Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Day 3: Soreness

Ow ow ow ow! I can barely walk today. Allie and I definitely struggled through the warm-up today. The power squats were nearly impossible due to the pain, but we pushed through and after we stretched we both felt sooo much better and made it through the rest of the Cardio Power and Resistance workout.

Right when we finished today I got a text from my good friend and future IP contributor, Cait that said "Are you immobiley sore the whole time you are on insanity?" This is a question I get a lot from friends who do a few workouts and then, more often then not, quit. The answer is NO! It should go away. Last time around this I was rarely sore after week 2. I am hoping it will be quicker this time.

From what I understand, your muscles get sore from lactic acid build up from movements that your muscles are not used to. The more you stick with Insanity, the less your muscles should hurt over time. Other than consistent workouts, eating and drinking water, especially right after the workout, should keep soreness down. Also, make sure you do the stretches, they will make you feel so much better during the rest of your workout. Stick with it! The soreness will stop!

I find that taking a recovery drink, like a protein shake, afterwards helps immensely with my soreness the next day. Vegans definitely check out Vega Whole Food Health Optomizer or the Vegan Pea/Hemp Protein stuff they sell at Whole Foods.

Any other tips on how to get over or avoid soreness would be greatly appreciated.

I am ready for recovery day tomorrow.

5 comments:

  1. My sister, who is an avid runner and reader of many fitness mags, told me that chocolate milk is a great recovery drink. I'm assuming soy/almond/rice alternatives would work as well.

    Why are hit the floor's so painful this time around?? I hate the guy in the back who power jumps like it's his calling in life. Coffee made me psyched to get started today, but now I think I'm gonna puke.

    -Johnatron
    Day 3 Survivor

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  2. Yo Jordan!
    Here's some thoughts on vegan recovery and getting over soreness.

    Recovery:
    For me, I always used rice protein, it's quick to break down in your body and mix that with a simple carbohydrate that will get into your system fast - berries (not anything with added sugar) work well. Drink a smoothie of that right after the workout (you have about a fifteen minute window post-workout to get started on recovery).
    Stage two of recovery is giving your body what it needs to get back to the right level for the next day. Which means 1/3 protein, 1/3 carbohydrate, 1/3 fat. Or along those lines (also, defined by calories not volume). This is where being vegan begins to be tough because every vegan protein source is 1) not a particularly potent source of protein, 2) a protein masked by a carbohydrate or 3) inefficient in getting protein into your system. But if you're not going to eat fish, you have to pay close attention to your body and how it feels to get it right. Usually I'll eat lunch that's something like this: 1/4c raw almonds, 1/4c raw walnuts, 1/2c grape tomatoes, 1/2 avocado, 2 carrots and an apple. I've known people to put a can of tuna on a pound of spinach and call it lunch, at least you have to be creative when you're vegan.

    Soreness:
    Your body will get used to the repeated hard stresses of INSANITY, but you know that. Keys to avoiding it in general are dynamic stretching after warmups (buttkicks, soldiers etc) and static stretching at the end of a workout (and really working to concentrate on the muscles that are the tightest. Aside from that, going on slow, easy bike rides will help and massage will REALLY help get the lactic acid feeling out of your muscles.

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  3. seriously, i think mr.power-jump has springs in his shoes. not cool.

    I have been reduced to groaning uncontrollably as I traverse the steps up to my bed room.

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  4. Woah! thanks Jeff. After today's stretch and recovery I feel absolutely fine. No noticeable soreness at all!

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  5. Hi Jordan!

    Have you read Thrive by Brendan Brazier? If not, It's a vegan nutritional guide for optimum performance in sports and life and is full of recipes and loads of great information. I've found it to be really informative and use alot of it for when i'm riding more (not at the moment) and Emily (straightjacket nation) uses alot of the recipes to help with her kickboxing training.

    "" The first and only comprehensive nutrition book written for the vegan athlete. Thrive is a long-term eating plan that will help you develop a lean body, sharp mind, and everlasting energy, whether you’re a professional athlete or simply looking to boost your physical and mental health. ""

    http://www.brendanbrazier.com/book/thrivehome.html

    Keep up the good work. I'm watching with awe from far away :-D

    Love Sarah xxx

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