Exercise sore muscles?

[SirTenenbaum]

Hi everybody. I did a pretty intense biceps workout on Monday (it's now Wednesday), and my biceps are still pretty sore. Is it OK to work them out again since it's been 48 hours, or should you never work out sore muscles? (I'm looking to gain muscle mass.) What do you think?

[shaun]

The muscle soreness is known as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). You can train with DOMS but I wouldn't recommend training biceps twice per week. Instead of training biceps twice per week - use basic compound movements like pull ups, press ups, deadlift, squats, and overhead press.

[Popatar]

Yes you can train them again even if you are still sore. I hope you are training other body parts and not just arms. If you train back you shouldn't need more than 1 arm day, if you even need an arm day.

[fitnessk]

I try not to train when I am still sore but I know some people that will. I think it really depends on how much time has passed. You also learn a lot about your own body the longer you have been working out. This can help you decide if it is OK to work out when you are still sore.

[lrlady66]

I feel that it is good to train even when your muscles are sore. This way the muscle becomes accustomed to the workout and will hurt less the next time I train. That has been my experience. I do allow the 24 hour muscle recovery period between workouts in order to allow the muscle to grow.

[kingusama92]

Training the biceps more than two times a week is overkill.

If you are only training them twice a week, it's fine working through the soreness. It is not recommended, but it's fine and a lot of people do it.

It's essential to remember that biceps are worked out in compound exercises. Focusing in on only one body part is a reason why many don't succeed. Work hard on those compound exercises and you will rocking great muscles (as long as you eat right of course).

[shaun]

Training the biceps more than two times a week is overkill.

If you are only training them twice a week, it's fine working through the soreness. It is not recommended, but it's fine and a lot of people do it.

It's essential to remember that biceps are worked out in compound exercises. Focusing in on only one body part is a reason why many don't succeed. Work hard on those compound exercises and you will rocking great muscles (as long as you eat right of course).

Totally agree. There is no need to train biceps twice per week - it will inevitably lead to overtraining your biceps. Especially when you consider the biceps are indirectly worked in pulling movements like pull ups, chin ups, and rows.

[Jazi]

I'd say it depends. If it's that horrible constant DOMS where your arms are numb and you are having trouble doing anything I'd say don't really train. DO, however, lift really light weights to get the blood flowing. Also drink alot of water. BTW creatine helps me with soreness/doms heaps.

[shaun]

I wouldn't train them when they're sore. I've done it a few times when I was starting and I never gained anything. Up your protein intake for those repairs!

You've never gained anything on the few occasions you trained with DOMS? How did you quantify whether you 'gained anything'? I hope you realise you can't gain noticeable muscle mass in one of even 5 workoutsd. The changes to the muscle fibers are microscopic, it takes years to build muscle.

[1ufakin]

I never tried training sore muscles before, i am not sure what the gains will be but i have to say it is really painful to workout when you are still sore.