Stretching muscles that are sore from lifting

[TechBoyJK]

I'm wrapping up a cutting phase and getting back into a bulking phase.

Yesterday was the first time I really hit the weights hard in a while. I'm pretty sore.

I find myself wanting to stretch the muscles out to relieve the soreness, but it doesn't really seem to help. Well, I stretch all the time. I probably spend 30 minutes at work stretching out.. in 5-10 minute chunks.

Should I leave them alone? Or should I continue to stretch as I normally do?

 

[JL514]

Stretch if it makes you feel better, it should relieve some of the soreness. It won't relieve all of the soreness by far, read up on DOMS. Also look into foam rolling and self-myofascial release.

A lot of intense, multiple day and debilitating soreness can be avoided if you ease back into lifting heavy instead of getting right to it.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I'm wrapping up a cutting phase and getting back into a bulking phase.

Yesterday was the first time I really hit the weights hard in a while. I'm pretty sore.

I find myself wanting to stretch the muscles out to relieve the soreness, but it doesn't really seem to help. Well, I stretch all the time. I probably spend 30 minutes at work stretching out.. in 5-10 minute chunks.

Should I leave them alone? Or should I continue to stretch as I normally do?

Research has shown that stretching doesn't relieve soreness. It actually typically makes it worse. Think about it - your muscles are damaged due to the microtears that occurred during the workout. Then you go and stretch the connective tissue past it's limit, resulting in more microtears. Light aerobic activity will increase blood flow and reduce DOMS way better than any stretching. Don't get me wrong - you still need to stretch - but if you're specifically trying to reduce soreness, you need to get the muscles moving again.

 

[Doppel]

I also cannot imagine it would make a meaningful difference to make it better. The only way to cure DOMs is with time. Obviously extremely intense DOMs, like the kind you have when you wake up and cannot even extend your arm because your biceps are destroyed from a workout a day or two earlier can be temporarily relieved by forcing (gently) range of motion. Then you'll be able to extend your arm again and go about your day. But as soon as you stop using it you'll go back to where it was when you woke up, that is until enough days have passed to genuinely heal it.

 

[elitejp]

Research has shown that stretching doesn't relieve soreness. It actually typically makes it worse. Think about it - your muscles are damaged due to the microtears that occurred during the workout. Then you go and stretch the connective tissue past it's limit, resulting in more microtears. Light aerobic activity will increase blood flow and reduce DOMS way better than any stretching. Don't get me wrong - you still need to stretch - but if you're specifically trying to reduce soreness, you need to get the muscles moving again.

hmm more microtears makes for bigger muscles

 

[SociallyChallenged]

hmm more microtears makes for bigger muscles

And too many microtears leads to macrotears in both the fascia and muscle. More is not necessarily better. Stretching too vigorously can lead to overtraining injuries or even result directly in injuries by tearing tissue.

 

[Soundgardener]

20 years of training says YOU MUST STRETCH.

DOMS will fade when given time, nutrition, water, and supplements may help (vitamins in particular).

Higher load / lower rep training will generally result in less DOMS due to more neural training vs muscle breakdown. Muscle breakdown is what bodybuilders go for as the theory goes that subsequent repair results in larger muscles.

Ease back into your training. Forget theories about stretching...do it, and do it properly, and you'll see the results, long term. Don't aim to compress the joint when you stretch, stretch properly, aka aim to increase range of motion...gradually, over time, in a relaxed way, using your breathing. Start easy, and work slowly into deep stretches.

 

[keyed]

Related question, does massage help reduce DOMS?

 

[BeauJangles]

I've always found that stretching and getting my muscles moving again with light (LIGHT!) exercise has helped alleviate soreness. I think that anything that improves blood flow to the muscles will help mitigate the symptoms a bit.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Related question, does massage help reduce DOMS?

It depends on the type of massage - if the individual doing massage utilizes techniques like the active or passive pump techniques, then yes, it should due to the significant increase of blood flow in and out of the given area (due to use of artificial and venous muscle pumps). Normal massage typically only increases blood flow in, while not really increasing blood flow out (no contraction leading to pressure difference leading to expulsion of blood).

Technically, if the DOMS is exacerbated by focal limitations within the muscle than can be removed via massage, then yeah it could reduce the tension. It wouldn't technically reduce DOMS, but it could reduce perception of DOMS.