Attempting GordY's three day split - either going too hard or just too weak

Hatter The Mad

Hatter The Mad

Hatter The Mad

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Joined
28 Nov 2008
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EDIT: Problem solved (I think) - see lower down


Hi all

Gordy recommends a three day split and weekend off. I used to do this with some success a while back, then got lazy. I'm now picking things up again. I'm 5 weeks into it.

What I am finding the day after a workout, I'm pretty much fine. I stretch well after exercise, on the next day and I soak in a hot bath too. However, for the day following and even the day after that (so 2 days post-workout), I feel sore as hell. Muscles are tight, sore to stretch and basic muscles. I'm not bed ridden, but enough for me to pop ibuprofen in order to extend my elbow/arm fully.

For example, I did back and biceps on Tuesday. Today I'd like to do triceps, shoulders and chest, but I know it'll be fairly futile - the big compound exercises like a bench press would just be ruined by how my bicep tendons are feeling right now.

I have a good diet meticulously measured, supplemented with multi vits, fish oils, plenty of whey and BCAAs and creatine (on average, 5g a day).

I maintain good form about 90% of the time - I push hard but I don't go silly. When I realise I'm OTT I am quick to drop a weight too if it means completing the set.

I am looking for advice, as I presume novices have experienced this before; does it just get better and do you power through it, or is it a sign you're just doing too much? Or is a one day rest in between workouts too little?

Cheers.
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Your either experiencing DOMS or you need to go to the docs.

You certainly shouldn't need painkillers for DOMS though, either that or your just being a girl.
 
Begbie said:
Your either experiencing DOMS or you need to go to the docs.

You certainly shouldn't need painkillers for DOMS though, either that or your just being a girl.
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I'm being a bit of a girl, you can guarantee that. But what do you do - exercise through it or what? I get it one-two days post-workout, without fail over the last month.
 
Get a foam roller, I suspect it's doms. For the arm issue. Lower the weight. I believe, if you have too much weight and not correct control during the arm stuff you can get issues there.

kd
 
Thanks for the advice. Should I still go to the gym and just work through it, or let it settle? Not the same muscles obviously, but some similar movements and overlaps (i.e. bench).
 
Unless its really really painful, like a tear or something, work through it, it gets better eventually
 
Yeah it does get better with frequency. However if you ditch workouts to help recovery, you'll only be making it worse :) plough on thru, and make sure you're getting your recovery shake in there!
 
Unless you've been doing something very silly, your tendons are fine. As a beginner, you should be safe to train through the DOMS. It should actually make it feel better when you get warm.
 
Hatter The Mad said:
Thanks for the advice. Should I still go to the gym and just work through it, or let it settle? Not the same muscles obviously, but some similar movements and overlaps (i.e. bench).
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A warm up & cool down could help, DOMS should fade with time the more your body gets used to training. Exceptionally tough or different workout styles can cause them to reoccur.

Drink plenty of water too.
 
So this kept up even 8 months after I'd started training.

Turned out to be my diet. I wasn't taking enough protein (which I knew, I just didn't want to bulk up too fast). I upped it and haven't had the problem since.
 
certainly amazing the number of people that think lifting weights turns people into "the terminator". protein shakes = steroids.

i was talking to this guy the other day he's like 5'5, skinny as hell and said he got too big last year drinking jack3d and training and needed to stop lifting and get smaller so thats why he wasn't as "big". he was convinced jack3d had steroids in it because 1-3 dymethline is now a banned substance.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
i take it your on creatine bro? stay safe
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Yes - I tried ~3 months on ~3 months off; as well as throwing my Fitbit **** scales' bodyfat reading off the charts (I'm presuming its the water), it seemed to help with the day-after-the-next soreness I used to get. I'm detecting sarcasm in your post, is creatine supposedly useless?

Edit: (For some reason it has *'d out this: http://www.fitbit.com/ - go to 'Scales').

uv said:
Do what now?
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I tried to be a clever dick and worked out, approximately, much mass I would gain and adjusted my diet accordingly. Obviously, I now see that undershooting the protein amount is key information missing from my OP! I realised this was the only thing I was 'doing differently', tested and it seemed to be the problem.

Basically, I was terrified about overshooting and getting a little podgy (worries stemming from childhood), but I've since educated myself.

Psycho Sonny said:
certainly amazing the number of people that think lifting weights turns people into "the terminator". protein shakes = steroids.
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Well, I'm not one of them - but I do know that if I did not pay attention, I'd risk piling on some of the wrong kind of pounds :)

Thanks for the advice all
 
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