was that I take Glutamine for soreness .... it's not too too expensive and I find it works very well... but sometimes I don't take it because I actually LIKE the soreness....

You ladies are just wonderful!! Thank you so much for your tips and encouragement. Ok -- no more self-deprication about the 5lb. weights. I will be happy there until I go up a bit. LOVE the idea of the small magnetic weights since going from 3 to 5 lbs. hit me some!

I think I will try the one body part routine daily because with cardio, I like to do it everyday -- even am having to force myself to rest Sundays -- and think I will feel the same way with weights. It is SUCH a wonderful feeling to have done something great for my body like cardio and lifting each day. Also -- both DH and I LOVE the muscles I am developing.

Glad to hear that biking is good for the soreness as legs are STILL sore today -- a bit...but DH and I have a ride planned for tomorrow.

Thanks again! You are so helpful and encouraging.

Peace,
Paula

Ilene, you really think glutamine helps you? I tried it for a long time and I swear it didn't do a thing for me. I've still got it on a shelf somewhere arouind here.

I agree, some cardio helps.

Glutamine works for me - I don't use it every single DAY, once in awhile when I've had a really tough workout and I just KNOW I'm gonna be sore, I'll take a dose with some water.

Doing cardio the next day helps too - after the first couple of minutes, the soreness alleviates.

And I'm a BIG believer in a leisurely soak in a hot bath (preferably with some Calgon added and a good read!).

Karen -- I love Books & Baths too -- but I can't keep the darn books dry!

Meg

Meg,

There are some great erotica that's MEANT to be read in the bathtub. The pages are waterproof! It's called Aqua Erotica, and the sequel is Wet. Fun in the tub!

i have that whole reading in the tub down to a science and NEVER get my pages wet. my biggest problem is keeping the crew from banging on the door asking me crazy questions like, are you sleep, did you drown and can i come in and just sit with you?

Meg

My trick is to keep one hand dry to hold the book, and to have a hand towel on the edge of the tub to dry off the other hand to turn the page

I haven't dropped a book in the tub for at least 20 years...

Of course, there's stuff like Arabian Horse World magazine that is just to big and unwieldy to handle. Paperback books are best IMO.

on the soreness issue (isn't that where we started?) like clock work my muscles ache between 36 - 48 hours after a good workout. unfortunately i worked my legs out on wednesday am and as of 4:33 PM on friday, i don't even feel a twinge. i wasn't able to lift my max load because the machinery and i were having issues. guess i will get to do that workout again tonight at a different gym. Dang!

I rode my bike for an hour yesterday and 16 miles today (DH and I LOVE to bike the forest preserves)-- and surprisingly, I am no longer sore! Who would've thought. Now my tailbone...that's another story.

Peace,
Paula

I hear ya Paula on the tail bone I went biking twice this week... I was ok the second day until I sat on my bike seat and yikes when my butt bones hit the seat on day 2 it felt bruised... but soon went away tho... 16 miles is a good hike... I did only 10K on each day and thought I did good... Way to go!!