Question about working out. (building muscle)

[Gee Willikers Batman!]

Okay, I am a pretty skinny guy so I have been trying to bulk up a little. As you all should know, muscles get bigger when they tear, and rebuild. That is what you are doing when working out. Usually every time you work out, your body is sore, and the reason for that is lactic acid buildup. You should not workout EVERYDAY because your muscles need time to repair/rebuild. So that is why most people work out one day > rest the next day > workout the next day, on and on. But my question is, are you still supposed to be working out on the days you are sore?

Sorry if I got any information wrong!

[zebano]

I believe so however be sure that it's just soreness and not overtraining.

[Rickson]

Originally Posted by Gee Willikers Batman!

Okay, I am a pretty skinny guy so I have been trying to bulk up a little. As you all should know, muscles get bigger when they tear, and rebuild. That is what you are doing when working out. Usually every time you work out, your body is sore, and the reason for that is lactic acid buildup. You should not workout EVERYDAY because your muscles need time to repair/rebuild. So that is why most people work out one day > rest the next day > workout the next day, on and on. But my question is, are you still supposed to be working out on the days you are sore?

Sorry if I got any information wrong!

Your info is a little off, but that's ok. You get the "burn" from lactic acid buildup during prolonged exercise, but soreness is not lactic acid, it actually comes from small tears in the muscles. An example of lactic acid buildup is when you go up several flights of stairs and your quadriceps start burning. An example of small muscle tears or "soreness" is when you feel your quads hurting the next day from those stairs. See the difference? Anyway, you shouldn't work those muscles that are sore until the soreness goes away. That's because the sore muscles are in repair mode and they need rest. Ironically, the soreness may even go away sooner when you work out those same muscles sooner, but if your goal is muscle growth and trust me, it should be, you shouldn't work out those sore muscles until they are fully recovered.

[tricky]

But my question is, are you still supposed to be working out on the days you are sore?

You can and you'll grow just fine, but this is a judgement call. In other words, if your lower back is sore, you probably dont want to squat because your core will be weak.

That said, let me clarify your comments on muscle building . . .

Usually every time you work out, your body is sore, and the reason for that is lactic acid buildup.

The lactic acid buildup creates a burning sensation, but it's not related to DOMS (soreness.) That was an older theory, but it doesn't make sense because lactic acid is a product of the ATP-CP system, not of muscles tearing.

You should not workout EVERYDAY because your muscles need time to repair/rebuild.

Mmm . . . technically, this is not true. Muscles actually start repairing pretty soon after they've been worked, and in fact they don't need to be "rested" per se for them to grow. That is why you can work out a muscle even if it's sore. Now, that's not to say you should be lifting the same bodypart everyday (though I've done that in certain situations, and it works great if you know what to do.) But you can, and in fact many people inadvertently do this with their legs when they combine weight lifting and regular play and conditioning. They just don't look at it that way.

[Gee Willikers Batman!]

Alright thanks for the info guys!

[WBF]

Originally Posted by tricky

But you can, and in fact many people inadvertently do this with their legs when they combine weight lifting and regular play and conditioning. They just don't look at it that way.

I was going to say, how on earth do you train when you can't use the muscles for an entire day afterwards!

[tbini87]

if you are worried about overtraining, but want to lift everyday, split up your schedule to hit up different body parts every day so the others can rest. for example:

monday:chest, shoulders, triceps
tuesday: legs, abs
wed: rest
thursday: back, biceps
friday:legs, abs

that is a very simple way to split it up, and you can do it however you want to. but that way you can work your legs while your upper body recovers, and vice versa. you should still be able to train cardio and tennis before or after your workouts. make sure you have a solid diet to help your body and muscles recover from so much work.

[zebano]

Originally Posted by Rickson

Your info is a little off, but that's ok. You get the "burn" from lactic acid buildup during prolonged exercise, but soreness is not lactic acid, it actually comes from small tears in the muscles. An example of lactic acid buildup is when you go up several flights of stairs and your quadriceps start burning. An example of small muscle tears or "soreness" is when you feel your quads hurting the next day from those stairs. See the difference? Anyway, you shouldn't work those muscles that are sore until the soreness goes away. That's because the sore muscles are in repair mode and they need rest. Ironically, the soreness may even go away sooner when you work out those same muscles sooner, but if your goal is muscle growth and trust me, it should be, you shouldn't work out those sore muscles until they are fully recovered.

This corresponds with my experience, but the only times I get sore enough that it doesn't go away after one day, is when I'm trying a new sport or lift.