If your muscles/tendons are sore from working out, should you still work out or take a break?

[tohrment]

This is going to sound insanely stupid, and I realize that. But.. Basically I work out every day, I do a bit of cardio and at least an hour of weights. The other day I took my uncles dog for a walk (looking after him while they went away) and I pretty much had to drag him along. WELL, the next day my right arm was REALLY sore (mainly biceps, but further down too). Should I take it easy or exercise as normal? I googled it, but no consensus.

Updates

+1 y

**** I work out 5 days a week. I'm conscious about my upper body (boobs & arms) so I am tryinggg to "smallify" them as much as possible. Light weights only (2-3 kg)

[sailors_girl]

It sounds like by pulling the dog you may have used a muscle you are not used to using. I do martial arts and at nearly 40 years old, I am always tweaking some muscle (hamstring , ankle calves) I keep working through it and sometimes I take Ibuprofen to get through a class. I keep pushing on, but take it a bit easy on the injured area. That has worked for me, it eventually heals.

[tohrment]

I have that same mentality - that I can push through. But I'm just wondering if it's actually bad or not? SIgh. Damn dog.

[sailors_girl]

Well my instructor whom has been teaching for over 40 years, he is a 7th degree black belt. He always tells me to take it easy, because he knows my power and knows I have a tendancy to over do it. As long as you take it easy, because you can do more damage to it when it is in it's weakend state, and it will take longer to heal. If you work out everyday you could skip a day here and a day there, like the others have stated.

[ZenQueen]

stretch and massage out the sore spots. exercise lightly the next day so your muscles can heal

[Littletad]

Listen to your body. Don't work out, and you need to make rest days. I work out two days in a row, and then I rest. Then repeat. You need to do this. You don't need to mix your workouts, that has nothing to do with your soreness, though it would help for overall fitness. But you do need to prevent yourself from overworking. The body needs rest.

[Shaun]

When it comes to weight training, you shouldn't be exercising any muscles on back to back days. The MOST aggressive would be upper body/lower body alternating days with one day off a week.

I think breaking it down into 3 groups and alternating with one day off a week is plenty effective.

[TheWhiteFreshPrince]

That is bs bro, You can do muscles back to back...Unless your talking about like doing the same group of muscles two days in a row...

[Shaun]

Yeah, obviously you didn't read my answer. Try again.

[TheWhiteFreshPrince]

"you shouldn't be exercising any muscles on back to back days" - Were you talking about the same muscle group on back to back days?

[Shaun]

Look, sorry you can't understand written English. Please name for me a muscle that you should target on back to back days. Thanks.

[TheWhiteFreshPrince]

You said muscles...

[tohrment]

I think what WhiteFreshPrince was saying was that in your initial answer you said "ANY muscles", and he was saying that you can do muscle training everyday - just not the same muscle group.

[Shaun]

I understand he's confused about what I said, but really I was very clear. If you exercise a muscle, don't exercise it again on the next day. If that wasn't immediately clear, my further comments about breaking it down into two, preferably three groups should have cleared it up, assuming he could read for context.

Basically, he was just being pedantic.

Don't exercise ANY muscles on back to back days, when you are lifting.

[TheWhiteFreshPrince]

Exactly Question Asker...What I do is one muscle group a day...and you don't always have to go upper body to lower body, I like to do Push...Pull most of the time, and then if you alternate from upper body to lower body you can do push push...

[tohrment]

Thanks boys.

[Shaun]

Pedant.

Don't exercise any muscles on back to back days.

If you are exercising one group one day and one group the next, you aren't exercising any muscles on back to back days.

Seriously, you think you're clever, but you're embarrassing yourself.

[tohrment]

Now, now. It was just a matter of interpretation, no big.

[Cypher17]

Its best not to work a muscle more than a day unless its abs which I do two days and than take a rest . Muscles are need time to repair and grow so go every other day , eat right ( bananas help the pain) and drink at least 8 glasses of water, hope you get the results you want miss.

[Voltaire]

If you're sore, take a day off. You should never lift on back to back days anyway, even if you are using light weights. Your muscles need time to recuperate, lifting everyday will eventually cause them to break down.

[Oasisstereo]

Take some days off, at least 2 days a week I guess. If you exercise every day excessively, your muscles won't have time to take a break, build and repair. No breaks mean you're not really gonna get anywhere with all that hard work.

[TheWhiteFreshPrince]

Do whatever you want, it is not bad to take a day off once in a while.

[girlknowsbest65]

don't work the same muscle the day after if it's still sore. you can use ice after workouts to relieve yours muscles. every other day is ideal.

[ASjun]

Don't train the same muscle group everyday. Give at least 48 hours for your muscles to repair.

[AllDay]

you should work out a different muscle the next day

[TheWhiteFreshPrince]

Lol "Shaun" Blocked me I think...