Hey guys, so because of a serious flu I was forced to take a week off training. Started training again this week and hit legs today. It was a hard session, 20 rep squats and all that jazz. Was in there for 2 hours. Just got home and can already feel the soreness kicking in and quite frankly it scares the shit out of me.
The last time I had a layoff and then did legs I was pretty much crippled for a whole week. Im talking having trouble sitting down on the toilet and just plain walking around. So my question is, is there ANYTHING you have found that actually works to alleviate the soreness somewhat, so as to atleast be able to function normally lol? Supplements, stretching, massage, anything really?
Foam roller, epsom salt bath, lots of stretching and try to keep moving around throughout the day…sitting for an extended time seems to encourage the creeping doom.
Btw, anyone who gets the Creeping Doom reference is cool with me.
There’s also prescription Voltaren Gel (diclofenac sodium) for when you think you actually might have pulled something. I pulled my abdomen during a white water rafting trip, and got prescribed that. The doc said he uses it religiously on his knees. But that’s more for specific soreness rather than general soreness.
Arnica montana is pretty good but it’s an herbal supplement so it can be a little more expensive. Otherwise IcyHot and stretching are my go-to remedies for being really sore.
[quote]LoRez wrote:
600mg ibuprofen, every 4-6 hours.
There’s also prescription Voltaren Gel (diclofenac sodium) for when you think you actually might have pulled something. I pulled my abdomen during a white water rafting trip, and got prescribed that. The doc said he uses it religiously on his knees. But that’s more for specific soreness rather than general soreness.[/quote]
Not a big fan of taking painkillers for anything, but I guess if it gets really bad I’ll have to consider it. Thanks for the suggestion:)
[quote]Beebopalooa wrote:
Arnica montana is pretty good but it’s an herbal supplement so it can be a little more expensive. Otherwise IcyHot and stretching are my go-to remedies for being really sore.[/quote]
Nice, I’ll check my local supplement store for it. Thanks:)
[quote]iVoodoo wrote:
Stiff legs are sore legs, so keep em’ moving.
Besides that?
Massage, stretching, both static and dynamic, foam rolling, ice baths, alternating cold and heat, and of course, eating.
[/quote]
Yup. After heavy legs I’d foam roll the shit out of them. Then the next morning try to go for some kind of run or swim (get them loosened up) and foam roll them again. Helps a lot.
[quote]Myosin wrote:
You have a case of “Creeping Doom”
Foam roller, epsom salt bath, lots of stretching and try to keep moving around throughout the day…sitting for an extended time seems to encourage the creeping doom.
Btw, anyone who gets the Creeping Doom reference is cool with me.[/quote]
[quote]Myosin wrote:
You have a case of “Creeping Doom”
Foam roller, epsom salt bath, lots of stretching and try to keep moving around throughout the day…sitting for an extended time seems to encourage the creeping doom.
Btw, anyone who gets the Creeping Doom reference is cool with me.[/quote]
Meadows program right?[/quote]
haha, actually I was just playing it as I went, but I guess it was meadows inspired.
session looked something like this.
Adductor machine-3 sets
abductor machine-3 sets
Lying leg curls- 4 sets
seated leg curls-4 sets
leg extensions- 4 sets
Squats- worked up to a 5 and then a 3 rep max and then 2 sets of 20, last one breathing squat style to failure
dumbell stiff leg deadlifts-4 sets, last one failure
power squat machine thingy-2 sets of 20 last one to failure
Leg press-2 sets of 15
Calf raises supersetted with dorsiflexion-5 rounds
Was probably excessive now that I think about it, but was feeling energetic.
There aren’t any proven methods that alleviate DOMS. Some techniques (stretching, foam rolling, massage, epsom salt bath, ice bath, NSAIDs) may help it not suck so much, but this is anecdotal at best. In my experience, extra foam rolling does nothing but cause acute pain for DOMS.
Hydration and stretching are your best bets for cramps however.
Forget foam, you need something harder and more focused. Try various balls. An over-inflated basketball is a good start to just get the blood flowing. Then targeted more specific areas with a softball, then a lacrosse ball. Some people like pvc pipe, but I think you it limits the range of rolling motion you get. When you find a sore-spot on a ball, you can attack from 360 degrees. It’s painful, but it is an exquisite, glorious kind of pain. You may need 3 - 4 sessions a day for the first day or two, but if you stick with it, you wont be out of commission for a week. Maybe 2 or 3 days, which is tolerable compared to 7.
I second what many others have said. The biggest help for me is foam rolling, especially on those rumble rollers although it hurts like hell. Epsom salt baths are great, as well as active recovery things like walking.
