PERSONAL TRAINING AND SACRIFICE

Working out and getting in shape is always well worth the effort. The results you get from regular exercise are rewarding for a multitude of reasons. But to get the reward, you have to put in the work, or as they say, “no pain, no gain,” and it’s true. You can’t get the muscle mass or tone that you’re looking for without pushing yourself and experiencing a little bit of the pain that comes with heavy lifting, or cardio. What comes after a solid workout is soreness.

Some of us look forward to soreness, as though it’s a prize for the work you put in, others see it differently. However you perceive soreness, there are reasons for why you feel sore directly after a workout, as well as days later.

WHY IS FITNESS TRAINING PAINFUL?

Working to build muscle is a great gift to yourself. Finding strength within your own body that you didn’t know you had, or could have is a rewarding experience. It will come at a price, and you pay in hard work and sweat.

What happens when you build muscle is that you’re actually “tearing muscle.” In your muscles are tiny units called myofibrils, and as they “tear,” your body sends white blood cells and an anti-inflammatory called prostaglandins to repair the so-called damage. This, and lactic acid are to blame for what is called DOMS or, delayed onset muscle soreness.

Now that we know what causes muscle soreness, and the fact that it’s a good thing, go out and work on your weight loss and get started with a personal trainer on your fitness training plan today.

COPING WITH MUSCLE SORENESS

PREVENT SEVERE MUSCLE SORENESS IN YOUR FITNESS TRAINING

When building muscle, it’s important to know what it’s not going to come with hard work and sweat, and pain. And while it may seem like a difficult sacrifice to make, it’s an extremely rewarding process. As you work to create the physique you’ve always dreamed of, you also experience muscle soreness, sometimes for days at a time. To you, we say congratulations. Being sore after a workout is a sign that you’ve put in work at the gym, and you can feel the results happening.

INCORPORATING HEALTHY HABITS IN YOUR WEIGHT LOSS PLAN

Soreness can’t be prevented, but you can curve the severity of it with a few simple actions before beginning your fitness training. For instance, stretching is a great way to prevent the soreness from being too painful. It allows you to gently prepare.

From there go into a warm-up. All too often, people jump into their workouts without being the slightest bit prepared. Not only does this leave you vulnerable to severe DOMS, but it makes you more susceptible to pulling a tendon or ligament. You can’t expect your muscles to react the way they need to when they’re “cold,” or stiff.

Another fantastic and easy way to lessen the pain of DOMS is by staying hydrated. Obviously, this is good for many reasons, but having enough H2O in your system helps to decrease cramping in the muscles. If your fitness training is vigorous, then consider adding electrolytes as well.

Preventing your muscles from experiencing severe DOMS is not only beneficial to your comfort, but it’s beneficial to your weight loss plan. Find out why in our next blog, or contact a personal trainer today.

EMBRACING MUSCLE SORENESS

WELCOME BACK TO THE MIDTOWN FITNESS TRAINING BLOG

In our last blog, we talked about the best ways to prevent your body from experiencing severe DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. While muscle soreness is inevitable, it’s also a sign that all the hard work you’re putting into your personal training and weight loss plan, is working. If you’re not sore, then you’re not doing it right. We want to encourage you to embrace the muscle soreness, so long as you’re practicing good preventive measures as well.

WHY WOULD I EMBRACE PAIN FROM FITNESS TRAINING?

Because without pain, there is no gain. Literally, the pain you’re experiencing in your muscles is actually a good thing. Your muscles are swollen with strength, and it’s a beautiful thing. Not only that, it means you’re actually getting stronger, so as sore as you are, you MUST keep going. It’s vital to your growth, and to the success of your personal training and weight loss program.

Eventually, your muscles’ soreness will subside, however, it will come back. Why? Because you’re working hard to lose weight and build muscle. As you work through the pain and put yourself outside of your comfort zone, you’ll begin to see results and all the pain and stiffness will be worth it.

So when we say, embrace the soreness, we mean to say that you should face the pain of the workout with a fierce, can-do attitude, and the soreness will not only decrease but after a while, it won’t even faze you. Continue working with your personal trainer on your weight loss plan and get the body you’ve always dreamed of.

SORE MUSCLE TREATMENT

When working on your weight loss plan you’re going to experience aches and pains. Whether it’s your appetite or your aching muscles, there is discomfort to be had. But not to worry, because there are plenty of ways to combat this discomfort. In fact, if you’ve been following our most recent blog then you know that soreness is a good thing that should be embraced, that is as long as you’re practicing good fitness training habits.

Here are some other tips for combating that terrible pain that brings all of the gains.

• Ice bath – This tried and true method of dealing with muscle soreness can be attested by athletes the world over. Many times after a long day of practice and working out, you’ll find them in the ice bath at the end of it, making sure that their muscles are ready to go for the next day’s workout.
• Heat – Using a heating pad after a workout is great for dealing with muscle soreness. This will help to prevent muscle tightness from a workout.
• More exercise – When you’re really sore from a tough workout, it’s important that you work out the next day. It might be difficult to move, but running will help to release the lactic acid that’s built up in your muscles and will continue helping you build strength. It’s a part of conditioning.

If you’re working with a personal trainer, ask them what their preferred method for dealing with muscle soreness is. These methods are great for positively perpetuating your progress in your weight loss program.

For more information, please visit our website or contact us today!