I HATE TO BRING THIS UP BUT. . .

[Byron Foster]

I was reading the Statesman this morning and there was an article about working out that indicated that if one is very, very sore after a workout, that person is doing something wrong and may not be getting all that much good out of those workouts. 

Now I know I am the resident designated whiner because I am old and fat and don't work all that hard but I would like Jim's comments after he reads the article. I am so sore today I can barely walk. However, I realize that anyone else who did the workout (3 rounds of 30 push-ups, 15 pull-ups, or in my case rowing pull-ups, and 100 squats) is probably not very sore at all. BUT, the article indicated that if you are that sore after a workout, you are not getting maximum benefit out of the exercise. SO, Jim, what do you think? You will note that the author of the article thought that if a person is very, very sore after a workout, maybe his/her instructor is just a mean person. I know you are a mean person and I have always known this because you make me do things I would never have thought of doing before I met you. I also know, and you know, that this is just me kidding you. You and your kettlebells are the best thing that ever happened to me, as far as exercise, with the possible exception of TKD, which is how I met you. So while I do not really think you are a mean person, I would like to know whether I may be doing something wrong. It may also be that since I am just coming back after an injury that I should keep my mouth closed and keep working out and quit complaining. All of which I intend to do. However, I would still like your comments on the article. Also, do you think I should start drinking a whey shake after workouts?

For everybody else out there, watch out for Seth, he is becoming a monster. I think he is Jim's experiment.

[Jim B]

Maybe I should just take that burnt out CNS video and post it as a response to that article on the Statesman's website? I bet that would get some great feedback.

[Byron Foster]

Jim:

You know most of this was tongue-in-cheek because I like to give you crap. I figured that you would tell me something about my CNS and also tell me you were going to snap up my something or other. I honestly did, however, want you to read and comment on this guy's opinions. You are always going to be the one I trust to know what is right for me and everybody else you train. I have complete faith in not only your knowledge but your commitment to making all of us healthier. That said, I try to do the level III because everybody else does it and I don't want to be the only weenie in class. I know my progress has been slowed by age, weight and lack of willpower and so most of the time, I need to show that I can do what the youngsters do. That is my fault, not yours. And you are correct, my form on the squats was very good throughout on Sunday even though I had not done more that 10 squats at a time for about 2 months.

Therefore, I will do as you say but remember, I am always going to whine. Somebody has to. I am also going to knock out another 3 rounds today, come hell or high water. I'll whine more tomorrow.

[Jim B]

I just read the article. Soreness is not the best indicator of the productivity of a workout, but it is a fact of life if you train hard, and after looking at that trainer's website, I don't think he has probably ever trained hard in his life. When his fitness level come close to mine, I will start taking his advice. 

If you insist on doing the level 3 workouts at my gym, I can guarantee you will be really sore now and then. The answer is to scale back to level 2 or level 1 to reduce soreness. I stop someone from training when I notice that their exercise form becomes compromised and your squats looked the same from start to finish. I know it has been a while since you did that many squats, so I would say that is the primary cause of the soreness, but who knows? Ask 10 trainers and you will get 10 answers about how to fix soreness. Repeating the activity until you get used to it is the only sure way to fix it.

Postworkout recovery nutrition has many theories, and there is new information surfacing all the time. The reason I preach the paleo diet thing is because it eliminates the confusion. Eat like a caveman. If the food follows the paleo diet guidelines, and you are hungry, then eat it. If not, don't.

Don't overthink postworkout nutrition and whatnot. It can really drive you nuts. Also, I usually don't even sweat the postworkout as much, unless I have another training session planned for that day. Then, I usually eat about 80% of my carbohydrate intake for the day, within about 20-40 minutes. 

Another question to ask is whether or not you are getting stronger. If the answer is yes, then what is going on is working. If the answer is no, then the whole process is suspect. You have gotten immeasurably stronger and more mobile, so what we are doing is working.  I would like to see that trainer guy to your workout. He would be sore and whining like a baby. 

[Jim B]

I am trying to look the article up now.

The amount of soreness someone experiences varies from person to person.  I did a ton of squats today, and I plan to be sore tomorrow. The best way to fix that is to repeat whatever you did to make you sore, but maybe a little lighter the next day. Soreness is a fact of life if you exercise hard.