Yakk

So, I went to the gym for the first time in my life the other day.

I've been swimming every day for 1.5 to 2 months now, and I figured some balance might be a good idea.

Someone was showing me the ropes, so I assume I was doing everything technically right. (or at least, not horribly)

I biked for 10 minutes to warm up, then spent about an hour working on a set of machines (3 or 4 leg, 3 or 4 torso, 3 or 4 arm).

The "torso" workouts tired my arms out, but not my torso: either I wasn't using them right, or the other possibility is my arms are so much weaker than my torso that they failed first.

Afterwards, I did 20 minutes of biking (10 to 15 of it from 70% to 80% of max heart rate), then swam for a km (30 to 35 minutes). I was somewhat stiff while doing the swimming, but after a bit of stretching and some warmup laps, I was going 80% of my full speed.

I did one thing wrong: I didn't stretch nearly enough before doing the workout. Possibly I didn't stretch enough after the workout either: I did some, but I'm not all that good at stretching my arms.

The next day (today), everything was fine, except my left arm. I've got about 30 to 45 degrees of pain-free movement in my elbow. The pain is in my upper arm, the muscles don't like being extended that much.

Meanwhile, my right arm is basically pain-free.

A few questions:
Am I right in thinking I should have stretched more before hand?

What kind of stretching should I be doing to avoid this again?

Should I be pushing against the pain today, or should I let my arm rest in peace? I've been somewhat gently forcing my arm into the edge of the painful area.

Thanks!

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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

tkkfan

Does the pain happen when you move your arm with your left arm muscles, or when you leave your left arm completely relaxed and use your right to move it?

At least this way it would be easier to narrow it down if you're having a muscle problem or a ligament/tendon problem.

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hannukah harry

congratulations on starting up at the gym!!!

don't worry about the pain, it's normal... it's called DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), pretty much everyone gets it when they first start lifting, unless they're lifting really light. stretching does help to alleviate it, but it's late enough you're kinda just stuck with it for a day or two. don't force it to do anything your muscles don't want them to do, but it should not really be a concern.

remember, never stretch cold muscles... always do an aerobic warmup first!!!

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Yakk

It happens on the opposite side of movement (ie, the muscles that should be relaxing feel pain). It happens when I try to relax and move it with my other arm.

Then it is interesting that every other muscle is basically ok.

Oh, and I seemed to have a bit more range when I first woke up than I did later on.

Come to think of it, I had something similar after my initial swimming efforts. It could just be that I've been working my left arm less while swimming?

I should do an aerobic workout involving the muscles I want to stretch?

IIRC*, most of the aerobic machines at the gym where leg-based. How should I give my arms an aerobic workout, just use light weights?

Footnote(s):
* IIRC: If I recall correctly.

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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

StephenSa

Since you spent ten minutes on the bike before you hit the machines you should have been sufficiently warmed up. You should stretch the specific muscles you will be using both before and even during your workout. For instance I will stretch my lats out before I do T-Bar rows and stretch them more after each set. You don't have to do an aerobic workout before lifting but you should warm up your core which could involve some light aerobics or perhaps abdominal exercises like leg raises or crunches. You could lift a few light weights to warm up your arms if you'd like. Doesn't sound like you did any damage. Pretty much evervbody experiences DOMS when they first start any kind of weight lifting program. The fact that you are getting more range of motion tells me its probably just muscle soreness. If anything feels dramatically wrong or you don't continue to feel better then get it looked at, better than sorry. If you wanted to do some light workout with it that shouldn't be a problem. Pumping up the arm with some blood and heat will probably make it feel better and heal a bit faster. Just don't over do it. Congrats on hitting the gym!

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EleqTrizi'T

I think you're spending too much time in the gym. You should really try to keep it under an hour. The workout you did was sufficient for two days worth of working out.

Remember, more is not always better. I realize for people just getting to the gym its exciting, but pacing yourself now is important.

Yakk

EleqTrizi'T, I already was swimming an hour+ a day for months. The cardio parts where trivial, and the lifting didn't tire me out all that much. It was just strange getting that much pain after the workout, wasn't something I was used to from swimming. Didn't know if it was normal or a problem! Apparently it was normal pain.

The swimming after the workout I did because biking was boring. =) Didn't have a radio at the time. Listening to CBC on a bike > reading close captions on some dumb TV show on a bike.

On the plus side, my arms are all better. On Monday, was able to swim and play volleyball, and today woke up with full motion. Strange: when doing exercise, my arms felt less stiff/painful.

I think I'm going to go back in and do some weights tonight. I'll take it easy because I don't want to have quite that pain: I'm supposed to do it again on Thursday...

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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

Nazggul

Sounds to me like you're just sore. Maybe you did over do it a bit for your first time. The best way to avoid this type of discomfort in the future is to keep it up on a somewhat regular schedule. Once you get past this initial soreness phase you'll be fine.

Congrats on getting started!

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pocon1

You have not been lifting weights. What makes you think that you can lift weights? Until your body adapts to actual intense physical exertion that only weightlifting can provide, you will experience a lot of soreness. It is great that you are starting to lift, but you will get sore. Right now you are probably very out of balance, strength-wise. It will take time to even out the strength in the body.
Also, just a little point of clarification: Stretching does not alleviate soreness or doms. It simply gets the muscle moving, and the movement and warmth that is generated helps temporarily make that soreness go away. Once you stop moving, you stiffen up again. Time is the only cure for doms. Stretching and flexibility are necessary for correcting immobility in a particular joint. Being hyperflexible does not promote fitness. Being in a normal range is best for most people. For example, if you lie flat on your back and you can lift one leg straight up while straight, and keep the other leg straight out, then you have normal flexibility in the hamstrings. The normal range of motion is 90 to 120 degrees. Any further than that does not promote greater fitness.

fierced02

From what I know, it's pretty useless to "stretch" before a workout. Essentially, you're stretching when you follow that muscles normal range of motion anyways. The important thing to do before a workout is to get the blood in the muscle pumping. This is what essentially lessens the chance of injury. (Your biking, for example, is great) Another great thing to do before lifting heavy is to lift light. Before you go for the heavy weight, go for the easy weight, and do a few reps so that you get a nice blood pump going, and then overload...

Stretching is best done after exercising, since muscles tend to cap off unless stretched after a workout. Stretching will ensure better flexibility and increased muscle growth.

Oh, and just to clarify as many did above, soreness is normal, and always a good thing when experienced the day after, as long as it doesn't borderline pain...

Stompy

In my year and a half of going to the gym and lifting weights, I've never once stretched.

Your first few visits WILL make you sore in some manner just because you aren't used to lifting. The first time I worked out my hamstrings, man... I couldn't get out of bed the next two days after it and had to call off work. Most people say that I probably lifted too much, but I was doing 15 reps x 3 of a weight I could easily do. Knowing what I know now about lifting and comparing it to back then, I definitely wasn't overlifting.

Being sore a day or two after your workout is good, as it lets you know that you worked out those muscles pretty good. There's a supplement you can take called Glutamine which helps reduce the soreness you feel.

If you pulled something or injured yourself, you'd know. You'd have BAD pains going on, but it's pretty hard to injure yourself unless you have VERY awkward form and are using ungodly heavy weights.

[edit]

Also, if you worked out THAT much in one day... you probably over did it (if your body isn't used to it, that is). Usually anything more than an hour in the gym is over-training which is why it's recommended you only do specific muscles on different days.

For example, on Mon I do Back/Bicep, Wed I do Legs/Shoulders, Fri I do Tricep/Chest. Every day in between, I do 30-45 mins of cardio. I used to do 1 hour at the gym and then follow it up w/ 1 hour of cardio, but unless you're USED to doing heavy activity like that, you're actually doing more harm than good. But then again, if you're normally VERY active, then this probably doesn't count in your case.

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Yakk

So, looks like it was just DOMS. =)

Since then, I've had much weaker versions of it, but nothing nearly as bad. Thanks for all the advice.

Annoying part is, I'm about to spend most of the month travelling. So, I suspect I'll have to go through that pain again when I get back, heh.

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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

EVIDENT

Oh man, I soooo feel your pain on that one. While I was doing it I though, "This isn't that bad...". So I way to many sets.

The next morning when I got up, I went to move my let and my hamstrings cramped like nothing I've ever felt before.

I was, not just a little - but majorly sore for atleast 4 days.

Just thinking about it makes me crynge

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