Sore muscles are the build up of lactic acid from the implementation of tension placed on the muscles – causing micro tears that the body immediately tries to repair. This is how we grow our muscles and expand out capacity for building strength and stamina. It’s a good thing in other words.
But it can be quite annoying when you do want to get into the gym and train again. If you would like to get stronger, leaner and more muscular, then it’s important to increase your volume and also the amount of weight you lift over time. This can be very hard to do when you are still sore from your previous workout. I know the feeling all too well!
Here are a few of my real life tried and tested tips that you too can use in order to eliminate the soreness you feel after a workout. The trick is to pre-prepare the say beforehand if you can.
5 tips to eliminate sore muscles – to really kill it in the gym regularly.
- Split your workouts. I always split my workouts into categories of body parts. Legs and glutes, biceps and triceps, back and shoulders. This allows me to really target specific muscles, then the next day, target another group. For instance, If I do legs on Wednesday, I might do biceps and triceps on Thursday. This allows my legs to recover, but I can hit the upper body without too much trouble. Sometimes when you do movements like dead lifts on leg day, your upper body may be a bit sore – so just use your discretion, and implement a rest day in between if you are quite sore. This splitting your muscle groups allows for achievement of higher volumes and that means more gains!
- Take magnesium. I take magnesium in powder form as well as the topical variety. I use the powder just before sleep, as well as adding the topical formula on my sore muscles. Try not to take magnesium too early in the day, as it can, and most likely will increase your changes of falling asleep! This has happened to me on many occasions, so please, only take it before bed, unless you are an insomniac.
- Take BCAA before and during your workout. BCCA help with increasing muscle mass, maintaining it, and also boosting performance. What most people don’t know, is that it also helps to alleviate sore muscles from your workout results. Take them before you train, and after if you need to. Try smaller doses before increasing. This is possibly the best supplement I’ve ever taken, and it’s never failed me.
- Massage sore muscles with peppermint and lavender essential oils. I love this method! Not only is peppermint oil in combination with lavender relaxing and therapeutic, it’s also has magical effects on the muscles for reducing soreness and inflammation. I usually massage some on sore muscles with almond oil, and then allow the healing to take place in my sleep. You will feel a cold yet warm sensation on the skin. Allow the peppermint oil to work it’s magic! This can also be placed on sore muscles during the day, allowing it to work it’s way into the skin, and penetrate the muscles. It’s also great for a sore neck and headaches. Make sure you do this on a daily basis.
- Warm up and cool down when exercising. Not many people take the necessary amount of time to fully warm up and cool down. It’s quite simple, just allow your body enough time to get the blood flowing, and set the proper mood for exercise. I like to just take a walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Allow enough time for you to feel ready for exercise. The worst thing you can do is just walk into the gym and start lifting weights. This is definitely leaving you open to injury and muscle soreness. Take the time before your workout to warm yourself up, and then afterwards to cool down, and try to flush out some of that lactic acid build up. It may take a bit of time, but you will be most grateful for less injury, as well as soreness!
Hopefully this has helped you understand how to combat muscle soreness. Depending on what you do, it will either me a magnified response, or a smaller one. Take it as it comes, and use the methods above to help you get through it. You can contact me any time on my website or join me on fb and insta social. Please feel free to upvote this answer if it has been useful in some way to you.