For the last almost 4 weeks I've been doing the BodyPump class at my gym (strength training with a bar & weights). I do the class 2-3 times a week, never 2 days in a row. Usually after class I'm slightly shakey in the muscles, but feel better after a hot bath. The next day or two I'm always sore, but nothing too terrible, I can still go about my day, etc. everything I've read says that's normal.

So I did a class on Wednesday evening this week, and I increased my weights slightly, between .5 - 1.5lbs, depending on the muscle groups. I could feel during the workout that the extra weight was making a difference, but it didn't feel like too much. Thursday I felt the usual soreness all over.

Yesterday and today, though, while the general all-over soreness has pretty much gone, there's this one area that still really hurts. I'm bad with the names of the muscles, but it's the back of my arm between my elbow and my shoulder. It hurts to put any pressure on it (like if my little one rests his head there while nursing), it aches if I stretch my arm out straight, and if I bend my arm tightly it really, really hurts. This is more pain than just soreness.

I got a class orientation before my first time, the class instructor always goes over proper form, and I'm always really careful to make sure I'm doing the exercises correctly. Is this normal after increasing weights? How do I know if I really damaged myself somehow?

It sounds like you're talking about your triceps and it's an area that can really get sore!

If you lifted with proper form, chances are it's just a result of increasing your weight. If the pain is gone in another day or so, that's what it was. An injury would last longer and probably not go away. Also, if it's both arms and just not one, it's probably muscle soreness and not injury. It would be unusual to injure both arms at the same time.

Give us a report tomorrow!

ouch! =(

it sounds like you might have strained your triceps a little. i wouldn't do any arm exercises (other than you daily routine, it's important to get some movement or your muscles will stiffen up and be REALLY sore) for a day or two to see if the pain subsides. you don't have to be painfree to go back to your routine if, in fact, it's just a little pain from the increase in weight. if the pain doesn't gets better or gets worse, you're probably injured and you should see a doc.

having lots of pain can be normal, whenever track season started in the winter when i was in high school, i would go home crying and tell people not to even talk to me because it hurt so much. weeeeeenie!! lol so, don't be alarmed if you're in excrutiating pain... some people say "no pain, no gain", some people say that phrase is bad advice.... but honestly, you will have pain!!!! but pain that is sharp and gets worse could be legitimate injury pain.

Yes, it does sound as if your triceps got a good workout. I have found (when I increase the weights) that it may take 3 - 4 days for the ache to stop, which is just enough time to have the class roll around and to get sore AGAIN

A tip that I have learned - when I increase my weights, I will only use the heavier weights for part of the workout. For example - if I do 3 reps of 20 butterflies, then I will use the new heavier weights for only the middle rep. Sort of ease myself into them.

Good luck

Do you drink protein shake after your workouts? If not, try doing that. (Although that would not help with your current pain - it looks like you worked our really hard and your triceps are a bit mad at you (don't worry, they will forgive you again).
Are you feeling any better by now?

Bananas (or another potassium source) can be helpful after a strenuous strength training workout.

I have found that some of my muscles are "ouchy" muscles more than others - the quadriceps (front of thigh), triceps (back of arm), and chest. I have had pretty good pain from those areas being worked harder than they are used to all of a sudden. Sometimes it can last a few days longer than usual two.

I know it hurts, but gentle stretching is probably the best thing you can do for them. As a muscle builds, it loses flexibility. So keeping it limber during the sore phase can help with that as well as help release some of the (I forget the word but it means chemical that is causing the sorenes) stuff into your bloodstream to be released. Heat pads, massage and time and you should be better.

If the pain happened suddenly during your workout, doesn't go away in 3, or 4 days, or doesn't feel like "muscle" pain and seems to come more from a ligament or tendon, or gets red or swollen see a dr.

BeachBreeze--you're thinking of lactic acid however it is a myth that buildup causes muscle soreness since it does not linger in the muscles after resting for an hour or so.

Or she could be referring to the protein Myoglobin or the enzymes creatine kinase or aldolase all of which are found in higher plasma concentrations following muscle damage and which are all frequently measured during clinical trials involving anti-doms research.

Your Kung Fu is stronger than mine. I think maybe I have seen one too many episodes of Mythbusters.

Actually, your information was dead on about the lactic acid myth. I'm just not sure if that is what BeachBreeze was referring to or not, so I threw out some possibilities to see if we could jog her memory.

Oh thank you! I was feeling really inadequate for a minute. I minored in Biology and wasn't nearly as handy with the info as you!

I started a Body for Life Challenge last week while on vacation in Calif of all things - I HURT and couldn't hardly get up or sit down after the lower body exercises. It reminds me of when I went to volleyball practice with a coach who'd try to whip us into shape after a summer off. At least I was at a resort and could sit in the hot tub a number of times. I feel that the pain is a kick off to getting back in shape, no pain no gain, I'm not worried about it although I'm sure that at 41 it might have been best to "ease" into exercise after some time off because of personal stuff.

Thank you all so much for the information, everyone! It was still quite sore the following day, but by yesterday it had tapered off to the more recognizable (to me) normal soreness. While I increased some of my other weights at my class last night, I dropped them back to my old weight for that portion since I was still a little achy... I'll maybe increase them again next time, but just by half as much.

I can live with muscle soreness, but not outright pain like that. I have a household and three little kids to take care of here! LOL

Oh, and this
cracked me right up LOL

Hey hon! I love bodypump classes! It's normal to feel sore after the classes, especially if you're working to fatigue. I don't do them anymore, but I usually always took a hot bath in the AM and sometimes again in the PM (use lots of lotion or drop a couple oil drops in the tub !!). It helps relax the muscles. Also, epsom salt, light jogging to get the body warmed up, and streatching will help. A few times after BodyPump I felt a little more sore than normal from increasing the weights. Best lluck to you.