i love being sore to the core

My chest was definitely sore today from yesterdays chest & back workout. I remember a time when I was perpetually sore; there was never a day where I wasn’t feeling the aftermath from yesterdays workout. However, lately I don’t find myself to be sore after every workout. That is probably my fault for not pushing myself hard enough – I have been a bit of a woos in the weight room. I used to lift till my max – to the point of shaking, constipation face-ing (you know what face I am talking about), grunting, and gasping. I think this is partially due to my bipolar workouts. I have no been very consistent with my workouts for the past 3 or 4 weeks; switching them up far too often. By the way, that is VERY unlike me. I am a sucker for routine. My workouts are usually exactly the same for 4 weeks and then evolve into something else for another 4 weeks.
Anyway, speaking of soreness, ever wondered why your muscles get sore? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS is actually considered a physical injury. You usually feel it 24-48 hours after your workout. I used to be the type where, EXACTLY 24 hours after my workout, I would feel the pain. If I worked my legs at 6pm, the next day, I would be fine until 6pm, and I would be unable to walk up and down stairs. Now for some reason, I feel it 48 hours in my legs and 24 hours in my upper extremity. It’s bizarre. Anyway, everyone is different. It does not mean anything if you feel it 24 hours later and Bob feels it 48. Basically DOMS is when you make microscopic tears in your muscle fibres. When you do this new muscle fibres are recruited to increase the diameter of your muscle cells (note: you are born with a set number of muscle cells; increase in muscle cells is called hyperplasia, not to be mistaken for hypertrophy, which is increase in muscle fibres). So when you are sore, it is because you have torn your muscle fibres, which, in turn generate new ones to get bigger, better, stronger, and more toned – all of which we want! So DOMS is a good kind of injury in my mind. Yes, sometimes it is excruciating, and you walk around like you have a stick in your bum, but it just means hard work is paying off!
For the longest time researchers believed that this muscle soreness was due to a build up of lactic acid (a waste product in our body); however, they have now found that the delayed soreness is due to tears in muscle fibres, while immediate soreness – you know the burn you get at your 8th rep of 20 pound bicep curls (okay who am I kidding?! I can’t do 20lbs bi curls…yet…) – is due to a build up of lactic acid.

So there you have it: DOMS! Now go INJUR YOURSELF 😉

Oh! Wait! Before I sign off let me share todays workout! It was a lot like last thursdays workout of Legs & Shoulders.

Superset:
One-legged Bench Squat (bodyweight)           12 X 3
Exercise Ball Hamstring Curls                            12 X 3

Superset:
Side Lunge                                                                    20 X 3
Stiffy’s                                                                             12 X 3

Superset:
Cable Kickbacks                                                             12 X 3
Lying Leg Curl                                                                12 X 3

Superset:
Barbell Overhead Press on Bosu Ball                    12 X 3
Dumbbell Tricep Extension                                       12 X 3

Pseudo-Circuit: (look at Thursdays workout if you don’t know what this is)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise                                               12 X 3
Dumbbell Front Raise                                                  12 X 3
Dumbbell Bent Over Reverse Flye                          12 X 3

Single Set:
Leg Press                                                                          36 X 3
(12 parallel feet, 12 plie stance, 12 feet together)

This was followed by 45 minutes on the Stairmaster. I climbed 170 floors. I intended to go for 45 minutes of Lean Queen Book Cardio, but I started chatting with the lady (her name was Doris) on the stair master beside me. 45 minutes flew by SO FAST and I couldn’t didn’t lean. We talked about the gym, working out, technology, the future…I liked her. I told her next time we’re both at the gym, we gotta find each other and do cardio together!
You know, in ALL the magazines and websites I read, they ALWAYS emphasize on how great it is to go to the gym with a buddy; but I never have and never do, because I like to be in and out. I don’t like to waste time chatting (during my weight lifting routine at least). I think I should step out of my stubborn bubble and find a (cardio) gym buddy!

I just realized that most of the exercises in my routine today were isolated. I probably should have done the leg press first since it’s one of the only compound exercises. If the last 2 sentences were gibberish to you, then follow my blog for more information on what compound and isolated exercises are 🙂
I have SO MUCH I want to tell you! You and I both have to wait though! I wish I could blog for a living, and just talk about exercise and nutrition! haha wouldn’t that be the life?!
Oh and if your wondering why I did a random triceps exercise…don’t ask me…I just all of a sudden started doing triceps extensions, and I am like wait a second, Alyna, way to be spontaneous on a legs & shoulders day!

ELECTRO-LYTES!

About a month or so back my good friend Bardia asked me what I thought about sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade and Propel. He wanted to know whether he should drink them, and whether it would enhance his training. Before I go on to tell you about that, I want to share breakfast with you 😀

Creamy Choc-o-Coconutty Porridge

1/4 cup Instant Oats
1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
1 tablespoon Coconut Spread
1/2 tablespoon Nutella (yum!)
1 packet Stevia (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a blender and heat in microwave for 90 seconds!
I added the Stevia because it wasn’t sweet enough for me this morning; but if you don’t have a strong sweet tooth, then avoid the Stevia (it was already pretty sweet because of the coconut spread and nutella). O! I also added a little more Almond Milk because it was SUPER thick! Depends what your preference is 🙂

Okay and onto SPORTS DRINKS!

Hydration during training and exercise is VITAL! Possibly one of the most important parts of training (and life for that matter!).
Our bodies are made up of 2/3 water so you can imagine how important H2O is to our body. In fact, if our body does not get water, it will die within days – that’s how important it is!
Water helps our digestive system and helps our kidneys regulate blood pressure, filter blood, and regulate electrolytes – don’t get me wrong, that is a fraction of its power, it does a whole lot of other good stuff too!
I remember my prof saying something about drinking 1 glass of water for every hour of exercise to prevent dehydration, and allow the body to function at optimal levels.
So basically what I am getting at is that you really do not need to consume sports drinks during exercise or training. However, there are exceptions: it depending how long you’re exercising and how hot it is outside.

Let me tell you why sports drinks are so popular. Sports drinks are essentially electrolytes. Electrolytes  are minerals – such as sodium, potassium, phosphate, calcium, magnesium – that have an electrical charge. These charged up minerals are what cells need in order to maintain proper voltage along their membranes, as well as allow for electrical impulses to travel from cell to cell (so we can function and move). Electrolytes also regulate and maintain water in the body and balance blood acidity – but most importantly, during exercise, it allows for proper motor behaviour.
When we exercise vigorously we sweat…right?  Well, sweating is what releases electrolytes from the body, so naturally, we want to replenish them by consuming more electrolytes. If we do not we might start fading mid workout, leading to low blood sodium (hyponatremia) and eventually death (if not replenished as soon as possible).
Okay, I really did not intend to scare you with that spiel. You can take a breath because you actually DO NOT really need sports drinks, unless you are exercising for extended periods of time (like a marathon), or you are exercising in SERIOUSLY HOT conditions. Water will suffice during all other times 🙂 Remember to keep hydrated before, during, and after exercise and you do not need to fear hyponatremia or death for that matter 😉