Soreness and possible joint problems

[stello1001]

Hello fellow hide members,

So I've been working out for quite a while. Mostly weight lifting and doing it very consistent, meaning I don't like to skip a workout. I go to the gym 7 days a week. I've worked out throughout my life on and off as life and work dictate. However, I am now lifting the most and heaviest weight I ever have and really lifting religiously. As a result, I think I am putting a lot of stress on my body. Which isn't bad, I'm only getting stronger and more shredded. As a consequence, my joints are taking a beating. I imagined that having a clean diet and regular exercise would allow me to feel young and new. My muscles are also very sore almost always. I guess welcome to heavy lifting huh? I'm not too worried about that as I know heavy weight lifters experience this as time goes by.

Anyhow, what do you guys find that works best for these issues? I've tried BCAAs and glutamine mixed together to combat soreness but I don't notice much.

Thanks,

Serg

 

[Kickin45]

I didn’t even read your entire post. I stopped reading when you said “I work out 7 days a week”
That’s your problem, no recovery time. Joints and tendons take 3-5 times the amount of time to stretch and grow as muscle tissue.
do yourself a favor and educate yourself now, or pay for it the rest of your life.

 

[stello1001]

It

I didn’t even read your entire post. I stopped reading when you said “I work out 7 days a week”
That’s your problem, no recovery time. Joints and tendons take 3-5 times the amount of time to stretch and grow as muscle tissue.
do yourself a favor and educate yourself now, or pay for it the rest of your life.

It doesn't make a difference. A few months back, before I started lifting 7x a week, I was already in the exact same boat I am in now. The guys around me are all competitors and focus a lot on every detail. The day they rest is the day their competition is getting ahead of them, that is their mentality and I guess I somehow started going just as much.

 

[stello1001]

I'm 26...

I'm not saying resting or switching my workout routine to only 5 days a week is bad. I had actually thought about it and may even consider it in the very near future. I'm mostly wanting to see what others have found works for them for their joints and muscle soreness, vitamin or supplement wise.

 

[antithesis]

You definitely want to get a handle on the joint pain; there is no such thing as good joint pain. I would start by talking with a doctor and a dietitian. Each meat bag is a bit different so we don't all react the same to foods and stress. As someone that beat the snot out of my body, I have had to change exercises and diet numerous times as things changed - I am over twice your age and what I was doing at 26 to keep the joints feeling good stopped working a long time ago.

A coach in school always made us run a mile before we were allowed to enter the weight room so I never got into a pure weight lifting routine. Even as an adult one personal trainer I had mandated 2 cardio days per week (no weights at all those days). I never asked why she wanted that, but I had better results during that time. Coincidentally, she was my trainer when I was 25-27. You may also need to revisit your warm-up and cool-down routines.

 

[FatBoy]

I'm 46 and can promise you you're writing checks that that will end up being cashed down the road.

I'll refrain from specific workout advice beyond saying guys who compete generally ruin their body. Most are their weakest right before a competition, unless you are talking strongman and since you said shredded.... they look great but may not be the best role models.

In the short term, good quality cod liver oil and glucosamine will help but they take time to start working. Like 45 days. Also, one of the proven anti-inflammatory diets might help. I had to keep my wheat and dairy WAY down now. A proper diet helps beyond words.

This said. I have had four multi level back surgeries, a fractured tibia from running an the treadmill and I got an MRI yesterday to see if the disc bulde in my neck is the cause of my shoulder pain or if it's a torn rotator cuff. I may not be the best guy to get advice from either, but I am wonderful at fucking myself up. Good luck keeping up the pace as you age....

 

[Kickin45]

@stello1001
Let me ask you this, and you don’t need to respond.
Are you juicing? If so, you will regret it for the rest of your life. It’s amazing for muscular size and definition, but it destroys organs, bone density, tendons and joints.
10yrs of “You look amazing” isn’t worth 40yrs of extreme pain and disability.

And all those competitors your around, they all have massive joint and tendon pain. And probably most are juicing as well which compounds the situation.

I’ll say it once more. Read read read. Educate yourself. I know your 26 and been working out for ‘years’ and you know everything already.
Arnold, Franco, Lou, Sergio and Frank all took days off to let their bodies mend.
Check out Frank Zanes training in his later years and read his regrets and the pain he’s been in since 1971 because of overtraining.
Your gonna do whatever you want to do, but if your not going to take advice from guys that have been working out for 20, 30 or 40 yrs, don’t ask for advice. You will be debilitated by your 40’s just like the rest of us idiots that thought we were special and could cheat our bodies.
Best of luck young man.

 

[BCX]

There is more to weight training than just lifting. As stated above mix up your routine. You need recovery time, sleep, hydration and proper nutrition. I have seen to many injuries from guys juicing and pushing themselves 7 days a week.

 

[_Windrider_]

Even the Rock takes a day off.

 

[Rerun7]

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I used to be in the gym all the time and trying to push myself to 150% every time. I ended up injuring myself over and over again or getting so burned out I couldn’t stand going to workout.

I realized there is a balance you have to achieve and be smart about how you train. Listen to your body. There is a difference between good pain and bad pain. Learn the difference and don’t push through bad pain. It never ends well.

 

[stello1001]

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I used to be in the gym all the time and trying to push myself to 150% every time. I ended up injuring myself over and over again or getting so burned out I couldn’t stand going to workout.

I realized there is a balance you have to achieve and be smart about how you train. Listen to your body. There is a difference between good pain and bad pain. Learn the difference and don’t push through bad pain. It never ends well.

I agree that there is good pain and bad pain. I enjoy pushing myself to the limit and seeing what the human body can be capable of. I'll admit, it's been very addicting how much more weight I can push each time, especially on the leg press machine. I like pushing myself because my muscles become sore. That is an indication to me that my routine is working, my muscle is ripping and new muscle is being created on top of it to protect itself from future stress.

Now the bad pain, I suppose that would be my left knee having some discomfort every now and then, as well as my ball and socket joints. While it is not pain, it's just some discomfort which I consider to be an indication of stressing the joint a bit too much.

@stello1001
Let me ask you this, and you don’t need to respond.
Are you juicing? If so, you will regret it for the rest of your life. It’s amazing for muscular size and definition, but it destroys organs, bone density, tendons and joints.
10yrs of “You look amazing” isn’t worth 40yrs of extreme pain and disability.

And all those competitors your around, they all have massive joint and tendon pain. And probably most are juicing as well which compounds the situation.

I’ll say it once more. Read read read. Educate yourself. I know your 26 and been working out for ‘years’ and you know everything already.
Arnold, Franco, Lou, Sergio and Frank all took days off to let their bodies mend.
Check out Frank Zanes training in his later years and read his regrets and the pain he’s been in since 1971 because of overtraining.
Your gonna do whatever you want to do, but if your not going to take advice from guys that have been working out for 20, 30 or 40 yrs, don’t ask for advice. You will be debilitated by your 40’s just like the rest of us idiots that thought we were special and could cheat our bodies.
Best of luck young man.

I agree that looking the absolute very best is not necessarily a good thing as it can and probably will lead to some sort of damage which I will regret in the years to come. I do not juice and do not plan on doing so. Heck, I don't even take pre workout, I hate that stuff.

Since I have been working out on and off for years, I can say that I feel positive in that I know what I'm doing inside the gym. I look at old pictures and I see how fit, defined, etc I used to be, particularly during my college years. So I know my workouts are being effective as I have proven them to show results. However, I do not claim to be an expert or know it all...

I will definitely look into Frank Zanes, thanks for the recommendation. I enjoy documentaries, reads, movies, etc on old school lifting.

On the advice, it's not that I'm trying to ask for it but not take it. Rather, I'm asking for opinions and experiences others have had so I can take all that into account and make a more informed decision on what I will do. I'm not denying or rejecting the idea of having some sort of rest. I know it can do me well. The only thing that I'm somewhat unsure of, is what am I going to do with the workout routines that I would have normally done on my rest days? It seems I'm already brainstorming to pile that up to my other workouts. So if I take Thursday and Friday off, those routines will be added somewhere else on non rest days lol.

Anyhow, I like the ideas and suggestions. Keep them coming. And if anybody knows of a vitamin or something SAFE to help with joints, please say so. It wouldn't hurt for me to look it up.

 

[_Windrider_]

I agree that there is good pain and bad pain. I enjoy pushing myself to the limit and seeing what the human body can be capable of. I'll admit, it's been very addicting how much more weight I can push each time, especially on the leg press machine. I like pushing myself because my muscles become sore. That is an indication to me that my routine is working, my muscle is ripping and new muscle is being created on top of it to protect itself from future stress.

Now the bad pain, I suppose that would be my left knee having some discomfort every now and then, as well as my ball and socket joints. While it is not pain, it's just some discomfort which I consider to be an indication of stressing the joint a bit too much.



I agree that looking the absolute very best is not necessarily a good thing as it can and probably will lead to some sort of damage which I will regret in the years to come. I do not juice and do not plan on doing so. Heck, I don't even take pre workout, I hate that stuff.

Since I have been working out on and off for years, I can say that I feel positive in that I know what I'm doing inside the gym. I look at old pictures and I see how fit, defined, etc I used to be, particularly during my college years. So I know my workouts are being effective as I have proven them to show results. However, I do not claim to be an expert or know it all...

I will definitely look into Frank Zanes, thanks for the recommendation. I enjoy documentaries, reads, movies, etc on old school lifting.

On the advice, it's not that I'm trying to ask for it but not take it. Rather, I'm asking for opinions and experiences others have had so I can take all that into account and make a more informed decision on what I will do. I'm not denying or rejecting the idea of having some sort of rest. I know it can do me well. The only thing that I'm somewhat unsure of, is what am I going to do with the workout routines that I would have normally done on my rest days? It seems I'm already brainstorming to pile that up to my other workouts. So if I take Thursday and Friday off, those routines will be added somewhere else on non rest days lol.

Anyhow, I like the ideas and suggestions. Keep them coming. And if anybody knows of a vitamin or something SAFE to help with joints, please say so. It wouldn't hurt for me to look it up.

1000mg of glucosamine daily.

 

[Rerun7]

I know what you mean about it being addictive but if you keep that intensity all the time then something will break. Especially as you get older.

This past year was a rough one for me. I have gotten old enough that I have to learn to start working smarter and some of the injuries when I was younger are catching up with me.

Just this year I’ve had two bulged discs, an annular tear, a pinched nerve in my hip and two separate shoulder pinches. I’ve also got some torn cartilage in my left knee and arthritis in a couple of joints from past injuries. So I ended up with some significant steps backwards because I was pushing it too hard and didn’t listen to my body.

Enjoy it while you are 26, haha!

 

[Tunnuh]

How heavy are you talking? What kind of routine and goals are you trying to achieve? Muscle soreness is fine but elbow, shoulder, knee and neck joints shouldn't hurt regularly. The body needs rest. I am almost 39. I squat with 10 45's and the bar on my last set. 5 sets of 5 in pyramid increases. If you're hurting ligaments you need to let them heal and maybe see the doc. I lift 3 to 4 days and get 2 of cardio. Low intensity cardio. Hurting yourself to keep up with guys who probably take more than bcaa's isn't good in the long run. I'm curious about your routine and goals and hope to keep you from hurting yourself.

 

[47guy]

I agree that there is good pain and bad pain. I enjoy pushing myself to the limit and seeing what the human body can be capable of. I'll admit, it's been very addicting how much more weight I can push each time, especially on the leg press machine. I like pushing myself because my muscles become sore. That is an indication to me that my routine is working, my muscle is ripping and new muscle is being created on top of it to protect itself from future stress.

Now the bad pain, I suppose that would be my left knee having some discomfort every now and then, as well as my ball and socket joints. While it is not pain, it's just some discomfort which I consider to be an indication of stressing the joint a bit too much.



I agree that looking the absolute very best is not necessarily a good thing as it can and probably will lead to some sort of damage which I will regret in the years to come. I do not juice and do not plan on doing so. Heck, I don't even take pre workout, I hate that stuff.

Since I have been working out on and off for years, I can say that I feel positive in that I know what I'm doing inside the gym. I look at old pictures and I see how fit, defined, etc I used to be, particularly during my college years. So I know my workouts are being effective as I have proven them to show results. However, I do not claim to be an expert or know it all...

I will definitely look into Frank Zanes, thanks for the recommendation. I enjoy documentaries, reads, movies, etc on old school lifting.

On the advice, it's not that I'm trying to ask for it but not take it. Rather, I'm asking for opinions and experiences others have had so I can take all that into account and make a more informed decision on what I will do. I'm not denying or rejecting the idea of having some sort of rest. I know it can do me well. The only thing that I'm somewhat unsure of, is what am I going to do with the workout routines that I would have normally done on my rest days? It seems I'm already brainstorming to pile that up to my other workouts. So if I take Thursday and Friday off, those routines will be added somewhere else on non rest days lol.

Anyhow, I like the ideas and suggestions. Keep them coming. And if anybody knows of a vitamin or something SAFE to help with joints, please say so. It wouldn't hurt for me to look it up.

your not listening to what everyone is telling you...whether you want to hear it or not you are over training...your body DOES NOT grow when you train it grows when you rest and if you are training 7 days a week when can your body rest?

when you pass about 20yrs old your natural testosterone and HGH production slows down and so does your ability to heal and all the vitamins in the world are not going to help you heal if your training 7 days a week...do yourself a favor and cut back to a 4 day split before you really hurt yourself.

if your not a member on some of the body building and or strongman forums you should be and heres a good place to start

https://www.intensemuscle.com/ Dante Trudal has built some BIG MOFOs

 

[E. Bryant]

You're not going to follow any advice that involves something other than a supplement or magic pill, right? Just want to be clear before wasting time.

 

[candyx]

Buy more ammo it cures everything.........

 

[Blaster7Romeo]

What do you need to take?

Rest and recovery... I knew that in the first 2 sentences..

You are not working out 7 days a week you are working out how many ever days it has been in a row. Take a week off from the gym.. you will feel better and come back stronger.. I promise !

Your gains will not leave! Your gym crush will still not talk to you when you get back.. Your gym bros will not forget your name..

This is you right now

 

[camotoe]

Vitamin c
Fish oil
Good multi
More water
Take a day off

 

[WIVigilance]

Recovery time! I work out usually 5 days a week and during race season my running goes way up....for that I use hammer nutrition tissue rejuvenator. I also spend a half hour stretching every night. If your body is sore it just needs more recovery time

 

[--BLACKOUT--]

Keep ego lifting and soon enough your body will raise the middle finger to you for running it into the ground. Soreness is one thing but actual pain is either over use or shitty form. As stated, rest is needed to properly heal especially as you get older. Or go hard as fuck till you blow something and then learn.

 

[smead45]

You need to take a break during the week for sure. That being said I started putting collagen peptides in my protein shakes after workouts. Several 50+ year old powerlifters recommended it to me. Took a couple weeks but it definitely helped with my joint pain and tendonitis. YMMV.

 

[cmoore806]

how much sleep are you getting every night on average?

 

[MarinePMI]

Well...this was an entertaining thread.

OP. Stop the 7 day a week crap. What you're looking for isn't in a bottle, it's between your ears. Start using it.

You're welcome.

 

[E. Bryant]

The OP obviously doesn't care. Either he's just looking for validation that he's a real badass (provided by all us pussies that keep suggesting weak-ass stuff like "rest"), or he's unwilling to accept any answer that doesn't involve popping a magic supplement.

Stop back in twenty years, and he'll be that guy in his mid-forties who talks about how ripped he used to be, but now he can't lift or run because of a shoulder injury, wrecked knee, fucked-up back, whatever. Hopefully I'm wrong and his tactical retreat from this thread is giving him time to evaluate his goals and set up a strategy for the long game.

The older I get, the less respect I have for a shredded 25-year-old, and the more I have for the 45-year-old who is still able to bust out solid work on bench/squats/deadlifts, and the 65-year-old who is still putting in 5 days a week doing water aerobics, pickleball, resistance band work, etc.