really sore biceps

[h2o]

i tried searching for this but didn't find much.

i started lifting weights on thursday. a trainer was helping me to do bicep curls. he really pushed me to lift a lot more than i could lift that day. and, on some of the reps, he stood in front of me, and sort of lifted the bar with me, to help me take it up, but i had to bring it down slowly myself.

now, my biceps are extremely sore. when i'm standing up, my arms are both bent, and it hurts like hell to try to straighten them by my sides. bending my arms up also hurts.

my shoulders aren't sore at all, and we also did shrugs that day with pretty heavy weights. and, i went back to the gym on friday (yesterday) and worked triceps and forearms and neither of those muscles are sore either. the only thing i've learned is to never work forearms the day right after biceps.

so, my question is, is it possible to have really hurt myself? or is this just something you have to get through the first time you go workout? and, what can i do, if anything, to make them less sore more quickly?

 

[DJBen]

You were doing heavy negatives. They kill your muscles and really cause growth and strength gains. Atleast you have a trainer that sounds like he knows what he's doing [almost, anyway].

Chug a huge protein shake down with 70g of fairly simple carbs and stretch a lot after each workout. That kills the soreness pretty good.

Otherwise, live with it.

You wait for your first heavy set of squats. You wont know what hit you the day after

 

[affliction]

Same thing happened to me when I first started working my arms. It'll be gone in a few days. Second day will be worse.

 

[Peter Parker]

Ha ha have fun walking around with your arms bent at a 90 degree angle. I was told your muscle won’t grow when you get that kind of soreness because of lactic acid build up.
It happen to me too when I first started, it will last 3 – 5 days tops, just stretch your biceps as much and as painful as possible.

 

[h2o]

haha, no it's not 90 degrees, but it's close. i've been walking around with my hands in my pockets, so it doesn't look as weird. and yeah, i've been stretching them despite pain.

yeah, i haven't started taking whey protein yet, but i've been taking carb-up before and after workouts (it's maltodextrin). trainer said i should buy whey prot and mix in a serving with each carb drink. i also take one in the mornings.

i actually don't have a real trainer; he works at the gym (as a trainer) and gives me good advice on diet, form, etc. because i couldn't afford the actual personal training thing (it's like $500/mo). but i think this forum will also help me alot.

yeah, i was told to start out with just squats without weight to start, before feeling the real burn...i can't wait, lol.

 

[MindOverMatter]

That happens to me everytime I return from a week or two of rest. It only happens in the first week, after that your biceps will always be ready to work, and will recover fast.

no pain no gain! (unless the pain kills you, in which case you're a dead motherf*cker!)

 

[Create Reality]

Mind, lol.

Yeah the pain will subside in about 2 - 4 days (average). Just take it easy on those negative lifts, they will TEAR YOU APART! Hahaha.

 

[h2o]

ok, good, atleast i'm not the only one that this happens / has happened too. i got through day one today, with my hands in my pockets, lol. hopefully the pain will decrease over the next few days as it wears off.

 

[AFK Protector]

This happened to me too. It usually happens when I don't work out for a few weeks and suddenly lift something heavy or get back to a rigorous workout routine.

 

[hcaz074]

It can happen when you havent lifted in a while or you just havent lifted that much weight before. Just get enough protein and you will be fine.

 

[h2o]

thanks for the replies. but this sort of leads me to another question (mind you, i did search for this, and i know there are a few threads on it, but my question is related to my current soreness, so i'm posting it here): have any of you heard of "max contraction training"? actually, i'm sure most of you would be familiar with isometric lifting, etc. "max contraction training" is specifically the name of a book, by john little, that goes more in depth regarding this type of workout.

anyway, according to what i've read online, and in that book, it says it is good to lift more than you can, with the assistance of a spotter. this is what happened my first day of working out, sort of. i was lifting more than i could, so i was doing heavy negatives on the way down, as i could not control the speed i was taking the weight down (uncurling my biceps). well, according to the book, it recommends that you only do one rep, and hold the weight (which is more than you can lift) at a position that is slightly before completing a full rotation, and hold it there for 1-6 seconds. if you can hold it for 7+ seconds you should add more weight. the concept is that if you hit your muscles hard with weight you can barely lift (and only with a spotter carrying some of the weight for you), that your brain will trigger muscle growth in that area, if you continue to hit that area, because your brain will think you need muscle there to prepare you for the next time you lift. the book says you can do more than one of these types of sets. now, honestly, i'm a bit skeptical about this. so, i read some other articles about it online, and they said that for someone looking to gain weight, or is a beginner, should add this one rep to the end of their regular routine. that's what i'll probably end up doing if i go with it. but, my question is, if i lift more than i can actually lift, won't i get sore after every workout? and if so, is that good or bad for muscle growth? if not, how is that possible? and has anyone tried the aforementioned 'intense workout' techniques? any frs?

by the way, i took note of this earlier, but decided to actually mention it now. regarding muscle growth when you're sore, Peter Parker said:

I was told your muscle won’t grow when you get that kind of soreness because of lactic acid build up.

but before that, DJBen said this about heavy negatives (which i am assuming is similar or the same as the intense training i was talking about), which is also sort of when you're sore:

They kill your muscles and really cause growth and strength gains

so, who's right and who's wrong?

 

[Create Reality]

h2o, be very cautious with intense isometric workouts, as they have their disadvantages. These are a major increase in blood pressure and the possibility to perform the Valsalva maneuver. Plus it's been said that isometric contractions only develop the muscle fibers at a single point. This is opposed to dynamic contraction, which works the range of muscle flexed. While this may be beneficial in some cases, it does not really add to overall strength.

 

[Soma]

You have The Herpes.

 

[h2o]

one last question

ok, i'm not sore anymore. but i do have one last question regarding soreness:

since working my biceps, i've been taking a carb shake 30min before and 30min after working out, and once at night/morning. i'm also taking in about 3000cal/day (including the shakes). the thing is, no matter how much i lift, even if it's more than i can, my muscles barely get sore. my legs are a bit sore from squats, but not much, and i barely feel a thing in my chest muscles after today. of course, no one was there to assist me in lifting more than i can, but i should feel something atleast, shouldn't i? or is this usually how it is when you drink a shake before and after workouts? not that i think it's good to be sore, but just that it's my first week lifting, and i should be sore, right?

 

[h2o]

basically, i wanted to add, how do i know i'm really targeting my muscles well?

 

[DJBen]

Train harder.

No really. Almost everyone can train harder. Push yourself.

"Forced reps are best done by yourself" ~ Franco

and I really do agree., even if it is slightly stupid.

 

[h2o]

ok, thanks, i'll do forced reps by myself. finally, i know DIESEL rec'd using free weights for the bench press, but it's easier for me to push myself using a machine, because i can push the lever with my legs slightly to help out as i lift something really heavy. so should i still stick to the old fashion bench with a spotter, or does the machine do the same thing?

 

[DJBen]

Erm... experiment with findind your failure limit when you have some lifting experience under your belt. I was just stressing the point that it's important, not you should try it right now.

Use free weights, and a spotter if you have to.

 

[h2o]

ok, got it.

 

[ak5]

Yea it happens to everyone that starts out,
I had it for nearly a week (less and less pain soreness)

Now usually, i get sore arms/biceps watever part 2 days after the workout :S