Strength training when you're still sore - OK or not??

[gym_mom]

Hi Cathe - I love your workouts. I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers for a resolution to this stubborn problem. Good luck with those doctors! We're all looking forward to your speedy recovery.

Working with weights has never been a favorite of mine, but I'm trying to do better. I'm currently managing to get one whole body workout plus an upper and a lower workout per week (Muscle Endurance is my fav). In the past, if my muscles were still sore from a workout, I'd wait until they were completely better before working that muscle group again - even if it took four or five days. Hubby tells me that I shouldn't wait - go ahead and work that muscle group again after 48 to 72 hours.

My goal is to firm and define my muscles. After years of not taking care of myself, I'm finally in shape and feeling great. I want to look it too. Should I be working out with weights when my muscles are still sore? Is there a degree of soreness that is acceptable/not acceptable?

Thanks for any advice you (or your faithful followers) can give me.

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Gym Mom! Initially when you first do something totally new, you will find thay you are sore in a way that you probably will never be again (unless you let a huge lapse of time go by). Its actually not unusual for that kind of sore to last 4 to 6 days either.

But I agree with your hubby, after 48 to 72 hours you're good to hit that muscle group again. When you have that initial soreness (the 5 to 6 day kind) you may want to return to exercise at the 72 hour mark with light exercises and lots of stretching to help promote healing of the muscle fibers. But once you have that initial breakthrough of soreness, you'll find that 48 to 72 hours is pretty much the perfect time to hit the muscles again and be able to give it your all.

Good luck!