Extreme Hamstrings Soreness

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

Hi guys, this may seem stupid but I haven’t found many answers (to be honest I guess I haven’t looked that hard yet)relating to muscular soreness. My situation is: Every time I train hamstrings, or calves (GHR’s, Snatch Deads, and calf raises) they are sore to the point of limping for about 3 days and total soreness lasts about 5-6 days sometimes a week.

For glutes and quads it’s usually around 3 days soreness (my adductor magnus also always hurts like sh** after lunges). Even doing the same program (al beit progressing in weight or reps completed of course)for 4-6 weeks still results in the same soreness. However, for my training partners they never feel any soreness (they do use slightly lighter weights). I just want some possible reasons behind the variance in soreness between me and other folk. How many of you guys experience soreness as i’ve described?

Bear in mind i take 20 grams BCAA’s while i train and always have a carb and protein shake after training (both of which may reduce soreness I hear).

Thanks alot for any info.

2

i have the same thing when i train hamstrings. i just try to stretch and bare it. sorry i cant be of more help but try stretching.

3

i got loads of hamstring problems and glute issues too. stretching the hammys, glutes, and itb have helped.

I have gotten into the routine now where as part of my daily routine i stretch in the morning after a hot shower.

I also use a foam roller, found that helps quite a bit with the soreness.

magnesium is supposed to help muscle soreness to a certain degree aswell so try that.

4

Shit i get a bad pain in my right hamstring/thigh…its a sharp pain tho when i move my right leg abduc and adduc

5

Sunflower seeds! <—Magnesium

6

To the OP 5-6 days of soreness is excessive. Even 3 days in your quads is too much. What is your upper body like?

7

For my quads the soreness is more mild than for hamstrings, i’d say tender more than sore. For my upper body my chest can be sore for 2-3 days, don’t always feel my lats unless i’ve taken a week off training. Upper back is always sore for 2 - 3 days after deadlifting. Other than that, nothing too noticable for the upper body.

The weird thing is i don’t think i do that much volume compared to other T-Nationers.

Hip dominant day = 6 sets of 5 of Snatch deads, 3 sets of 8 goodmornings and 5 sets of 4 reverse lunges per leg. Is this excessive??? because this workout leaves my entire posterior chain sore for 4 days usually, adductors and hamstrings are still tender today 6 days later.

8

Oh and I take magnesium guys. Cheers for all the responses btw :slight_smile: Its good getting opinions on this because I don’t understand soreness very well at all. It doesn’t bother me because i’m so used to it, but i just wanna know why it’s different to everyone i train with if you get what i mean :slight_smile:

9

How long have you been training? Your GPP could just be low, that could very easily result in extreme soreness. Especially if you are somewhat new to it.

Do more posterior work throughout the week instead of just one day. That will eventually help, not to mention probably bring your lifts up.

Also fish oil helps with soreness for me.

10

I think you’re dead right. I have only been training 7-8 months and I’m new to the concept of GPP. I’m positive that my GPP is shitty. I do deadlifting, goodmornings and lunges on Mondays, then on Thursdays I start with 5-6 sets hang cleans usually working up to a max, followed by front squats. Do you suggest more posterior work on the thursday?

And yep i agree fish oil is great, i take about 3000mg DHA a day along with around 1000mg EPA. Although i hadn’t realised how much difference it makes in my soreness because I’ve been taking it the entire time i’ve been training.

11

I’ve found the less frequently I do a lift the more likely it is to make me really really really sore.

12

Yeah man im in the same boat as you are, my hamstrings get so sore to the point of debilitating pain. They by FAR take the longest out of any of my muscle groups to recover, im not quite sure why. Obviously if your doing a new exercise some DOMS is definitely going to be expected but for me its also like you said, every week im out of commission for a good 5-6 days. CT has a good recovery protocol article which i suggest you check out here

http://www.T-Nation.com/article/bodybuilding/7_secrets_to_rapid_recovery&cr=

13

How big are you? and what condition are you in, and what is your activitity level during the day?

These play a role in your hamstrings ability to recover. Along with if they grew up playing highspeed sports.

14

ive figured the same thing.

granted you could still get sore by doing something new even if you trained those muscles frequently already.

for example i wont ever get soreness if i squat 2 times a week, but i may get if i do leg extentions. or hamstring curls.

basically, doing something that you havent done in a while is what gets me sore. the more time that i havent done it and the more different it is from what ive been doing frequently the more sore it will get me.

also big changes in sets/reps/weight can get me sore.

15

Be careful with tight hamstrings; mine have been tight recently and I overstretched them and now I strained/pulled my right hamstring/groin, pretty painful.

16

I’m not sure how much mobility stuff you do, but a dynamic warm up before I lift and then again if im very sore the following day(s) has helped me quite a bit. Also you could try using the foam roller on it before lifting as well as for recovery later on in the day/week.