Training through the pain....

[Stribs]

So I have been hitting it hard for the last 2 days and now starting to feel the aches, Is this the time that you work through the pain and bulk up or do you let your body recover...

My sessions have been going as such:

1000m on the rowing machine, feel thats works alot of muscles..

2 sets of 12 on the (Not sure on machine names so will describe... )

Machine which you push out in front

Machine which you push up

Machine which you pull your elbows together to work the pecs...

and bicep curls and tricep dips (saw some guy doing them, looked effective!)

Now I am not strong at all I have found.. I'm really hoping that it gets easier..

How is this all sounding to you guys? Am I on a good path?

[.V.]

Rowing machine = good cardio and probably a bit much for a warmup, but it's been a long time since I've been on one...I could be mistaken about how long it takes to do 1000m.

You are managing the machine equivalents of: Bench press, Overhead press, and using a pec deck...a decent chest and shoulder workout. However, the most important parts are being missed. i.e. legs/back/abs.

If you have access to free weights you can get by with the following: Squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, and Row. These exercises will work the entire body.

If you need to keep using machines then keep doing what you are but add some leg presses and seated cable rows to the mix. And one or two sets of 8-10 or 10-12 should do fine for now.

As far as the pain, it sounds like DOMS. Welcome to our world. Work through it and it will get better.

[LiftGirl]

In addition to what Andy said, I found DOMS to be helped by doing 10-12 reps of a pretty light weight. My theory on why this works is that it brings blood to the muscle which allows the muscle to repair from the damage. I personally avoid just working through DOMS, choosing instead to use lighter weights until my muscles are all better.

[Stribs]

DOMS - whats the meaning of DOMS, I understand the pain, just what do the letters equate to

I really enjoy feeling this pain, it makes it all worth while..

V - Unfortunatly I really don't feel comfortable with the free weights, Bicep curls yes, but dead lifts just seem to extereme for me.. I should be doing the lat pull down which I have missed for the last few days!

I will try and incorporate leg work out as well

Thanks guys!

[F_Mac]

DOMS = Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Basically it comes from all the micor-tears in your muscles caused by intense training.

I would argue that using machines which put your body into an un-natural motion is far more dangerous than doing deadlifts.

Nobody's saying you have to lift super heavy weights, but you will get much more benefits from doing the exercises .V. listed above rather than using machines.

[.V.]

Hey y'all, thanks for explaining DOMS. Which I myself will be feeling tomorrow after what is basically a couple of months off with only very light workouts to keep blood flowing to the muscles.

In fact, I'm already sore.

Yeah, just keep going...and yes, a light workout can help too. I do mine each week.

Day 1 - heavy to make muscles
Day 2 - light to help recover
Day 3 - medium to get ready for next heavy day.

[Stribs]

I worked out yesterday and I didn't have any DOMS at all... does this mean that i didn't work hard enough or i'm not doing it right?? I did pretty much the same routine as usual!

[cursor]

In doing the same routine, did you feel taxed? Could you have done more (not necessarily more sets/reps)?

I'm really hoping that it gets easier

Maybe it is ...

[thonaker]

Deadlifts are versatile, they work well with a variety of rep schemes. So, you don't necessarily have to put super heavy weight on there. Put on more weight and lower the reps as you feel more comfortable with the exercise.

Don't let this exercise intimidate you. Just learn how to do it correctly.

Troy

[Vas85]

Hi Stribs,
If you don't feel comfortable with the free weights, lower the weight that you are trying to lift. I'd do as much research as I can (this site has a lot of good people / info / resources) and also check out some workout routines on bodybuilding.com, they have every exercise under the planet.

I'd recommend training each bodypart once a week, and I believe if you can train a bodypart twice a week you aren't training hard enough (doesn't mean more reps / sets or weight)

DOMS is a pleasantry... but you won't always feel it, I for example never get it on my biceps but that didn't stop them from growing to 18-19" from 11". So i'd train through the pain if you were training other muscles that weren't sore but had ABS that were sore for example while working out delts.

[westside24]

Originally Posted by Stribs

DOMS - whats the meaning of DOMS, I understand the pain, just what do the letters equate to

I really enjoy feeling this pain, it makes it all worth while..

V - Unfortunatly I really don't feel comfortable with the free weights, Bicep curls yes, but dead lifts just seem to extereme for me.. I should be doing the lat pull down which I have missed for the last few days!

I will try and incorporate leg work out as well

Thanks guys!

Dude! Listen I was like you a few months ago. 150 lbs, 6 foot, im 25 yrs of age, not a single oz. of muscle on my body, in fact I could suck my ribs in like a lil ethiopian child. Now im eating so much I could puke, and I manage to wiegh 175 lbs. and not too much of it is belly fat. at the gym, I was using all machines, which I feel they did get me started out, but it was because I was embarassed and what not. now I do 2 free wieght movements for each body part, 2 body parts a day mon-chest back tues-qauds calves wed-shoulders abs and lower back thur-bis tris fri-hams traps and lower back again. I was extremely afraid to do deadlift because i still can only do 70 lbs on the bar which is embarrassing but plain and simple, I dont give a F what nobody thinks of me now, caz I am gettin a little bigger, and I feel my courage and motivation is just as big as the 250 lb. UFC fighter. I still only bench 2 45's on the smith machine, which is not impressive, and I managed to get stuck under it too, which nobody would help me. but that just made me all the more angry and more ready to show everyone what i am and will be capable of.... I know this isnt an encouragement thread, I just wanted to say after all of that.... with deadlifting theres 2 ways you can do it... for one you use one hand up and one down to get a better hold, and one way you can squat all the way down keeping your back straight and chest pushed out keep in mind (I do my in the mirror in the corner of the gym so I can see if I accidently let my back go) and push as hard as you can straight up and I found even shioulder shrugging at the top helps your traps good, and then you can try straight legged deadlifts, which are for your hams ,more so,just keep legs straight and bend all the way over (like jobs preach against) keeping back straight and chest out and same but those are a little harder and scarier.

you should just try it, deadlifting was the first free wieght movement I did, only the bar for the first2 weeks I did it just to get the hang of it, I didnt care what nobody whispered (which they really dont, its all in our head) or how they looked at me.

[.V.]

I still get funny looks in the gym that I go to. Although I've got my own at home, it isn't heated so I've joined a commercial gym for the winter.

I think I'm the only one there that actually deadlifts and the only one who gets in the power cages. The squat rack...I've seen used once for standing military press. The smith machine does get some use but only minimal.

Seriously, watch the videos, read articles, and give it a try...like westside 24 said, who cares what anyone thinks...you will know that you are doing the most efficient exercise (besides maybe squats) known to man.

[Stribs]

Thanks guys, its really getting to me the lack of self confidence and getting bigger... Will protein shapes help? I don't get much protein in my diet through pickiness really so a protein supplement must help.

Thanks for the help guys, great place here

[.V.]

Protein is good. Some fats are good. Carbs are tricky little buggers...remember that and you'll do well.

Remember this, if you don't eat you won't get bigger or stronger. You need to eat enough protein too. This means it should be about 35% of your calories, some need even more...up to 50%. Calories for growth are going to be about 20/lb of bodyweight.

For growth, I really like 25 cals/lb @ carbs 45%, protein 35%, and fat 20%.

If you can get it all with whole foods...that's best. But if you can't then use a shake before and after your workout. I love mine made with 2cups skim milk, 1 banana, and 2 scoops of whey. Works out to about 60g carbs, 60g protein, and 6g of fat.

[westside24]

honestly stribs<---- I know thats not your real name, but anyways this may sound a little unethical, but my opinion, you gotta get a little fat in order to get any muscle, you gotta eat, I would just start by eating alot first, thats a start, may not be the best start, but hey... thats what I did, then I realized wow this is expensive, im gonna start buying cheaper stuff, then I start buying like meats that are on sale, and sometimes even hotdogs (even tho theyre a horrible, incomplete protien source) start making alot of whole grains spaghetti, caz spaghetti is realitivly cheap to make, 1$ for noodles, 1$ for sketti sauce, 6$ for 10lb. bag of meatballs at Gordon Food Supply (local grocer).
Protien shakes do work but you gotta get more than that, you cant suck down 10 - 24oz. shakes all day long just to get your requirments, yawmeen. try cottage cheese, whole milk, nuts, beans, protien bars, PBJ sandwhiches, Eggs (I microwave mine from raw in a tupperware at work for 3 minutes total on my 1st break, they taste great and theyre quick) tuna, tuna salad. I think theres all kind of recipes on here to make some good protien meals too......... aright ill shut my mouth now