Too sore?

When do you know that you pushed yourself too far during a workout? How long should post-workout muscle soreness last? I had a major chest/shoulders/abs day Saturday afternoon and am still feeling it so much today that I am tempted to skip the gym but know that I need to get cardio in and can always work other muscle groups. I really wanna work my abs again today too though. Is this appropriate when I am still sore from my last workout? Is is okay to work the same muscle through soreness? Or are the muscles still breaking down and need more rest? I'm sorry if these seem like such elementary questions but I need some advice before I do something I'll regret or that might hurt my progress. Thanks guys!
 
I once had muscle soreness last a good week. It depends on how sore you are and how well you can use those muscles while its sore. You want to be careful in the sense that if your abs in this case is so smashed that if it effects your movements, that doing the exercise doesn't compromise technique which can in turn cause injury. I think if that muscle feels like it has the energy again and is moving normally, you might be ok. If your not sure that it can take the usual intensity, you can be lighter on it that one time.
 
Just make sure you get your protien after your workouts, this will help your muscles recover a little faster.

I have half a pint of protien with water before my workouts and the other half after and the days im not training i have 3 protien shakes throughout the day.

Im normally sore for about 2-3 days per muscle group i train.
 
Sore means a lot of muscle tissue damage occurred. Possibly 'too much' depending on your training level and goals.

Aside from when you're a noobie, DOMS shouldn't be severe or long lastly. It should really be a stiffness...tightness in the muscle. If its tender to the touch, its too much. Let it rest.
 
If you're fairly new, then soreness can definitely last a few days. I would say, if they still feel sore, then continue to rest them. If they just feel a bit fatigued, then you are probably OK to do a workout, just don't do as heavy of a workout as the last one. At the beginning, you may need 2-4 days between working out a certain muscle group. Over time, with proper training and recovery nutrition, you should be able to get down to having only 1 rest day... but everyone is different. It may turn out that you need 2 or more rest days in order to recover properly.
 
Back
Top