Last Updated on May 21, 2023 by Michael Brockbank
As part of my 7-day trial of sticking with my fitness and eating routines, I went back to the gym on Monday. And because I’ve been away for so long, I am quite a sore individual. But it’s that good, suffering from DOMS, kind of hurt.
At least it wasn’t like going to the gym back at the end of last August when it felt like my entire body was on fire for a week and a half.
I suppose that’s the difference between taking a three-month hiatus and a year and a half vacation from the gym. Like last time, though, I’ll work through it and get to a point where it doesn’t hurt as much.
Being Sore is Kind of a Good Thing
To be honest, I don’t really mind being sore from working out at the gym. OK, so, call me weird, but I kind of like feeling the burn of the muscles I’ve worked on after a long time of not using them.
Hear me out.
It’s a good way to determine what areas are being worked on and which need more effort. For example, I wasn’t really sure if the lower back extension actually worked on glute muscles. Well, today, I know for a fact that it does.
Overall, I can feel how my regular workout routine is damn near a full-body workout minus the leg work. Including my butt, everything from the waist up is sore.
I don’t really do leg days as I work them regularly when playing the Xbox Kinect or riding my bike. My calves have always looked nice. Well, according to ex-girlfriends, anyway.
Right now, I just want to dissolve more of the core fat.
Easiest Way for Me to Avoid Being Sore After the Gym
There are a lot of ways to deal with DOMS. Some people will drink specific shakes or eat certain foods. Stretching is also a good way to get past the hurting phase.
For me, it’s about keeping myself active. Mostly because I simply forget to stretch.
Sure, pushing through the soreness to play the Xbox takes a bit of effort. But after the first few rounds of tennis, a lot of my muscles are loosened and don’t hurt nearly as much.
Take today, for example. I really didn’t want to start playing. I was like a kid sitting in the dentist’s chair getting fidgety before opening my mouth. But as soon as I played the first two rounds, the pain subsided quite a bit.
Though, by the end of the six rounds I played, I was pretty close to being jello lumped on the floor. That’s because I play the Kinect as it was intended and really throw myself into playing.
I still want to stream or record playing one of these days so you can see just how hard I work the games.
Can’t Wait Until I Acclimate
For the past two days, I’ve felt like Mike Tyson brutalized me, tossed me in the dryer, and set it to tumble dry. But I know that it will subside quite a bit if I keep myself going to the gym and playing the Kinect.
I never really thought about how much I truly miss going to Planet Fitness. I know it gets a bad rep from others, but I don’t know why. I quite enjoy going and look forward to tomorrow morning.
I’m looking forward to when I’m not getting as sore, as that’s when I usually start ramping up the weights. I still focus on a total of 360 reps on various machines, but I increase the load periodically.
For a while there, I was looking pretty good.
Eh, I’ll get there again. I’m pretty sure that my genes are ideal for body development, especially since I can burn calories and fat so quickly when I actually choose to do so.
At any rate, I’m looking forward to what I will look like in 5 weeks. Especially since I am going all-in with my Net 600 diet this time around.
How Often Do You Push Yourself to Be Sore?
I often wonder about how many people don’t go to the gym because they’re afraid of DOMS. I get it; you might not really look forward to being sore for a few days. But there are ways to go to the gym without pushing yourself that hard.
Ease into it if you’re not looking forward to being stiff as a petrified board the next day. As I said before, though, it gives me a chance to determine which workouts are being the most effective for various muscle groups.
Don’t be afraid of hurting in a good way. Just don’t push yourself too hard and cause an injury.
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