No pain, no gain, no way!

Have you ever heard the saying, “no pain, no gain?”

This exercise motto was coined by bodybuilders years ago. It suggests that if you do not feel pain during training and repeated soreness afterwards, you will not develop muscle size and strength.

If this is your approach to exercise, then you might want to rethink it.

Pain is not going to guarantee your success and may put you at risk of serious injury. Also, this attitude is intimidating and will often prevent inactive individuals from working out due to the fear of injury.

So what is a good approach to follow?

A better approach

Weight training can be very safe when done correctly. One must warm up in advance, use slow controlled movements and stand with good form and posture.

If you are just starting, use a moderate weight that you can lift comfortably for 10-15 repetitions. Work up gradually over several weeks to enough weight to challenge and fatigue your muscles.

After each workout, cool down with a few minutes of light aerobic exercise and stretching. This may help relieve muscle soreness.

Improper execution and overdoing the weight may result in injury and pain. Beginners often become discouraged and stop for these reasons.

However, experiencing some discomfort after your first workout is not unusual. At this stage, your muscles have been inactive and need time to adapt to the new routine.

The body adapts quickly, however, and after working out consistently for one to two weeks, you usually no longer experience any discomfort.

You will also find that you are able to safely lift more and can progress adding weight in small increments.

Muscle soreness

Pain is not the same as muscle soreness.

Delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, is the minor discomfort that occurs for no more than 24 to 48 hours after a workout. It is normal and likely the result of microscopic tears in the muscle fiber and slight inflammation.

Slight soreness even helps to motivate some individuals. If the muscle discomfort continues beyond this point, or if you have serious pain that limits your activities, then you are overdoing it.

You may also be doing something wrong and may benefit from consulting a trainer who can observe your workout.

It is important to allow sufficient time between workouts for the muscles to recover and repair. This is part of the muscle-building process.

A minimum of 48 hours between workouts (utilizing the same muscle groups) is suggested to allow for this recovery.

More may be required, as over-training occurs when the intensity and amount of exercise is greater than the recovery ability and time allowed by the individual.

Various factors, such as dieting, poor nutrition and other physical or psychological stress may also contribute to the condition.

As a result, the effectiveness of the workout will diminish. An exerciser may experience symptoms beyond DOMS including persistent muscle soreness, fatigue, injuries, loss of motivation and weight loss.

Allowing more time for the body to recover is necessary. Taking a break, reducing the volume and intensity of the training, and introducing change may help.

Bottom line

We all want to maximize the benefits of our weight training program while avoiding injury.

The key is using proper techniques and working at a level that is challenging without putting yourself at risk and allowing enough time for recovery.

Green Valley resident Ann Sirianni is a certified trainer. Suggestions or questions? gvfitness@cox.net.