Hi friends!
Oh boy am I sore today from Saturday’s leg workout. After having been sporadically following the Insanity program over the last month, I have used my legs more for sports drill workouts and apparently they forgot what it was like to do a solid strength session!
THE WORKOUT:
Tabata Sets:
- Smith Machine Squats (8 sets, 4 minutes)
- Leg Extensions (8 sets, 4 minutes)
- Leg Curls (8 sets, 4 minutes)
- Plyo Lunges (6 sets, 4 minutes)
Followed by:
- High Step Ups (2 sets per leg)
- Front Curtsy Squats (2 sets per leg)
- 11 minutes of ‘dance cardio‘
And all I’ve been saying for the last 36 hours is “oh my legs, my legs!!!” My hamstrings are so sore, that it is almost painful to stand up completely straight! Yes, I like to be sore after a good workout. But I’ll admit this is a step beyond that. So I figured this would be a great time to share with you the tips I employ when DOMS sets in (DOMS: delayed onset muscle soreness).
1. Move the sore muscles: blood flow to the muscles will help to speed the repair and move the toxins out faster. By “move” the muscles, I don’t mean you should strength train those muscles again while they are sore but getting in some light to moderate aerobic activity will do the trick.
2. Light massage of the sore muscles: keyword here is light. This is not the time to get a deep tissue massage – my massage therapist says at least 24 hours before a deep massage after a tough workout or you risk releasing toxins too quickly. So I will lightly rub sore muscles by hand, or else I’ll do some easy foam rolling.
3. Light stretching of the sore muscles: again the keyword here is light. You don’t want to cause additional microtears to muscles that are already in the process of repairing. The idea here is to just get some blood flow in there and keep them from stiffening up.
4. Ice up: I like to use frozen peas wrapped in a thin towel applied to the sore muscles for 10 to 20 minutes every few hours. This also expedites blood flow to the area.
5. Soak: After (or between) ice applications, take this opportunity to pamper yourself with a hot bath with Epsom salts. (I usually toss in 1/2 cup.)
6. Ginger root capsules: I got this great tip from Joan, who knows I won’t take ibuprofen. She introduced me to ginger root capsules to fight inflammation when I had a stiff back and the stuff works! It doesn’t have the ‘immediate’ relief you get from OTC drugs, but you don’t get the toxic liver either! And I have noticed a difference when I take two in the morning and two in the evening.
7. BioFreeze: I’ll use this as a last resort (because I aim to minimize products that contain paraben) but this stuff works wonders when I do choose to use it. It’s like an extra strength IcyHot. A chiropractor recommended this to me years ago and I’ve kept a bottle around ever since. I’ve used it on sore joints, aching muscles, and it also clears the sinuses right out for you!
8. Water: the lactic acid and toxins need to go somewhere and if you aren’t hydrating they won’t move anywhere very quickly. Be sure to increase your water intake (especially when muscles are sore) and minimize dehydrating beverages like coffee and soda.
9. REST: when you work out hard, rest is extremely important in order to allow the body to repair, adapt and grow stronger so that the next time you do that same workout, it won’t seem as hard and you can do a little more.
What favorite tips do you utilize? Drop a comment!
– Shari B. =)
#1 by Cindy on May 26, 2010 - 7:17 pm
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you got it!
and yes please…I love ginger cookies!
mmmmm
.-= Cindy´s last blog ..A Pollen Jock =-.
#2 by Joan on May 25, 2010 - 7:03 pm
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What a wonderful and TIMELY post!! Thanks again Shari, I’m a sore mess today!
Since my fall I eased WAY back on exercise simply cuz it hurt!
But this week I’m trying to get back on track and today…boy am I sore all over! I’m taking ginger caps and stretching, and happily have a massage thurs (for another problem) …
and I LOVE BioFreeze but never mentioned it cuz of the FD&C dyes it contains. I wanted to mention it when you were running with your buds and iced your legs while in the car on the way home…I thought it’d be easier than transporting icepacks. I called the company to register a formal request to make it w/o dyes but alas to no avail…they say they need the color to see when the bottles are filled up…maybe tho they’ll consider changing bottles if enough people complain. I didn’t see the parabens. When I use it on my neck my eyes water!! LOL
A question…toxins and soreness? does exercise release toxins or the soreness? Not sure I understand the relationship of toxins and soreness.
.-= Joan´s last blog ..Honey Laundering =-.
#3 by Shari B. on May 26, 2010 - 7:23 pm
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Hi Joan! BioFreeze needs the color to ‘see when the bottles are filled up’? During manufacturing, I wonder? Seems like maybe they could switch to CLEAR bottles!
Parabens are in everything, it seems like. FAce/body lotions, sunless tanner, conditioner. Sometimes I am diligent, other times I get lazy and hope that at least by eating well I’m stacking the odds a little in my favor. Between sun causing skin cancer, my sunscreen containing carcinogenic toxins, and my sunless tanner containing them too, I’m DESTINED to have lily white legs it seems!
As far as the toxins and soreness: when you workout (especially with intensity) metabolic waste/by-products are created. Treatments like massage can help to flush these out (lactic acid, uric acid, etc). Too much at once (or not hydrating enough to flush what’s been released) can make you feel a little off, sometimes a little flu-like. I think I’m answering your question, but if not, let me know!
#4 by Joan on May 28, 2010 - 1:04 pm
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I’m with ya on the lily white leg thing…but I may have found a healthier alternative sunscreen…Jason Sunbrellas Mineral Based sunblock…spf 30…and is paraben free. I like it so far and it works when I’m in the greenhouses…not burnt yet.
And yeah now I get the lactic acid thing…I think I don’t stretch out enought AFTER…usually just before and I’m sure I need more water. Thanks for the great post…I”ll try to remember it now!
.-= Joan´s last blog ..Honey Laundering =-.
#5 by Shari B. on June 1, 2010 - 8:08 pm
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Hi Joan, thanks for the recommendation. I have been finding that I actually have started to avoid my sunscreen here and there because of all the garbage in it, opting for NONE which is just as bad! I wonder if JASON brand has a sunless tanner, I’ll go check their website! Thanks for the info!
#6 by Julie on May 25, 2010 - 5:55 pm
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I’ve been in the same boat recently, threw a tabata workout in last Wed to mix it up (Monday and Friday is my traditional strength training day), and my hamstrings and the rest of my legs for that matter were so sore! I will have to pickup some ginger tablets and see if that does the trick!
#7 by Shari B. on May 25, 2010 - 6:04 pm
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Hey Julie!! Thanks so much for commenting! Glad to have you here! And glad you are working out with “gusto” to make your legs sore! Wahoo!
OMG I love Tabata. Every time I work out a different way for a while, I find that I miss it and go back to it. It’s just so cool to get a killer workout in a short period of time! LOVE IT!
#8 by Bernadette on May 25, 2010 - 7:29 am
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I try to move those muscles as much as possible, that helps so much!!
Thanks for all the great tips!! Now I just need to do some strength training so that I can use them!! I’m definitely not getting enough strength training in!
Have a great day Shari!!
xoxo
#9 by Shari B. on May 25, 2010 - 6:08 pm
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Hi Berni! Yes, definitely add in some weight training! Especially to help you get even stronger for all the races you are doing. A strong UPPER body will help you toward the end of races when you lower half is fatiguing, believe it or not! A strong core and strong lower will increase your strength-to-weight ratio to help you get faster and power through! Grab one of the full body circuits that you’ve seen here on the blog, and add them in twice a week. If you do the circuit exercises all in a row (only rest after the whole body’s worth of muscles have been exercised once through then start again) you can count that as CROSSTRAINING in your race plans.
Have a great night!
#10 by Cindy on May 24, 2010 - 10:42 pm
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I am SO SO SO happy you talked about this today. I don’t always have sore muscles..but I have tight hips or calves the day after my long run…and now that my cardio is mostly daily I am finding a day or two is tight.
I almost posted about my crystallized ginger and I found that it’s REALLY helpful for inflamation. I knew you took the capsules but I wasn’t sure why until I found a great link (that is on the post tomorrow)
I feel so much better I didn’t just imagine I’d heard that somewhere. I have been eating a lot of crystallized ginger… a nibble here or there. Especially before or after my jogging.
I am sure it helps! I notice a difference.
I need to make another batch and send to you!
xoxox
.-= Cindy´s last blog ..BitterSweet =-.
#11 by Shari B. on May 25, 2010 - 6:10 pm
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Hi Cindy,
I saw this comment before I went out for my run this morning and thought of you during. For your particular issues, you’ll WANT the deep stretches, since your hips and calves are tight. The light stretching tip here is for muscles that have been hit from the weight lifting side. So after you warm up, but before you run, stretch your hips and calves LIGHTLY, then run, then spend a good 10 minutes afterward doing some DEEP stretching of those areas. That will help. Is your hip tightness in the front (along your hip flexors?)
#12 by Shari B. on May 25, 2010 - 6:13 pm
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HI Cindy, me again… just wanted to say you can send me all the crystallized ginger you feel like… you don’t have to twist my arm! I LOVED that stuff! It was SOOO good! Geez I need to find something cool that i can make and send to people by mail. Baked kale wouldn’t survive the trip!
Maybe those ginger cookies I made for MSP over the winter when we had a blizzard. Those would keep!