If you’re not feeling sore right after your workout, just wait, because you will.

There’s nothing better than the feeling you get after a hard workout, but when you don’t feel sore the day after, you might feel like you didn’t get the hardcore pump you thought you did. Just wait! As the day goes on, muscle soreness will creep up and you’ll feel as if you’ve moved mountains. The reason: delayed onset muscle soreness or what is better known as DOMS.

What is DOMS?

There was the belief that delayed onset muscle soreness results from a buildup of lactic acid or metabolic waste. That theory has since been dismissed. Delayed muscle soreness happens when there are small tears in connective tissue followed by inflammation to the muscle fibers. These tears happen during the eccentric (lengthening) part of the movement. For example, running down hill or during the lengthening part of a bicep curl.

Everyone can fall victim to DOMS, from the newbie who’s just starting out to the seasoned bodybuilder. The only real difference is that a bodybuilder may not experience the same severity as a first timer. The reason: seasoned athlete’s muscles are more accustomed to the workload put on it.

Delayed soreness is usually present 24-48 hours after the muscles have been exercised. This is because the muscles are stressed more than what they’re used too. This can also be a sign that the muscles are getting stronger or are growing (hypertrophy). You should notice the pain disappearing in about two to three days after the initial workout. Now, if you find that the pain is not disappearing or letting up, this could be a sign that something more serious may be wrong. Always listen to your body and never push a muscle if the movement is painful.

(Read more on Muscle & Fitness Magazine)

Why women need to lift heavier weights for a more shapely figure, overall confidence and good health.

View Original Article In The Darien Patch

There are two misconceptions that I experience as a personal trainer.  The first one is that most women feel they need to do cardio for countless hours day in and day out in order to stay “long and lean”.

The other misconception that’s expressed to me by many women is that they don’t want to lift heavy weights for fear of becoming bulky and “too big.”  I’d like to address the later first.

As women, we just don’t have the amounts of testosterone it would take to build a huge bulky shape. Also, you would have to lift heavily for months even years in order to build some serious muscle mass. It doesn’t happen overnight, so let’s just throw that fear right out the window. You can curl or press the 5- or 8-lb. dumbbells for 100 repetitions but that’s not really going to do much of anything.

If you’re not going to challenge your muscles they will never grow.  If you don’t build muscle then your body will never really look any different.  I’m sure most reading this have heard the term “skinny fat.” You can run your little heart out on the treadmill, but if you don’t stress your muscles they will never develop shape.

View the complete article in The Darien Patch.