Sore So Good

I have a new routine on Wednesdays.

First, I go to the 8:15 a.m. RIPPED class. Then Peggy is gracious enough to let me lift weights with her afterward. It's become a day I look forward to because I feel like I'm really starting to understand the strength training stuff more ...

(... and it's good girl talk time. Without a job these days, I'm more than a little starved for adult conversation!)

At first, she basically told me what to do and coached me through it. What exercises, in what order, number of reps/sets, how to perform them. She even did a fair bit of cheerleading when I needed it. Then she transitioned to more guiding than telling. And now she stands back and let's me lead, jumping in when I get stuck or need help.

Yesterday, I hit it hard. Lots of reps, reasonably heavy weights. I hit my back, chest, tris and bis. Nearly a full upper body workout.

I went to bed with the best of intentions, but woke up several times with an aching back and shoulder blades.

This morning, I was hurting. While I could still lift my arms, I was super sore and it's been a while since I have felt like that.

So I got to wondering ... why do we get sore and what does it mean?

Here's a quick rundown:

• Muscles are one of the few tissues in your body that can grow or shrink, based on activity/use. 
• When you lift weights, you actually damage the muscle fibers. 
• That damage is what creates the "hurt." 
• Your body recognizes the damage immediately and sets out to repair the damage using protein to do so. This repair process actually creates new fibers, thus increasing the size of the muscle. 

So, is it good or bad to be sore?

If you're looking to build muscle, soreness seems like it would be good, right? Well, it is in that it proves you "damaged" your muscles and are therefore building new fibers. It can be bad, however, if it prevents you from working out the next day. If Monday prevents Tuesday and Wednesday, Monday may not have been worth it.

Remember, the key to a healthy, move-more lifestyle is CONSISTENCY. You want 30 minutes a day, 5 or 6 days a week, of heart pumping activity.

So how do you get sore and stay consistent at the same time?

Alternate body parts. And never work the same muscle groups two days in a row.

Yesterday I hit upper body hard, and am sore to prove it. So today, I did glutes and abs ... parts that were not sore. This makes sense because I got a good workout in today and I gave my sore muscles time to start to repair themselves. Overworking, or breaking down those fibers too much, can actually decrease your muscle mass because you're not allowing them time to perform that healing process.

I do the same for cardio. I walked/ran 10 miles on Monday. Did RIPPED on Tuesday and Wednesday. So this morning, in addition to the glutes and abs, I rode my bike to give my knees a break.

It's all about balance,

Hmmm. Like everything else, right?

(Work/Life, Calories In/Calories Out, Activity/Rest, Fear/Confidence, Risk/Safety ... you get the idea.)