are you muscles sore for 3 days after workout?

[Very_Skinny_Guy]

or is it just me? I feel like I'm getting a muscle cramp after chest+tricep day, its worst after about 24 days and goes away on day 3.

[Dominik]

or is it just me? I feel like I'm getting a muscle cramp after chest+tricep day, its worst after about 24 days and goes away on day 3.

It's called DOMS. I've given my opinion on it many times and you'll get different opinions on what it means or doesn't mean until something conclusive comes out from the scientific community regarding hypertrophy, but in the meantime here's what I found while searching for it. That should answer most of your questions.

"Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after a workout is quite common and quite annoying, particularly if you are just beginning an exercise program or changing activities. For the new exerciser who wakes up one day and goes a three mile walk, followed by push-ups and sit-ups, there is bound to be some muscle pain and soreness the next day or two. This is a normal response to unusual exertion and is part of an adaptation process that leads to greater stamina and strength as the muscles recover and build. The soreness is generally at its worst within the first 2 days following the activity and subsides over the next few days."

And...

"The feeling of pain, stiffness or discomfort in muscles that occurs a day or so after a work out is known in the scientific community as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Because nobody wants to go around saying that mouthful, most usually just call it “DOMS”for short. Even though DOMS has been under scientific scrutiny since the turn of the century, at the present time, the actual biological process behind it remains a mystery. What is known is that DOMS is a complex process, and every piece of the puzzle uncovered, makes it all the more mysterious.

Many theories exist to explain the occurrence of DOMS. Some of the more plausible of theories include:
The torn tissue theory, which states that microscopic tears in the muscles themselves are the cause of DOMS.
The connective tissue theory advocates that damage to the connective tissue attached to muscle is the cause of DOMS.
The Inflammation theory states that the pain felt during DOMS is simply a by-product of our bodies attempt to fix the damage that has been caused by a workout.

While each of these theories, and others which I have not discussed, do explain some of the aspects of DOMS, none of them can explain the entire process. The following is a quick run down of what we do know about DOMS.

1. The pain of DOMS is said to occur within the first 24 to 48 hours following exercise. Peak intensity of discomfort occurs somewhere between 24 to 72 hours following exercise. The soreness usually subsides within 7 to 10 days after the initial damage has occurred.
2. Of the three types of muscle in our bodies, cardiac(heart muscle), smooth (which lines our blood vessels) and skeletal (which is attached to our skeletons, for example, you’re biceps muscle) , DOMS effects only skeletal muscle. Whats more, DOMS can occur in any skeletal muscle in the body and can occur regardless of the persons fitness level.
3. DOMS is not caused by lactic acid in the muscle. Lactic acid is a by product of burning sugars for energy duiring intense physical exercise. Within an hour after exercise, most, if not all, of the lactic acid produced in the muscles is removed and degraded. This misconception of lactic acid and DOMS probably got started by that fact that lactic acid is in fact produced in the muscles during intense exercise and does cause muscles to fatigue. The key point to remember is that muscle fatigue and DOMS are two different processes and just because they sometimes seem to go hand in hand, they are not related in any way.
4. DOMS does not result in any long term damage to muscle. This makes sense; if it did, we would expect to see great declines in the abilities of professional athletes during the course of their careers.
5. Studies have shown that the vast majority of damage associated with DOMS is attributed to eccentric muscle contractions, in which the muscle fibers are lengthened as force is applied to them. Eccentric muscle contractions occur, for example, when you run downhill, or as you are lower a weight (such as during a squat or an arm curl). -- by Joseph Patrick Cannon, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT"

[_Lifter4Life_]

Once again a good post by Dominik.

My chest is nornally sore 2-3 days after workout, my legs usually are sore 3-4 days. My back stays sore for about 2 days, my biceps heal quickly but triceps take a good 2 days.

Lifter,

[deserusan]

It happens to me all the time when I push myself hard. It is just something you need to get used when you bodybuild. What really helps though is stretching well after exercise, resting, and maintaining a healthy diet. However, it is still a reality for all bodybuilders to face.

[akaMarko]

Back-2 days top
Triceps- 2-3 days
Legs- 3 days
Shoulders- almost never from direct, sometimes from benching.
Traps- 1 day
Bi's- almost never, sometimes after a great many sets of chins.
Calves- the wierdest, sometimes never, sometimes for 2-3 days.
Forearms/wrist- sometimes for mabye a day
Chest- 1 day

[Derek6621]

I know its been said a thousand times but im gonna say it again.

If your getting really sore and dont want toafter your workouts, try stretching after your done working out.

[Dominik]

My chest is nornally sore 2-3 days after workout, my legs usually are sore 3-4 days. My back stays sore for about 2 days, my biceps heal quickly but triceps take a good 2 days.

Lifter,

Lifer, I experience the same thing. Usually the bigger the muscle, the longer it stays sore. I've just gotten used to it. I understand why DOMS isn't always a positive thing, especially if you're an elite athlete and don't want to be experiencing additional pain during an event, but in bodybuilding it doesn't really bother me and I do experience it a lot. I just work around it with splits that take DOMS into account and make an on the spot decision if something is still sore where I'll rest an extra day or train something else.

[JacksCleverWit]

It's something that has never left me for reasons unknown. Today was back day and sure as the sun is going to rise tomorrow my back will be sore for at least the next 4 days.

[Just_Shruggin]

the only places in my body where i get really sore are quads hammies and chest. however idk i have a nagging soreness in my medial delts right now...like when ur doing a static lateral raise and then release pressure...hurts like ****

[Clive Jones]

whenever I do calves..they are sore for 5-7 days

[mattman]

i've been working out consistently for 4 1/2 years and i still get sore for a looooong time after i workout. There is really no way I could play sports because something is sore ALL the time. I stay sore so long that i only workout 3 times a week. I have to do tris with chest because there is no way i could have 3 pressing days - chest/shoulders/tris, so i have to do chest and tris then 4 days later i do shoulders. It sucks!

[Very_Skinny_Guy]

this is ridicules.
this means our muscles are always weak, than why the hell do we bodybuild anyway ?!

[Dominik]

this is ridicules.
this means our muscles are always weak, than why the hell do we bodybuild anyway ?!

Think about it... once they've adapted, they won't get sore anymore. So soreness is part of the growing process. You want more size, you want more strength, hence growth, then that's the price you have to pay. You're going to feel it. If they could grow without hard work and pain everyone would have them!

Anyway, if you'd be happy lifting the same weight for the rest of your life then chances are it'll be a comfortable ride from here on out. For those who are obsessed with growth they've accepted the "no pain, no gain" reality of it.

[_Lifter4Life_]

Think about it... once they've adapted, they won't get sore anymore. So soreness is part of the growing process. You want more size, you want more strength, hence growth, then that's the price you have to pay. You're going to feel it. If they could grow without hard work and pain everyone would have them!

Anyway, if you'd be happy lifting the same weight for the rest of your life then chances are it'll be a comfortable ride from here on out. For those who are obsessed with growth they've accepted the "no pain, no gain" reality of it.

I agree, yet many others will disagree.

Lifter,

[Dominik]

I agree, yet many others will disagree.

Lifter,

Lifer, I don't mind when people disagree, but on this one, until someone can give me something conclusive that proves it does or doesn't mean something, I've got to trust my instincts.

Muscles will still get sore once they've adapted, but in my experience it's more of a lactic acid related soreness, general cramping, etc, usually through endurance work (which once again is another level they have to adapt to), but not the delayed soreness that is DOMS. I can go to the gym and train at 50% intensity 6 days a week and not be sore. After all, I can do 100 pushups x 3 every day and not feel a thing. Stack a few plates on my back and turn it into a high intensity exercise where I'm pushing my limits and that changes.

[shadownynja]

this is ridicules.
this means our muscles are always weak, than why the hell do we bodybuild anyway ?!

It's funny you mention that. Im brand new to body building but i walk around 5 days a weak in pain. And i thought to myself you can probably tell a bodybuilder from a non body builder by looking for the guy that can barley touch his head from doms... Then i laughed and realised that body builders are weak defensless kittens.

We workout to get strong but were in constant soreness so we cant even use the strenght. I drive a forklift and there was one day i had it so bad i had to have someone help me get a new propane tank on the back cause i couldnt lift it. Because i do something to make me stronger im weaker.....

[Dominik]

It's funny you mention that. Im brand new to body building but i walk around 5 days a weak in pain. And i thought to myself you can probably tell a bodybuilder from a non body builder by looking for the guy that can barley touch his head from doms... Then i laughed and realised that body builders are weak defensless kittens.

"5 days a weak in pain".

Look, you're already conceding defeat by thinking weak instead of week! Stay positive. Every day for the first couple of months I used to come home from the gym, fall onto my bed face first and fall asleep. No post workout shake, no stretching, and no logging onto bodybuilding forums, that's for sure. Nope, I just crashed. Total fatigue. I'd wake up and every muscle would ache. Muscles I didn't even know existed. I sure couldn't see them if they did! 6'1", 150lbs.

My inspiration? Arnold's book. He just put everything into a language that made me feel weak if I gave up. I didn't want to fail. And while I did overtrain for most of the first 18 months, looking back I have no regrets. It was all worth it. And even today where I look like someone who works out, I still get sore after almost every workout despite shoveling down plenty of food and protein and resting 3 days a week. Is the pain worth it? For me, definitely. Bring it on!

[shadownynja]

"5 days a weak in pain".

Look, you're already conceding defeat by thinking weak instead of week! Stay positive. Every day for the first couple of months I used to come home from the gym, fall onto my bed face first and fall asleep. No post workout shake, no stretching, and no logging onto bodybuilding forums, that's for sure. Nope, I just crashed. Total fatigue. I'd wake up and every muscle would ache. Muscles I didn't even know existed. I sure couldn't see them if they did! 6'1", 150lbs.

My inspiration? Arnold's book. He just put everything into a language that made me feel weak if I gave up. I didn't want to fail. And while I did overtrain for most of the first 18 months, looking back I have no regrets. It was all worth it. And even today where I look like someone who works out, I still get sore after almost every workout despite shoveling down plenty of food and protein and resting 3 days a week. Is the pain worth it? For me, definitely. Bring it on!

Oh im well aware. And i sort of feel like a badass walking around sore. Constantly swinging my arms and pushing on my pecs. It's all gravy baby. I just found it sort of funny that i lift weights and therefore cant lift things when i need to. It's hillarious in fact. But i haven't read arnolds book... What is it called? Sounds pretty cool.

[mattman]

its true, my mom asked me what would happen if somebody attacked me after i walked out of the gym from a workout and i said "they would beat my ass." lol

[Dominik]

Oh im well aware. And i sort of feel like a badass walking around sore. Constantly swinging my arms and pushing on my pecs. It's all gravy baby. I just found it sort of funny that i lift weights and therefore cant lift things when i need to. It's hillarious in fact. But i haven't read arnolds book... What is it called? Sounds pretty cool.

I hear you, it's pretty funny. It's like you're working out to get strong, look strong, but if someone prods you in the wrong spot a day or two after an intense workout, you feel incredibly weak.

re: Arnold's book, it's his encyclopedia on bodybuilding. If you search for bodybuilding on Amazon, it'll probably be the first book listed. A lot of experts will argue it's filled with outdated information but to this day, having read a lot of scientific stuff on strength training, I still think it makes a good guide when you're starting out, provided you accept the fact all those guys back then, like today's pro bodybuilders, were taking steroids to train 6 days a week morning and night so the advanced workouts he recommends should be put into that context. For sheer motivational value alone, I don't think I could have had a better start.

[Ksarg]

It's called DOMS. I've given my opinion on it many times and you'll get different opinions on what it means or doesn't mean until something conclusive comes out from the scientific community regarding hypertrophy, but in the meantime here's what I found while searching for it. That should answer most of your questions.

"Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after a workout is quite common and quite annoying, particularly if you are just beginning an exercise program or changing activities. For the new exerciser who wakes up one day and goes a three mile walk, followed by push-ups and sit-ups, there is bound to be some muscle pain and soreness the next day or two. This is a normal response to unusual exertion and is part of an adaptation process that leads to greater stamina and strength as the muscles recover and build. The soreness is generally at its worst within the first 2 days following the activity and subsides over the next few days."

And...

"The feeling of pain, stiffness or discomfort in muscles that occurs a day or so after a work out is known in the scientific community as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Because nobody wants to go around saying that mouthful, most usually just call it “DOMS”for short. Even though DOMS has been under scientific scrutiny since the turn of the century, at the present time, the actual biological process behind it remains a mystery. What is known is that DOMS is a complex process, and every piece of the puzzle uncovered, makes it all the more mysterious.

Many theories exist to explain the occurrence of DOMS. Some of the more plausible of theories include:
The torn tissue theory, which states that microscopic tears in the muscles themselves are the cause of DOMS.
The connective tissue theory advocates that damage to the connective tissue attached to muscle is the cause of DOMS.
The Inflammation theory states that the pain felt during DOMS is simply a by-product of our bodies attempt to fix the damage that has been caused by a workout.

While each of these theories, and others which I have not discussed, do explain some of the aspects of DOMS, none of them can explain the entire process. The following is a quick run down of what we do know about DOMS.

1. The pain of DOMS is said to occur within the first 24 to 48 hours following exercise. Peak intensity of discomfort occurs somewhere between 24 to 72 hours following exercise. The soreness usually subsides within 7 to 10 days after the initial damage has occurred.
2. Of the three types of muscle in our bodies, cardiac(heart muscle), smooth (which lines our blood vessels) and skeletal (which is attached to our skeletons, for example, you’re biceps muscle) , DOMS effects only skeletal muscle. Whats more, DOMS can occur in any skeletal muscle in the body and can occur regardless of the persons fitness level.
3. DOMS is not caused by lactic acid in the muscle. Lactic acid is a by product of burning sugars for energy duiring intense physical exercise. Within an hour after exercise, most, if not all, of the lactic acid produced in the muscles is removed and degraded. This misconception of lactic acid and DOMS probably got started by that fact that lactic acid is in fact produced in the muscles during intense exercise and does cause muscles to fatigue. The key point to remember is that muscle fatigue and DOMS are two different processes and just because they sometimes seem to go hand in hand, they are not related in any way.
4. DOMS does not result in any long term damage to muscle. This makes sense; if it did, we would expect to see great declines in the abilities of professional athletes during the course of their careers.
5. Studies have shown that the vast majority of damage associated with DOMS is attributed to eccentric muscle contractions, in which the muscle fibers are lengthened as force is applied to them. Eccentric muscle contractions occur, for example, when you run downhill, or as you are lower a weight (such as during a squat or an arm curl). -- by Joseph Patrick Cannon, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT"

Is it ok to work out after four days of soreness? I've got a routine going and i don't want to get off track so should i rest another day or can i do my workout?

[Daniel12345678]

We just got a ton of weight training equipment for free and I have began to use it. The day before yesterday. I did some bicep curls on an easy bar. I only added ten pounds to each side as i knew I had not worked out in a long time. By the time I was near the end of my sets, I could barely lift it. I was shaking to get to the top. There was not much pain afterwards, but the next day there was an intense soreness which I expected. Today I woke and it was even worse. When I turn my palm to face forward instead of facing my side, it feels almost like someone is cutting me. While the right side is sore, it is the left that has the most pain. Is this normal? Btw, I am right handed. Iv attributed it to the fact that my right side was already stronger. When can I do biceps again? And it says Im 47, im only 30. Not sure why it says 47

[TheGymJim]

This post is f*ckin 12 years old for god's sake