Sam wrote on Aug. 23, 2012:
Coach,
I went a little harder with the upright press and my right should is sore. I had massage therapy, which helped some. --Sam
Richard replied Aug. 23, 2012:
Sam:
I think you mean "Seated Shoulder Press." Good move to catch some deep massage therapy.
Deep tissue massage pushes lactic acid, carbon dioxide and other metabolites generated when muscle fibers are worked at near-capacity into larger arteries to be processed by various organs. Massage is an awesome therapy under any condition, but after a killer workout, it can substantially dissipate soreness.
When pain persists even after deep tissue massage, sometimes hot and cold contrast baths help through increasing vaso-dialation, thus increasing the surface of absorption. In extreme pain, a couple of aspirin can also help. And, of course, don't go back to the gym and push hard with any soreness. It adds up. Just cut back the load and reps for a couple of workouts and you'll be good to go.
If you're really sore, another workout seems like the last thing to do. But if you cut the load, reps and sets way back and just get the muscle groups to massage to pump the vessels it can get you back to business more quickly.
However, no matter what condition you're in, always begin slowly with any new exercise or program. Remember, the principle of "specificity." A muscle group can be very efficient and well trained in one range of motion, and leave you with tears in your eyes when you have pushed it to exhaustion in a different range of motion. More than one well-trained beginner has awakened the morning following a total new workout barely able to walk.
Why? Because the muscle and skeletal system has such an incredible range of motion that it is impossible to do any one exercise that engages all the muscles and their specific range of motion. Therefore, a supine bench press uses chest and triceps as prime-movers, but move the body to a different orientation to the line of gravity and it will demand a different aspect of a muscle group's fibers even though prime movers are the same. This often happens with changing quad routines and triceps. OUCH!
Likewise, switching from machines to free-weight work can generate a similar response. So the bottom line is to take it easy whenever changing an exercise or routine even though you may be in good physical condition. And warning, it can take days to recover when you forget this fundamental resistance training principle.
Sam wrote on Aug. 23, 2012:
Coach,
Thank you. That makes sense. Yeah, its my right top of my shoulder and, yes, it was with the seated shoulder presses. I overdid it. As my reps were heavy at around 10 reps rather than the normal 15 reps. So I'll cut back the weight and reps as needed. Thank you for sharing your insightful information. So I'm hearing that well-trained muscles can build a tolerance. And changing the angle or exercise can work out completely different muscles. So I'll keep this in mind when I increase weight as well. And, in particular, when I change up my next routine. Speaking of which, I've been training on the machine weights set since May. Since it's been over 3 months, maybe I'm ready for a new workout in September?
I look forward to your support and insightful knowledge and experience! Thank you.
Richard replied Aug. 24, 2012:
Sam,
Yes, definitely time for a program change. Each program should be built on the past couple of programs. In your case this one.
We not only work on other muscles, but the some of the same muscle groups but at different angles. Muscular symmetry, joint range of motion, biomechanical function, and a client's particular needs are all considerations when designing programs.
Many gyms just set up a circuit and it's one program fits all. That's like going shopping for a pair of shoes in a store that only sells size 10's.
I suggest you not cut back on reps, cut the resistance until you can get the 15 reps without pain.
Sam wrote on January 10, 2013:
Dear Coach:
I know there are many other benefits to the PTA [Pain, Torture and Agony scale]. But would you remind me again? :) My PTA is about a 4 today.
Richard wrote on January 11, 2013:
Dear Sam:
In order to build muscle mass and strength, both essential elements to living strong throughout life, there will be some degree of muscular and cardio-respiratory distress. The key is to keep the distress low, but not so low the workouts are ineffective. So how does does one know how much distress to experience and what's too much?
First, understand that distress is normal and healthy. It's call work. When muscles are worked, the produce an "exhaust" much the same as an internal combustion engine. But in muscle combustion the bi-products are lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and other metabolites.
The weaker and more de-conditioned the muscles being worked, the great the bi-products. Too much and the pain can be extreme and is not desirable. Too little resistance and very limited progress. So Da Coach has developed the Pain, Torture, & Agony scale.
It's a 1 - 10 self-assessment scale. 1 = no real discomfort the next day following a workout. 10 = Total Blow Out. It hurts to blink. You can hardly walk. A 10 is undesirable and can be harmful.
So Da Coach recommends beginning with a low PTA self assessment score of a 3 or 4. This means you feel a little tenderness in the muscles you are targeting in your workout, but the pain is not debilitating.
As your workouts progress, you will actually get stronger and your muscles will be able to handle greater workloads. As muscle hypertrophy — grow in diameter and can handle bigger loads — you must slowly increase the reps, sets, and/or level of resistance. It all depends on your goals, sport of choice, experience, etc. How do you know? Ask Da Coach.
Sam wrote on Jan. 11, 2013:
Dear Coach:
I'm appreciative of your coaching and weight training for life. And yes, I'd like to be gradually healthier and slightly bigger with the PTA of 3 to 4 after each work outs. And working out three days a week, along with yoga on the other days, which helps with the stretching.
I'm having more energy, and more emotional letting go, and presence of my own alertness and awareness. Overall I appreciate how you shared encouragement with your expertise in physical fitness and weight training. I'm grateful for your continued support and encouragement. And I'm confident I'm on the right track for wellness through quality of weight training, nutrition and emotional awareness and spiritual presence. This brings a full life's vitality.
Sam wrote on March 19, 2013:
Hi, Richard. Greetings with enjoying the warmer weather of our glorious sunshine at the moment!
Monday the Prince William County schools were close/delayed due to some light snow. So my yoga class was canceled. So I thought I'd try the treadmill and run a little. Well, I ran for about 15 minutes at a medium pace. So I thought! My PTA for my inner thigh is an 8! Ouch....
And I noticed that my muscles-training PTA has also dropped and is now between 2-5 depending on my body and, of course, the resistance and exercise. So I'll look to eventually set up the second set. Originally, my fear of pain I thought because I hurt my upper shoulders and neck pushing too much resistance. It's my inner voice of wisdom that I want enjoy the grace and moderate level of physical resistance training. Knowing my need to "prove myself" and knowing the inner physical exercise and our cultural growing up and turning into a "man"....You know...? I just don't want to feel the PTA at every moving moment—like my inner thighs feels right now.
Laughing with myself.... Thanks for hearing me Richard!
Richard wrote on March 19, 2013
Hi Sam:
Thanks for the update. There is a principle of exercise physiology called "specificity." This means that almost all concentric and eccentric contractions of a muscle produce a specific physiological training effect. In other words, you can be in good shape for running but get creamed trying to do an even moderate resistance program. Or the other way around.
So jumping on a treadmill or elliptical machine without a slow build-up of workouts and resistance levels over a few weeks can produce high levels of lactic acid, CO2 and other metabolites. This is what causes the muscular pain.
This is why, even though you may be in great shape doing one set of resistance exercises, it's like starting all over for a few weeks when you change the routine. But it doesn't last as long, nor is it as intense, as it would be if you had not been training at all.
I suggest you begin to include a complete second set of all your exercises. As I have explained earlier, the first set just gets the vessels dilated and muscle fibers pumped up and ready for serious overloads. Three sets are even better.
So remember the pain you have experienced in your inner thigh is from the running. In running, you use the thigh muscles but in a different manner than doing seated leg extensions or seated leg curls. Same muscle group but different loads and range of motion. In running there is also the G-impact of the heel strike, which radiates up your thigh and into the hip and glutes.
Make sense? Let's get together soon for another Da Coach workout. Two sets, full number of reps. Last two or three reps should be near exhaustion, especially on the second set. When you can do that without serious pain the next day, we'll change the program.
A little tenderness is okay. "Serious pain" means you're not sure if you can make it to the shower. We want to work somewhere in between.
Sam wrote on March 19, 2013:
<breathing with sighing> Okay, Coach Richard.
I'll try the full second set of all the exercises. My resistenance training typically lasts for about 35 minutes. (I do 15 repetitions of heaviest weight firs—say 25 lbs DB, medium 22.5 lbs DB, and light weights 20 lbs DB. This is what I call one set. I'd like to confirm: Is this what you are also calling one set?
And then move on to the opposite—"antagonistic"—muscle group for the first set. And with a total of 8 different exercise within my total resistance exercise routine. So am I hearing this correctly: If I do two sets, my entire routine would then be about 70 minutes or an hour and 10 minutes.
I'm sort of confused. I thought I remember you said it would be about 45 minutes to do the whole workout of two sets.
Would you provide me with some clarity?
Richard replied on March 21, 2013:
Re: your subject line “cross-training.” This is not called “cross-training." We can discuss that later.
By definition, a single set is a specific exercise done for a prescribed number of repetitions (reps). For example, a dumbbell bench press is the exercise name. The number of repetitions in one set is usually the higher number—8, 10, 12. The higher the number of reps, usually the lower the number the level of resistance.
A “superset" is a really one or more sets done back to back by down loading the level of resistance and or the number of reps. You are doing "supersets." The difference between a "set and superset" is that the "superset" makes a greater cardio-vascular demand and, therefore, gives the trainee a double training effect.
So you are doing one superset, then switching to the antagonist for one superset. The "antagonist" is the opposing muscle group (i.e. biceps and triceps).
I use this training process for most beginners because it not only give a hypertrophy training effect, it also gives cardio-vascular. It also prepares one's muscle to do some serious resistance training to build mass and strength but less cardio-vascular.
I don't train people unless I believe they understand and agree to train for life. It's a choice. Unlike calories, the body doesn't store up exercise for very long. If you want to test that assumption, lay off for a month and go back to the same reps, sets and resistance you stopped at. A day or two later will be miserable with PTA factors into the 8's and 9's.
Sam wrote: And then I pair up with the antagonistic muscle group and work my back. Next exercise is DB bent-over flys. So I use 10 lbs. and work 15 reps, and then 7.5 lbs and work 15 reps, and then 5 lbs. and work 15 reps. This is one set. Correct?
One set is correct for now. But assuming you've been training regularly, it is probably time for a course of regular resistance training with heavier resistance, longer rest interval, but we will stay with the switch between prime movers.
Sam wrote: And I'm hearing you'd like for me to do two sets, correct?
Richard replied: Yes.
Sam wrote: So my question is do I do the second set after each pairing muscle group (two exercises—the DB incline bench and bent-over flys)?
Richard replied: Yes
Sam wrote: or do I do the 2nd set after doing all 8 exercises?
Richard replied: No.
Sam wrote on March 22, 2013:Thank you for the clear explanation as usual. Got it! I'm doing supersets.
By the way, I see why the title of my previous email was confusing. I meant "cross training" regarding treadmill running for about 25 minutes at a 10-minute mile pace. It really kicked my butt. My legs were really sore. I haven't run in a very long time. My mind says, "keep going” … and later my body says, "your cardio system is no longer in cross-country condition like back in high school when you were 18 years old! Smiling and laughing with myself...