The one thing none of us can seem to escape is feeling sore the next few days after a workout, especially legs !
That pain is nothing to worry about if it is more of a dull ache than a shooting pain. That pain is more commonly known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS for short.
Although widely argued still to this day, it is commonly seen as low level trauma towards the desired muscle that has been exerted. Thus causing a build up of lactic acid and also micro tears within the muscle itself.
This discomfort should not put you off going to the gym, it is perfectly normal. It will happen every time you have a hard workout, especially a leg workout (note the constant reminder of a leg workout).
The good thing is, this discomfort will begin to subside as your body gets use to intense exercise. The body adapts very quickly and begins to grow stronger to accommodate the excess physical stress you place upon it through exercise.
There are a few things you can carry out to help ease the discomfort, but not overall take it away.
Stretching – Post workout static stretching allows blood to disperse and prevents ‘pooling’ this can be a contributing factor towards DOMS.
High protein/Amino acid diet – A diet with the correct amount of macronutrients throughout the day and also post workout will help your body carry out hypertrophy just that little bit easier and prevent it from getting as sore if this was not a lifestyle practice in the first place.
Consistency – As mentioned before, consistent training and pushing through barriers will overall make it easier to withstand the discomfort caused by delayed onset muscle soreness and allow you to get used to a little pain.
The true key to it all is pushing through that barrier and consistently pushing more, lifting heavier and exercising through the discomfort, that is the key to really getting used to it all.
We all get DOMS, just some of us handle it better than others…
There’s a slight bit of truth to the old saying –
No pain, No gain.
Andrew McGee
Smokin’ Guns Fitness