If I worked my biceps (just for an example) on Monday, and rested them on Tuesday, can I work my biceps again on Wednesday -- even if they are still a little sore?

Usually Yes, If I get sore and have had 48 hours off I still lift.
Jag

be careful with the small muscle groups..they do not need to be worked that close together and could lead to overtraining. You can work your biceps indirectly with training of other muscle groups..for instance your back...so they end up getting worked more than you think. I checked your journal and did not see your workouts..why don't you post your lifting schedule so we can better advise you.

I second what liftnlady said - post up what you're doing so we can have a look-see.

See, you two are going to shame me into putting together an actual program that will force we to go into the main weight room... eek!

To ease my way into weight lifting (and the intimidating weight room), I've added lifting "classes" to my routine. There are 3 classes a week. They are actually pretty good for a beginner, I think, because they correct my form and get me used to handling weights, etc.

So on Monday I took the class called "Strong". I have three sets of dumbells (8s, 10s, 15s), and two barbells (one totalling 30 and one totalling 20). I used these items to hit most of the muscle groups and did squats, lunges, deadlifts, several shoulder exercises, rows, several bi exercises, several tri exercises, several chest exercises (multiple grip bench presses as well as flys, also pushups) and probably some things I'm forgetting now.

Basically, I would start with the heaviest weight I had in front of me and when I would start failing, move down to the next lightest until the instuctor completed all the reps for that exercise. Rinse, repeat.

You guys are probably going to tell me that this isn't the best way to lift to get the best results. But I just don't know what to DO if I have to go into the weight room and come up with my own routine.

I'm such a wuss aren't I.

au contraire cheesey...if you are just starting out this is a fullbody routine that you do 3x a week if I am correct....this is perfect and you should see good results from it, remember when this get easier you need to step it up a notch...either heavier weights..or move to split body parts.

see that was not so painful

now that Built lady I cannot guarantee that she will be as nice as me

Cheesypoof,

Resting periods between workouts will vary among individuals, because everyone responds differently to exercise and stress. I’ve read numerous articles that say adequate muscle recovery can be obtained in 48 to 72 hours. Some of the pros will only work a body part once a week. Here’s a link to an article that you might find useful

“Rest and Over Training”
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/behar2.htm

Good Luck,
-Dave

Oh sure, set me up to be the "bad cop".

Cheesy, there's a LOT of information on the stickies in the exercise forums, and if you go to the first page of my journal, there's a link to the first lifting programme I did - it's a two-day split, and there are little movies that describe the movements. You can also go to www.exrx.net for more of these little movies, and lots of information about lifting programmes.

Good luck!

- Built

Thanks for the great link, Dave.

I do think you get a "feel" for how much recovery time you need as you go along. I think it also has to do with the intensity with which you train. I used to make sure I got at least 3 days of recovery for each bodypart. Now, I typically give 'em a week, except for legs, and I may change this sometime soon as well.

Can I add a question to this thread?

I worked my quads on Monday. Today they are still sore. They're so sore that after I've sat for 30min when I get up I have a hard time walking. I have a hard time walking normally even after my the muscles are warm. It seems that the quads dont want to keep my legs straight - my knees keep locking when I'm standing still.

I did light cardio yesterday so that I didn't hurt them more, but I want to do more intense cardio today (HIIT on the elliptical) but I'm not sure if that's a bad idea for my quads.

Also, any idea about how much soreness is okay for working them again?

I've never had this much soreness before and I'm afraid I overdid it.

Normally I'd work them again tomorrow, but I'm afraid to do it too soon this time.

What do you guys suggest?

What about the cardio? I really want to do more HIIT, but I dont want to set the healing of my quads back.

I'm not an expert but I'd say listen to your body.... If you feel that you overdid it on Monday then I'd hold off.

Your other option is to start your workout and to closely watch how your quads react. If you feel any pain or resistance then I'd stop your workout.

Cardio.... again I'd say listen to your body. I've done intensive HIIT after a good LBWO and not had a problem. But on other days I've slowed down because I could feel the fatigue in my muscles.

good luck!
kiks

So I'm going to do your first lifting program, Built, I don't know how I missed those links. Duh. I'm still very intimidated about going into the weight room, but what the hell.

A couple questions:

About how long time-wise does it take to do each of those workouts?

When you say you like to have a little something sweet "just before" you lift, is that like 5 minutes before you lift or 30 minutes before you lift, or somewhere in between?

How long should I rest between each set and between each exercise group? I've heard 2 minutes for both, is that adequate?

And finally, is it OK to do "regular" squats versus ATF squats? Both my knees are pretty torn up, and I've heard the ATF squats are pretty rough on them.

Thanks for all your help!

CheesyPoof - seems like we're in the same boat! I just walked into the free weight room for the first time this week. I was extremely intimidated and you know what? It wasnt that bad! I just have to ignore the guys who are grunting and curly 100 lb dumbbells!!

I did the same thing a few months ago when I started doing squats - went past parallel and at my weight, that was not a good idea. Heck, at any weight, that's not a good idea when you are first learning.

It took 2-3 weeks for me to get back to feeling normal. Definitely painful and difficult to move around. I didn't do any LB work that first week and then eased back into it slowly after that. I probably could have recovered more quickly if I had known to take L-glutamine.

Well, I'm glad to hear that it didn't cause any long term problems. I think I only went to parrallel during my squats, but it's been so long since I've done squats regularly, especially with weights, that I guess I'm out of practice.

So I've heard a bit about L-glutamine but I didnt think much about it since I usually dont mind a bit of muscle soreness. Do you think it will help if I take some now? Is it a powder? Or should I just wait for the soreness to go away?