Why does it hurt so much?!

ciangeer

*Newbie Question*

Hi all,

Since last year, I have been working really hard at cardio at the gym, and my diet which has resulted in me losing a stone and a half and moving from 11 1/2 stone, down to 10 stone (my target weight; height is 5' 10'').

Now that I've lost the excess weight, I'm looking to now shift my focus to toning up and muscle building. I go to the gym around 3 times a week and do 20 mins cardio, 40 mins weights.

The first question I have is that after a gym session, it takes me a good 24 hours to be able to move my arms / legs painlessly again. I know that this is probably the idea behind it, but is this a sign of going to hard / not getting enough protein?

This brings me to my next question! A friend of mine (who maintains is very knowledgeable on fitness), said to me that by doing weights and not taking protein straight after session (e.g. chicken breast, shake whatever), that all my efforts at achieveing more muscle are futile.

The problem is, having worked really hard to get all the weight off, the thoughts of taking protein bars, more meat etc. is the last thing I want to do. I've been really calorie conscience of late and see that there are a huge amount of calories in these things, so really don't want to higher the scales again. Not sure if the shakes are same high calorie, but I find them really hard to take.

ANY and ALL advice re: above, will genuinely be gratefully appreciated.

Cheers,

Cian

JJayoo

The pain afterwards is called DOMS, Do you always have this pain after your gym sessions? or do u find that you only really get it when you try something new or when you go to the gym after a break from it?

Its always a good idea to eat some good quality protein and carbs after training. Most protein bars are pants. I was in Hollands and Barretts yesterday, they have a buy one get one half price deal, wanting to get a protein bar as i was hungry. Most were half sugar.

Could you post up some more info about your diet and workouts, the more details the better:) and then you shud start a Log, on fitness log section. Great way to get continuous feedback

ciangeer

Thanks for reply JJ,

In all honesty, I've only started this new regime in last week so very likely that i'm using muscles never used before etc., and that's what is causing the tired and sore muscles the day after.

Absolutley, will get onto posting this on other forum this weekend.

First of all diet: For breakfast, usually small weetabix, piece of fruit at 11, and soup or chicken salad with an activia at 1pm. Then, I usually have a low fat bag of crisps to snack on in the afternoon, a low fat dinner which always incorporates chicken / fish / meat of some sort. Then I end the day with some more fruit and maybe a low fat cereal bar. Most days more or less follow this.

In the gym then, I divide it into 3 different days.

First Day - Spinning Class, followed by
- chest press (8kg),
- leg press (90kg),
- incline press (6kg),
- leg extension (30kg),
- peck deck (25kg),
- leg curl (35kg)

Second Day - Treadmill - 4km in 20 minutes
- shoulder press (6Kg)
- Bent over row (5Kg)
- Lat Raise (4 Kg)
- Rear fly kinises (2)
- Upright Row CC (10Kg)
- Surpine Row Bench (8Kg)

Third Day - 20 minutes of cardio (a mix of machines)
- bicep curl EZ bar
- Tricep Pull Down
- Concentration Curl
- Over head extension
- Hammer Curl
- Tricep Dip.

All the above are 3 sets X 10 reps.
I finish off each session then with 3 X 15 on ab crunch ball,
3 X 15 obliques on ball (both with 5kg weight), and finally some back extensions.

I know the weights above are very little, but as I'm really just starting free weights for the first time, I've started off easy and will build up.

Cheers,

Cian

ciangeer

Oh and I should say, I'm on a number of supplements as well (including fish oils and vitamin tabs.)

JJayoo

In all honesty, I've only started this new regime in last week so very likely that i'm using muscles never used before etc., and that's what is causing the tired and sore muscles the day after.

This is def the reason for your soreness. Even very experienced lifters will get DOMs if they try something new or take a break from lifting.

Be careful with low fat products, alot of the time low fat = high in sugar. Fatty foods such as peanut butter, nuts, oily fish, seeds, eggs etc are a great part of any diet, and although high in calories they are a much better source of cals than sugar filled food.

I think you would benifit from adding a source of protein to your diet in the morning. If you are training your muscles they will be hungry from night time fasting, and it is a good idea to give them some protein. Whey protein, is a great source of protein, comes from milk, low in calories. Very handy way to add a little bit of extr protein to your diet.

I would also try swaping your workout, doing the weights first and then the cardio, and start a log:D

ciangeer

Ok, well that's good anyway.

You were talking about good source of calories - is that what I should be aiming for - highering my intake of calories again?

Will DEF get log going tonight.

Cheers!

JJayoo

You were talking about good source of calories - is that what I should be aiming for - highering my intake of calories again?

Low fat cereal bar = High sugar crap
Low fat crisps = crap

I just mean that you should try and take in better sources of cals. "Low Fat" is often a marketing gimmick, people see it and think it must be healthy.

bubbleking

at your height 10 stone is underweight??

Brian?

ciangeer wrote: »

Thanks for reply JJ,

In all honesty, I've only started this new regime in last week so very likely that i'm using muscles never used before etc., and that's what is causing the tired and sore muscles the day after.

Absolutley, will get onto posting this on other forum this weekend.

First of all diet: For breakfast, usually small weetabix, piece of fruit at 11, and soup or chicken salad with an activia at 1pm. Then, I usually have a low fat bag of crisps to snack on in the afternoon, a low fat dinner which always incorporates chicken / fish / meat of some sort. Then I end the day with some more fruit and maybe a low fat cereal bar. Most days more or less follow this.

In the gym then, I divide it into 3 different days.

First Day - Spinning Class, followed by
- chest press (8kg),
- leg press (90kg),
- incline press (6kg),
- leg extension (30kg),
- peck deck (25kg),
- leg curl (35kg)

Second Day - Treadmill - 4km in 20 minutes
- shoulder press (6Kg)
- Bent over row (5Kg)
- Lat Raise (4 Kg)
- Rear fly kinises (2)
- Upright Row CC (10Kg)
- Surpine Row Bench (8Kg)

Third Day - 20 minutes of cardio (a mix of machines)
- bicep curl EZ bar
- Tricep Pull Down
- Concentration Curl
- Over head extension
- Hammer Curl
- Tricep Dip.

All the above are 3 sets X 10 reps.
I finish off each session then with 3 X 15 on ab crunch ball,
3 X 15 obliques on ball (both with 5kg weight), and finally some back extensions.

I know the weights above are very little, but as I'm really just starting free weights for the first time, I've started off easy and will build up.

Cheers,

Cian

Are you doing the 3 days in a row, or with rest days in between. Hopefully you have rest days.

I would think at your level an arm day is a waste of time as well. You'd be better off doing 3 full body workouts a week, concentrating on compound lifts: Squat, Deadlift, Row, Bench/Overhead press, pullups and so on.

bman

bubbleking wrote: »

at your height 10 stone is underweight??

He'd still be over 20 BMI, which is in the normal weight zone. Do people here agree wit the BMI scale in general?

MrPain

bman wrote: »

He'd still be over 20 BMI, which is in the normal weight zone. Do people here agree wit the BMI scale in general?

Well it's one flaw is it can't tell the difference between fat and lean muscle mass. It's accurate for your average joe but inacurate for bodybuilders/powerlifters

JJayoo

You'd be better off doing 3 full body workouts a week, concentrating on compound lifts: Squat, Deadlift, Row, Bench/Overhead press, pullups and so on.

These are all great lifts, but in reality a new gym member is gonna need time to learn squats and deadlifts, and pull ups are bloody hard. So it can be hard to build motivation from a programme based around the compound lifts for people who are new to lifting.

Do people here agree wit the BMI scale in general

No its rubbish.

Brian?

JJayoo wrote: »

These are all great lifts, but in reality a new gym member is gonna need time to learn squats and deadlifts, and pull ups are bloody hard. So it can be hard to build motivation from a programme based around the compound lifts for people who are new to lifting.

True, but it'll stand to OP a lot better in the long run if he learns these lifts now rather than waste an entire day a week in the gym doing arms.

JJayoo

Oh i didn't even see the arm day . Personally i think a good/fun/time efficient way to train arms, is to do them directly after the last compound lift in which they are involved as secondary muscles.

For example, lastnight i did,
squats
chinups
few deadliftsback extensions
shrugs
barbell rows and after last set i did 3 sets of bicep curls. Same with triceps, after your last pushing excercise you could do some sets of skull crushers, thou i think the triceps get a good enough workout from the pressing compounds.

Now saying this i don't do curls very often, and don't have big arms:( but i think i will do the above from now on

BossArky

ciangeer wrote: »

after a gym session, it takes me a good 24 hours to be able to move my arms / legs painlessly again. I know that this is probably the idea behind it, but is this a sign of going to hard / not getting enough protein?

I remember the first time shoulder pressing when I was a teenager. I couldn't raise my arms in the shower afterwards to wash my hair. Your muscles have to get used to the new movements and it is natural to be sore. Nowadays I get sorer in the 24 to 48 hours after the gym, not the 0-24 hours.

What is your diet like? Start off my adding these to your diet depending on what you want to do:

extra calories: milk, peanut butter
extra protein (with less calories than above): chicken, tuna.

If you are constantly sore then think about increasing your overall calorie intake. Don't start horsing down pizza and take aways (hope kevpants dosen't see this).

Use www.fitday.com to figure out your current calorific intake.

The stickys will help you figure out how much you should be eating to gain or maintain weight. Check out post #19.

Gaz

Are you stretching ? I get DOMS much worse if I dont stretch