So I did the an upperbody workout at the gym on Monday, and now I can barely move my arms without pain, or just the fact they wont move...I can feel the tightness in the muscle in them. As well, my legs are cramping from the few bike rides I've taken (just on the bike at the gym). Any suggestions on anything to help with this, Ive been up all night, can't sleep because of the muscle pain/tenderness in the arms.

Thanks everyone

Is there a whirlpool and/or sauna/steamroom you can try? If so, get in there and allow your muscles to soak. After 5 min or so in there, then try to stretch the muscles out. It may help.

Are you new to weightlifting or did you increase your weights? This soreness is going to last for a while until your muscles adapt to the new weights. Until then, make sure you're amply warmed up before you start weightlifting in the future. Give yourself a slow jog for 5 min on the treadmill first, then give yourself a few minutes of stretching. Pliant muscle is easier to train than tight, cold muscles.

Are you overtraining? You should never be lifting for the same muscle groups every day. For a general weight lifting program, three times a week of total body should be sufficient.

Consider getting a personal trainer for a session. They can observe your workout, make recommendations, and fine tune your training.

For now, try an anti-inflammatory or ibuprofin to relieve the pain.

Hang in there, buddy!

Koffee

For me, aspirin works best for sore, overworked muscles. Which is just as well because I'm on Lipitor, and combining a statin with a big dose of Ibuprofen is a good way to overload your liver and wind up ODing. For most people, though, IB/aspirin/Tylenol all work.

To help prevent cramping, make sure you're getting enough electrolytes.

Sounds to me like DOMS: Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness

https://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/..._99/muscle.htm

https://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/i...a/aa010600.htm

I have had similar problems in the past and found the following to help immensely:
Warm up and stretch before, then stretch after exercise
Eat something carb/protein right after exercising
If you haven't worked out in a while, take it easy at first
Pay close attention to your form and make sure you aren't using equipment (including your bike) incorrectly
Stay well-hydrated
Get acquainted with what I like to call Vitamin I (Ibuprofin)

Yeah took some Ibuprofin and hit a hot tub at another gym....man that feels better already, went for a walk with the dogs to stretch the legs.. thanks for the help guys.

Once you are past the horrifically painfull stage, massage therapy is a lovely treat.

Heck, don't wait for being ill and visit one as much as you can.

Here is a guarenteed remedy, however it involves it's own kind of pain. It is used by professional runners/athletes and works like you can't believe.
When you work out, you are tearing down your muscles and flooding them with lactic acid. So logically, what is the 1st thing you do with an injury, like a sprain, to keep down swelling? You ice the injury, so the key is COLD. This will work with any body part, arms, shoulders, legs but easier with lower body. Immediately or within a hour after an intense work out, take a COLD WATER SOAK in as cold as water as you can tolerate, for about 10 minutes. Works wonders. Must be done after the workhout though. Waiting until the next day, now that you are sore and suffering, is when WARMTH is healing. Cold is prevention, warmth is after the fact. Sounds crazy to some but it truly works. Don't knock it until you try it. Good luck

It is definitely DOMS, and the current theory is that it's not actually damage still healing that hurts. That process is already taken care of well before it starts to hurt. Rather, it's the repair process that, afterwards, causes swelling inside the muscles, in turn causing the pain.

So, it's safe, and actually beneficial, to do light work with your sore muscles.

Until next time, learn to start out at very low weights, doing plenty of sets instead of jumping right into the heavy rack...

Man, I'm feeling some DOMS myself. I have plans to hit one of my other gyms on Tuesday morning and use that whirlpool for about 30 min or so. I could use a sauna too, but I don't think any of my gyms have saunas.

Koffee

Gyms???
One isn't enough for you?

I work at some gyms, so I get access to several clubs whenever I want.

Koffee

As others have said, it's definitely good to ease in to any new exercise program. And make sure that you allow time to recover in between work outs. It's not the exercise session, but the recovery afterwards that actually makes you stronger. And for muscular soreness, I have found that stretching and applying arnica gel works well. Arnica gel can be found at natural food / holistic medicine types of stores.

Stretch! Did you remember to do that before you started lifting, and briefly after you were done? I think it also helps to stretch right before bed after lifting, but I haven't done much in the way of control experiments.

I love the muscle soreness the next day or two after a hard workout. I don't even really think of it as soreness so much as tightness. That's the feeling of muscles growing!

Hey Koffee, who's your new featured avatar?

Only stretch after working out. Or if you feel you have to do it before, warm up the to-be-stretched muscles properly, or you could end up doing more harm than good...

My recipe is: warm up -> work out -> stretch.

An casual ride the day after a hard workout does wonders for flushing out the lactic acid and decreasing the soreness.

Perhaps try the hottest water you can stand in the shower or bath?

I use a kitchen rolling pin on my legs after a hard ride,it does wonders.

hot and cold showers alternating is great!

Soreness is just weakeness leaving the body. Cope with it, embrace it, and do not do any sudden movements for a while.

Hot shower helps to relax the muscles, but not a lot of help with the soreness. Just suck it up and never stop excersicing

GYMS? ... whatever happened to the pushups, situps, door chin up bar, and a pair of cheap heavy dumbells?



I hate gyms

Fresh cut pineapple.

I've never heard the thing about not stretching before warming up before, although I know warming up is important. I usually stretch a little before and a little after, always careful never to pull anything too tight. Can somebody offer more information on this?

Do you eat it, or rub it in?

I had pain like that when I tried some advanced dance classes. Try keeping up with teenagers when you are older than their dads. The instructress just said, "Keep chanting the dancers' Mantra: Ibuprofin is Your Friend' and take it before training"