Wanted Growth! Brought the Intensity

With the start of the new year, comes new aspirations and hope, sometimes these are presented by the term of ‘resolutions’ (well hopeful these are reinforced with and into action.)

Personally, I don’t do this resolution stuff as, if I’ve learnt anything about Digital Marketing, it is that you’ve gotta be agile and if you see an area that needs work or to be improved upon, do it and follow through!

Although do what works for you!

As the kids have made, their returned to back school after the December vacation yesterday, and still with a sense of excitement in the air,

Here goes a story that took place recently,

Last week Friday, I was having a look at my gym completion schedule (number of times I’ve gymed in a year.)

Then this past Sunday as I was chilling, going through a Marketing Trends Forecast for 2017, I inadvertently clicked on the gyming schedule, so at around 17:15, I decide to hit the gym (the benefits of having a gym at home.)

I did a few warming-up stretches…As for the stimulus I found workout music on YT (YouTube) with the headphones plugged-in and the volume turned-up, I began warming up with some stretches for about two minutes, after which I proceed to bring the INTENSITY to the session, the session went really well, and let me tell you I worked-up quite a sweat, at around 18:20 the workout was done, then I did some cool-down stretches, still feeling phenomenal I headed straight for a nice hot shower.

Let me tell you the next day (which is Monday), oh glorious the next day! I woke up, and felt an uneasy tenderness and stiffness in my biceps (yes the plural as in both and little did I know what was going on, yeah! that Sunday session was completely shredded, although….)

“No Pain No Gain” Right? Thinking not much of it I decided to gear up for another session in the gym, this session was about 50 minutes (did what I needed to do), feeling good I headed a nice hot shower after the shower there was some great weather around, so I decided go for a walk around the area, just to stimulate the blood flow.

After a few hours remember how that session on Sunday was shredded, that same session had left its’ mark.

There something called DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness), basically when you strenuously hit into a higher gear too soon or quickly, this leaves one with the tenderness and soreness as experienced. When you gym ‘effectively’, you’re actually creating microscope tears in the respective targeted muscle group, if you suddenly have a strenuous workout, you placing the muscle in a temporary damaged state which must be repaired during this state there’s a muscle-adaption cycle that begins, hence the pain. That’s a brief explanation of DOMS, here’s a more detailed definition.

  

Suggestions especially if you’ve just started as a resolution or well just returning to the gym after a hiatus:

1. Stay hydrated pre, during and post your workout.

2. Set an adequate time to warm-up.  

3. Stretch-out your muscles and joints.

4. Gradually increase weights, reps and sets over time.

5. Set targets and build up :)

6. Use cooling down exercises and stretches.

With this temporary thing called DOMS:

It hurts and things that were easy becomes a grind, stay strong this is a natural process equally this ain’t the end of the world, pick yourself up as this phase passes.

For Tuesday I just went for a walk,On Wednesday stretches dominated, interesting to note there was also some relief while doing the stretches during night I was looking for an ice-pack ended up finding fish-oil (Omega 3) capsules (the delight! I took two :) ) .On Thursday, the pain subsided just went for a walk after which a nice ice-cold shower on a hot summers day in Durban and feeling phenomenal again.

Try as much as possible stay active, as if you stay idle the pain would be top of mind.

Painkillers do alleviate some of the pain, although not all.

Applied a pain-relief ointment at night which did have a temporary soothing effect.

There’s divided opinion on hot and cold (cryotherapy) - I did find some relief when ice-packs were applied, also while in the shower alternated between cold and warm, do what works for you.

Remember that this will surely pass leading you to stronger you.

Here are some resources for you:

There are detailed info sources that could prove invaluable,such as this article by PainScience and there are many more pieces of advice that could assist you.

Keep your spirits up and remember why you gym.

Salute

Kash

Kash.KXG