Q & A
Q: How can I prevent aching muscles after lifting weights? Is it all about using the warm-up to prepare the muscles for your workout, or can sore muscles be avoided by other methods?
A: It's a combination of factors. You do want a good warm-up, but that's more to ensure you perform a good workout, and doesn't directly correlate with soreness. Though, if you tear a muscle because you were inadequately warmed up, then I guess it is a pretty direct relation.
The right nutrition during and immediately after the workout will also help to minimize DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). BCAAs, Surge Recovery, or Surge Workout Fuel all help to significantly reduce the soreness felt after training. The sooner you can get those nutrients into your system, the better your chances of minimal soreness.
After you've trained, simple static stretching acts as a good "cooldown" and also loosens things up. Some say that static stretches can interfere in muscle building, but I haven't found that to be the case. After you lift, spending five or ten minutes going through whatever stretches you remember from high school gym class would be a good place to start. Foam rolling and massage are also good alternatives to this.
Also, the way you actually train during the workout plays a big role. If you're a week or two into a new program, you're much more likely to hobble out of the gym. If you've been doing the same type of workout for six or eight weeks, your body won't get as beat up each time... unless...
If you regularly use intense techniques during your workouts like intentionally slow and drawn-out negatives, rest-pause sets, or static holds in various positions, then you're creating so much muscular trauma that wicked soreness is pretty much guaranteed.
- Chris.
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Q: I'm a varsity wrestler in high school and I believe my goals for this year are very realistic with the proper training and nutrition, rest, etc. What do you think?
I want to bench press 325, deadlift 495, squat 450, and power clean 285. My current numbers are bench 265, deadlift 345, squat 400, and power clean 205.
Also, my goal is to weigh 185 pounds with 10% bodyfat. Right now, I weigh 170 at around 12% bodyfat.
Any suggestions?
A: So your goals are to become stronger, bigger, and leaner? Man, there's a novel idea. ;) Go for it, but you've got to prioritize.
Your goals call for adding about 17 pounds of muscle, if my math is right. That, on top of adding 260 pounds to your powerlifting total and 80 pounds to your clean, is one heck of a target.
I suggest you take a more long-term outlook on things (especially since you're still in high school), and use 2009 to focus on getting ridiculously strong. That'll seriously benefit your wrestling, too.
Next year, you can switch gears to focus on building additional muscle, since the strength building you do now will "accidentally" build some anyway.
- Chris.
A: It's a combination of factors. You do want a good warm-up, but that's more to ensure you perform a good workout, and doesn't directly correlate with soreness. Though, if you tear a muscle because you were inadequately warmed up, then I guess it is a pretty direct relation.
The right nutrition during and immediately after the workout will also help to minimize DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). BCAAs, Surge Recovery, or Surge Workout Fuel all help to significantly reduce the soreness felt after training. The sooner you can get those nutrients into your system, the better your chances of minimal soreness.
After you've trained, simple static stretching acts as a good "cooldown" and also loosens things up. Some say that static stretches can interfere in muscle building, but I haven't found that to be the case. After you lift, spending five or ten minutes going through whatever stretches you remember from high school gym class would be a good place to start. Foam rolling and massage are also good alternatives to this.
Also, the way you actually train during the workout plays a big role. If you're a week or two into a new program, you're much more likely to hobble out of the gym. If you've been doing the same type of workout for six or eight weeks, your body won't get as beat up each time... unless...
If you regularly use intense techniques during your workouts like intentionally slow and drawn-out negatives, rest-pause sets, or static holds in various positions, then you're creating so much muscular trauma that wicked soreness is pretty much guaranteed.
- Chris.
- - - - - - - -
Q: I'm a varsity wrestler in high school and I believe my goals for this year are very realistic with the proper training and nutrition, rest, etc. What do you think?
I want to bench press 325, deadlift 495, squat 450, and power clean 285. My current numbers are bench 265, deadlift 345, squat 400, and power clean 205.
Also, my goal is to weigh 185 pounds with 10% bodyfat. Right now, I weigh 170 at around 12% bodyfat.
Any suggestions?
A: So your goals are to become stronger, bigger, and leaner? Man, there's a novel idea. ;) Go for it, but you've got to prioritize.
Your goals call for adding about 17 pounds of muscle, if my math is right. That, on top of adding 260 pounds to your powerlifting total and 80 pounds to your clean, is one heck of a target.
I suggest you take a more long-term outlook on things (especially since you're still in high school), and use 2009 to focus on getting ridiculously strong. That'll seriously benefit your wrestling, too.
Next year, you can switch gears to focus on building additional muscle, since the strength building you do now will "accidentally" build some anyway.
- Chris.
posted by Chris Colucci at 11:29 AM
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