Training
Marisa HeinzeOctober 2, 2020
Should you train with sore muscles?
Delayed muscle soreness is natural when you challenge and strain the muscles with new exercises or more intensity and weight. When you test a new training plan and the load is unfamiliar, the body adapts to the new load. Part of the adaptation process involves sore muscles due to microscopic cracks in the connective tissue that supports and surrounds the muscle. These cracks can cause mild pain.
You should therefore avoid putting even more strain on yourself through heavy, intensive exercises and put more emphasis on regeneration. However, an easy workout can bring some relief if you warm up the muscles to increase the healing blood flow to the tissue.
Listen to your body
Of course you can also do a training programme with sore muscles. You decide best for yourself and your body.
- A light to moderate cardio workout can relax stiff muscles. A dynamic warm-up can help to loosen the muscles a little.
- For moderate pain, you can do a very light cardio workout. Here too, a dynamic warm-up can help to bring blood to the muscles. If you are still in pain after doing a light cardio workout and warming up, you should take a day off.
- Severe pain can even affect your everyday life. You can no longer climb stairs because the new leg training was a bit too hard. If you have a severe muscle ache, you will need at least 24 to 48 hours rest to allow your muscles to recover. When you start training again, you should not increase your weight under any circumstances, but use the weight of the last training session before your break.
Sore muscles treatment
Pain can be an inevitable part of training, but over time it will pass. Light exercise or light cardio can help reduce the pain. Basically, you need to increase the blood flow to the muscle as this will carry nutrients into it and speed up recovery. Massages, light exercise or fascial training are suitable for this.
Ice baths are another way to treat sore muscles. The cold water reduces the pain and ensures a shorter regeneration time. A warm shower can also help. Above all, you should avoid static stretching, as this reduces blood circulation. This means that less nutrients reach the muscle, which is why regeneration will take more time.
Can you avoid sore muscles?
Avoiding sore muscles is almost impossible, especially if you train ambitiously. When you train for strength, you want to make progress to build up certain muscle groups. Sore muscles are the price you have to pay sometimes. But remember that the regeneration of your body is extremely important. After the rest days you will be able to do a more efficient and effective training.
Of course, there are a number of things you can do to avoid sore muscles as much as possible:
Avoiding sore muscles is almost impossible, especially if you train ambitiously. When you train for strength, you want to make progress to build up certain muscle groups. Sore muscles are the price you have to pay sometimes. But remember that the regeneration of your body is extremely important. After the rest days you will be able to do a more efficient and effective training.
Of course, there are a number of things you can do to avoid sore muscles as much as possible:
- Warm up and light training:
You should warm up sufficiently before each training session. This is especially important for particularly strenuous training days. First stretch your muscles dynamically before you mobilise your joints, and then activate your muscles with warm-up sets. - Gradually increase the intensity:
In order to build up muscle mass, you have to challenge your body and your muscles. But in the beginning you should not train too fast or too hard. Draw up an individual training plan and increase the intensity slowly. In order to be successful in the long term, you should also think in the long term: it is better to increase slowly and consistently, which will also reduce the risk of injury! - No false ambition:
You should always be consistent. Do not overdo the training and stick to your plan. Your body will gradually get used to the intensity. But you shouldn't train too fast, too hard and too heavy.
Is training with sore muscles useful?
Sore muscles means that your body is still busy recovering, which obviously costs energy. This means that you are much more prone to injuries and maybe even illnesses (flu, cold). You feel weak and tired.
You should always listen to your body. A sufficient regeneration time is very important for building up muscles and strength, but also for your general health.
The basic rule is: You may train if the sore muscles do not inhibit you from performing the exercise correctly. If the pain prevents you from doing the exercise over the entire range of motion, you should take another day off.
Sore muscles means that your body is still busy recovering, which obviously costs energy. This means that you are much more prone to injuries and maybe even illnesses (flu, cold). You feel weak and tired.
You should always listen to your body. A sufficient regeneration time is very important for building up muscles and strength, but also for your general health.
The basic rule is: You may train if the sore muscles do not inhibit you from performing the exercise correctly. If the pain prevents you from doing the exercise over the entire range of motion, you should take another day off.
You must always remember that your muscles do not grow during the exercise. During training you set the stimuli. During the regeneration period, the muscle builds up. The right training programme and the right recovery time are therefore very important.
You can train if you have a slight muscle ache and if it does not inhibit you from performing the exercise correctly, as mentioned above. Otherwise the intensity of the training must be reduced or a break must be taken.
You can train if you have a slight muscle ache and if it does not inhibit you from performing the exercise correctly, as mentioned above. Otherwise the intensity of the training must be reduced or a break must be taken.