T Nation

How sore is too sore?

Bodybuilding
#1

Hey guys,
I just started working out. I said enough is enough! Seems ever since I broke up with my gf, I’ve used it as an excuse not to take good care of my body (big mistake). Guess school and my 2 business ventures have been my mental excuse of not finding time to work out. Consequently, I’ve gained some weight and I’ve been exercising to work it off.

My question is pretty simple. My buddies tell me that you shouldn’t work on a part of your body till the soreness wears off. Others tell me I should alternate parts of my body…and wait for 3 days before I go back…however…I just did like 500 situps and my fatass body has been sore for over 4, almost 5 days! It’s so sore it’s hard to take a crap (I’m serious! lol). So I’m wondering, when should I start working on my situps again? Should I wait until the soreness subsides or should I work it off? I want to exercise responsibly. Also, since I have an endomorph build, would aerobic exercise be more for me rather than anaerobic? I pack on muscle remarkably quick but fat as well…Remember, I’m trying to lose weight, not gain…but I do want to at least get my body more chissled. The rest of my body aside from my face and lower body is chisled despite a relatively sedentry lifestyle. Should I run on my tredmill? Bike at the school gym? I’ve been eating a lot of meat but nothing seems to help to lower my appetite except high fatty foods and maybe an OTC appetite supplemet. I just bought some MD6 and Biotest Tribulis Teresteris from an online company. Are these supplements along with a good diet a good start? I’m kinda surprised how quickly I gained weight…it’s scary how easily I absorb food. Thanks for the help and support,

Joe.

Happy holidays guys! :slight_smile:

#2

Hi, Joe. Glad to hear you’re getting back with the program and making YOU a priority.


  1. It’s more about diet than killing yourself in the gym. Diets are a personal thing, with different people being attracted to different types of diets and having different macronutrient requirements, etc. So look up Diet Manifesto on the home page search engine or click on the FAQ. I particularly like John Berardi’s “Don’t Diet Diet” (the hypocaloric version of the “Massive Eating”).


  2. Keep a food log. There’s no other way that you can tweak and fine tune the rate at which you lose weight, your macronutrient ratios, etc. Again, look up “food log” or “missing link” on the home page search engine. I consider this the single most important thing you can do to ensure your success.


  3. Don’t do more than four 30-minute cardio sessions per week. Up to that point cardio will help you achieve your goals. But excessive cardio (in this case, anything beyond the four 30-minute sessions) is catabolic, and you will start to LOSE muscle. More cardio will work AGAINST your long-term goals. I know it’s hard, but try to exhibit some restraint re the cardio. Not everyone is working out smart . . . and that from an ex- “more is always better” addict. (grin)


  4. Don’t try to spot reduce. Forget the 500 situps. Use the search engine to look up and pick out a program. You need to be working out your larger muscle groups; legs, back, chest. More muscle equates to a higher metabolism. A higher metabolism means that for the same caloric intake, you’ll lose weight more quickly. More muscle is a good thing. (grin) So look for a program that is based on squats, deadlifts, chin-ups (use the Gravitron if you can’t lift your weight yet), upright and bentover rows, pushups, bench presses, overhead lifting/presses, etc. Myself, I’m using Joel Marion’s 5x5 strength program (Ripped, Rugged & Dense). It’s only four exercises a night, 3 nights a week, but I’m getting phenomenal results with it. Once again, more is NOT better. Working out SMART is better!



    And let me explain why in this case, and then I’ll sign off. When you do cardio, you give your metabolism a boost for 6 to 8 hours; some people say less, some people say more. When you workout hard in the gym, using compound, multi-joint exercises like those I listed above at a challenging weight, your body is required to repair the micro-traumas that result from training. Protein synthesis/remodeling is very calorically expensive. You will enjoy a boost to your metabolism for up to 72 hours!!! Weights for someone who wants to lose weight is a LOT smarter than cardio, though I believe the two go hand in hand.



    Good luck to you, Joe!!! And let us know how you’re doing.
#3

Im not the best person to advise on setting up your training cycle but i’d suggest Chris T’s ab workout once a week worked into whatever program you decide to follow - it rips you up for about two to three days, a week later your ready to go again without lingering pain - i have tried it for five weeks - it works…

#4

In or to get more lean and reduce bf% you need to build muscle first so I agree Tampa-Terry on focusing on other areas of you body and not the abs.