Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

[JohnSantos]

Been weightlifting since I was 18. I'm VERY sore for about 3 solid days after lifting on Atkins which is screwing up my schedule. Been doing weights 1.5 months now, from a break of 2 years. I do:

1.5 hours chest/back Tuesday
1.5 hours bi/tri Thursday
1 hour legs/shoulders Saturday
1 hour aerobics non-weight days

Standard plan, heavy weights for muscle build. On Body For Life, I wasn't this sore for this long, but Atkins apparently I am. Assuming at this point I need to add a protein powder mix after working out because I'm not getting enough protein?

Breakfast: 5 eggs, 4 bacon
Lunch: Wendy's Baconator double meat, double cheese without bun, mayo/2x tomato
Dinner: 8 oz Top Sirlion, Ceasar salad, 3 broccoli florets
No snacks

[ShannonM]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

That looks like a pretty tough regimen after a two-year layoff. Why so much?

[Evansmom49]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

Are you taking any supplements like potassium or magnesium?

[JohnSantos]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

Are you taking any supplements like potassium or magnesium?

500mg L-Carnitine
500mg L-Glutamine
400mcg Chromium Picolinate
100mg Co Q-10
Super B-Complex
5000mcg Biotin
Kroger Complete multi vitamin
2000mg Omega-3 Fish Oil

[neutronnorman]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

John, how many sets are you doing and what exercises are you doing per body part.

Your training frequency is low, so you should be recuperating very well. Your calories are too low, if you are hitting the weights heavily. I eat about 3-4x's the amount you do. I train, though 4 times per week and Tuesdays and Fridays I might train 2x during the day depending if I feel like super setting or not. You should figure 1.0 -1.5 grams protein per pound of lean body mass. Have you body fat % checked.

I take a whey protein drink, about 3 grams carb, 28 grams protein with one tablespoon of olive oil to fatten it up as I'm finishing my last set of whatever exercise I'm doing that particular day.

Before going to bed, eat a slow release protein source to prevent the catabolic effects of an eight hour fast. I usually have either a tuna salad, or a 1/2 cup full fat cottage cheese.

Consider an insulin spike once a week if you are not recovering from your workouts. Ketosis is very catabolic and you are on an extended induction.

[JohnSantos]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

I do a body part to failure once a week (this week is legs).

I cycle exercises, but this week:

- Chest press x 4 (chest)
- Pull back machine (back)
- Incline chest flies x 4 (chest)
- Dumbbell pullover x 4 (back, can do with 70lb max)
- Bench press x 4 (chest)
- One armed dumbbell row x 4 (back, can do with 90lb max)

20 mins elliptical on lvl 1 to warm down

I'll visit GNC and look for this protein drink you're talking about.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

I'm not seeing an extra magnesium or potassium supplement in your mix there...

There just isn't enough in the standard multi vitamin to make up for ultra exercise... Especially magnesium...

Magnesium also plays a role in nerve impulses to the muscles, but is more important for strength and endurance. Low magnesium will result in muscle fatigue and weakness. Recommended dose - 400 mg per day at least.

In checking on your multi-vitamin, I noticed it is pretty low in the big 3 - Calcium, potassium and magnesium.

[neutronnorman]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

Chest press x 4 (chest)
- Pull back machine (back)
- Incline chest flies x 4 (chest)
- Dumbbell pullover x 4 (back, can do with 70lb max)
- Bench press x 4 (chest)
- One armed dumbbell row x 4 (back, can do with 90lb max)

Do you mean X 4 sets? If so, you are seriously over training. I usually do six-eight sets max for chest, 4-6 sets shoulders, 4-6 sets triceps. 4-6 sets bi's, 8-12 sets lats and 12 sets for legs. Sometimes I go up to 12 sets, occasionally, for compound exercises like the back squat, bench press, deadlift and bar bell row. But that's occasionally, like every 5 weeks or so. Sometimes I'll perform up to 9 sets for tri's and bi's but that's once a month, max. I notice I lose size after 6 sets on tri's and bi's.

I change reps constantly. I might go low for a few days and up to 25 reps or so if I feel like it. Low reps, such as 5-6 build strength but does minimal for hypertrophy. I noticed that 11-13 reps are great for muscle enlargement. The higher reps are good for capilarry increase. I usually do an ascending pyramid. Cadence is also important. If you are strength training, you are possibly lifting explosively. I do that, also, from time to time, but I prefer 2 seconds on the concentric, 4 seconds on the eccentric. Sometimes, to really get a good burn, I go supper slow.
To increase intensity, I might super set squats with pullovers, leg extensions with pullups, and leg curls with deadlifts. I always super set abs with chest. Some times I use giant sets, this morning for tri's I did skull crushers to the fore head, 8 reps, then eight reps skull crushers to my lips, then close grip bench press for 8 reps without any rest between those mini sets of 8 reps. I did three sets in that fashion. Before that, I had done 3 sets of tricep pushdowns, pyramiding the weight up.

The maximum time you should spend in the gym lifting is75 minutes. Optimally, 45-60 minutes is best to prevent too much cortisol, and enhance testosterone and growth hormone. Weight training is a double edge sword. It is the most catabolic, yet the most anabolic activity a person can do. Next is calories and sleep. If you are cutting your calories too much, forget strength training. You will be burning muscle at an accelerated rate. You'll be burning muscle tissue from your workouts and you will not be building them up without caloric energy.

The key is not duration, in weight training but intensity.

[JohnSantos]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

Will pickup magnesium and potassium supplements tonight, decrease my sets and find some protein drinks. Thanks for everyone's help!

[Empyre]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

to avoid any soreness the next morning I would grill 4-5 chicken breasts after workout. I never had any issues following this routine.

[JohnSantos]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

Just a followup, I FEEL WONDERFUL after making those changes. Before, I was horribly tired and laid in bed a lot, but those alterations fixed everything.

[Gumby]

Re: Muscles sore for DAYS after weightlifting

I never liked the idea of working a body part to failure. To each their own, its not "right" or "wrong" its just a different way of approaching a workout depending on your goals. If you beat your muscle down so badly that it needs a week to recover from the workout, then for that week those muscles are almost useless due to such great exhaustion- what if you want/need to use them?

Intensity is great, but I would simply cut back on the amount of sets that you're doing. Looks as if you're doing 12 sets for a single muscle at a time. Once again, its not wrong, but a different way to approach a workout, and you're paying for it with the obscene amount of soreness. Its usual- I know powerlifters who do what you do (work a muscle to failure) and it takes them a full week to recover that body part as well. Try doing 4 sets instead of 12. You can keep the intensity high, wont be as sore the following days, and will be healed up in a few ready for another workout later on in the week. You'll be working out the same body part twice a week, but wont be as sore, and you'll have functional strength.