Am i overdoing the gym?

[Evastar]

I've been going to the gym five times a week, started five or six weeks ago. In addition to this i usually walk between three and five miles a day.

I do half an hour on resistance machines monday, tuesday, wednesday, friday and saturday, with an exercise class on mondays as well and then walk for about an hour and a half - two hours. I don't go to the gym usually on thursdays or sundays, but went this thursday because i didn't go on monday.

I always do stretches before and after exercising, and drink plenty of water. I'm 5' 4" and 8st 2 lbs. I have a reasonably good diet, tend to eat takeaway at the weekend and have a few drinks, but other than that it's good.

I have noticed that my calf muscles (both legs) are quite tender this week, not exactly painful but slightly sore, feel quite tight and are a bit warm to the touch and maybe slightly inflamed. Is this just lactic acid build up and should i keep on exercising at the same level, or maybe cut down a bit? :err:

 

[biffo1]

u seem to have it worked out dif dayz for different exercise , if ur feeling any strain just rest slightly longer , maybe miss a class or 1 session in the gym , as continuing 5 times a week at a good pace will result in injury , im not an expert but been in the leisure industry over 25 years and have felt the same through out the years a bit more rest , and sometimes a cold bath after a good workout helps your muscles repair, but your doing the wright thing exercise wise mixing classes in to your workout routine.

 

[Utopie]

As long as you feel well otherwise then you are not going too much. Just rest and massage would help. Maybe you just over did the calfs one day, or a slip of concentration gave you poor form for a spit second. Recently had a muscle strain right on the beast bone between both chest muscles, tried going easy and resting for a few days, but the only thing that cured it was good old fashioned rest....

 

[oneman]

Do you split your workouts on different days or are you doing the same thing on every visit. Are you taking any supplements before or after workout ?

 

[Evastar]

Same workout every visit, it's Curves so basically it's a circuit of machines, you do the same every day. But i vary my walks, pavement, beach, uphill etc and i wear different shoes, runners or MBT's or hill walking boots.

No i don't take any supplements.

 

[oneman]

I take it you are just doing cardio workouts, no strength and conditioning ?

I would think about mixing up the different muscle groups if possible do different areas do get a rest. Depends if it possible on the type of workout you want to do. Maybe do a class on Wednesday or Friday instead of machines. Is there anybody at the gym you can talk to ?

 

[Evastar]

It's not that kind of a gym oneman, it's quite small, no pool or anything, you just do the machines and that's it. They are designed to work all the musle groups, it's basically for toning up. I have no problems with doing the workout, as i said its just my calves are a bit sore this week. I'll try a radox bath and see how i get on with that.

I guess if it continues i will drop the monday workout maybe, just do my class and cut back on the walking a bit.

 

[oneman]

OK, see how it goes. As you say might need to take it easy for a bit before building back up.

 

[Audball]

Eva, Stu and i have both been doing the gym, swimming and health suite and i also go running with the dog and boxercise. He thinks that's where he picked up his flu.

5 days is not overdoing it, unless you are working out 24 hours at a time!

Best thing to do is go on the cross trainer and swim, gives you good tone all over without the shin splints.

 

[Evastar]

It's not shin splints, basically its just a mild ache in my gastrocnemius. Had a radox bath earlier and it eased off so i prob just overdid it on tuesday, did gym and had quite a long walk, and then gym and walking or gardening every day since when i probs should have taken a day off lol

 

[Audball]

It's not shin splints, basically its just a mild ache in my gastrocnemius. Had a radox bath earlier and it eased off so i prob just overdid it on tuesday, did gym and had quite a long walk, and then gym and walking or gardening every day since when i probs should have taken a day off lol

When do you find time to come on here? lol

 

[Evastar]

When i'm supposed to be doing my housework lol

No seriously i just leave the pc on in the kitchen during the day while i'm doing other stuff and the lappy on at night

 

[Evastar]

Just to update on this, i had a hot radox bath on saturday evening and didn't do any exercise at all on sunday, my calf muscles have been fine since i woke up sunday.

So went back to gym and exercise class this morning, they still seem to be ok, will try a walk and see how that goes

 

[oneman]

were they sore straight away last time or did it happen the next day ?

 

[witchy]

Eva, Stu and i have both been doing the gym, swimming and health suite and i also go running with the dog and boxercise. He thinks that's where he picked up his flu.

Aye and you'll be going alone from now on.

Those places are full of evil nasty man-flu death bugs!

It's ok for you, you can only catch lady-flu, which isn't even a real virus.

If you had your own set of balls then you'd know what REAL flu is.

 

[witchy]

Just to update on this, i had a hot radox bath on saturday evening and didn't do any exercise at all on sunday, my calf muscles have been fine since i woke up sunday.

So went back to gym and exercise class this morning, they still seem to be ok, will try a walk and see how that goes

Eva, does your gym have a sauna?

I find that if I go directly to the sauna after a workout in the gym then I dont get any muscle fatigue at all. I think the heat must detox you from all that built up lactic acid.

Even if I put a little extra weight onto the machines - which I know would usually leave me sore the next day - as long as I have a sauna afterwards I'm fine.

I used to come home from the gym looking as if I was suffereing from whiplash.

 

[Evastar]

were they sore straight away last time or did it happen the next day ?

it was that evening i think, so about eight hours later. they're fine today, touch wood lol

@witchy, i only do Curves, so no sauna for me, it's only a 5/10 min walk from the house and half an hour a day to do the circuit, i know if i joined the proper gym and had to drive there i wouldn't bother going as often.

 

[Audball]

So it feels a bit better? Good.

 

[Evastar]

So it feels a bit better? Good.

Totally gone suki

ps i hope you're gonna stick around even though your reprobate hubby is back

 

[witchy]

She is sitting 6 feet away from me eating a kebab yet she has the cheek to talk on here about going to a gym!

lol