I just started working out. Obviously, I am sore from the workout. To continue on my schedule I am working out again today. My legs are fine but my arms and shoulders are tender. Is it better to allow them to rest and recover before working them out again or should I just work through the pain and accept it as part of working out?

They say u should alternate between muscle groups a day. So if your arms are really sore from yesterday then today focus on legs and/or stomach and tomorrow focus on your arms again. I'm not an expert but thought I would help :)

It is best not to work out everyday. Every other day is better because your body needs a chance to recuporate. You can do milder exercising on the off days but probably better to take a break on the off days until your body is use to it.


Men''s Health - October 2003

I work out and I do arms and shoulders on mondays chest and back on tuesdays legs on Wednesday. Then arms and shoulders on Thursday. Friday work on what you have problems with more (legs or chest and back) I work my stomach out every other day Saturday Sunday rest. Your legs and stomach will recover faster then arms, shoulders, chest and back because you use those muscle more then the others walking and what not and cardio everyday for at least 20 minutes to get the heart rate up before your workout. But that's what I do you need to find what schedule works for you.

Thanks everyone. I actually worked out my arms and shoulders on Tuesday and they just started feeling sore last night. So I did have a day off in between. Should I work them through the pain today or allow them to recover?

I considered doing some light lifting just to work the muscles a bit.

Maybe have a cycle of four or five different exercise plans to alternate exercises every third or fourth day until your muscles get use to working out.

Whether you are just starting, or a seasoned pro, you should listen to your body. Following a cycle is great, and keeps you focused, but it should never be carved in stone.

I follow a basic 5-day cycle to workout my entire body. Even after 13 yrs, I still get my odd sore day, or a period where one bodypart might need more time to recover before it gets hit in the gym again.

Take an extra day off, or do not work that body part that day if it comes up in your cycle. Listen to your body, and it will reward you back. Working out a sore muscle can lead to overtraining, or even worse, an injury... An injury can put you out for days, weeks, or even months. I think missing an extra day is A lot better than missing a week or month... don't you?

Good luck!

Make sure you give any muscle or group of muscles 24 hours to recover after that, you are good to go... no pain no gain my friend. The part that can get detrimental is that a lot of the time when people try to workout through pain they compromise the exercise and their form often leading to injury. If you are that sore, go with some primitive stuff, push-ups, pull-ups, etc. Things where loss of form isn't going to send you to the physical therapist. After two or three weeks your soreness will fade quicker.

I will give you a little secret, well not really a secret, and you can choose to use it or not. After your workout when you hit the showers take your normal shower then when you are ready to get out turn the temperature all the way cold... stand in it as long as you can physically stand it (similar to an ice tub for athletes). This will help your body push the lactic acid out of your muscles (what causes the soreness) and make the next day much more tolerable. It sucks, but is worth it ;-)

P.S. Make sure you cover up with your fig leaf before you leave the shower cause that water will turn your outie into an inny if you know what I mean... and no man needs that ridicule in the locker room! HA!

That actually reminds me of a great and funny story but that is for another time and place. I will tell you that the cold water didn't hurt me in the end.

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Originally Posted by BrodyNoochie

I just started working out. Obviously, I am sore from the workout. To continue on my schedule I am working out again today. My legs are fine but my arms and shoulders are tender. Is it better to allow them to rest and recover before working them out again or should I just work through the pain and accept it as part of working out?

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As you have just started working out you should allow yourself 1,2 days rest to recover

I understand that if I just started working out I need to stop a few days to rest
I also carried bags for quit a distance and that seemed to make my arm hurt more
Thank you for your help EJD