DOMS, etc.

So I was trying to figure out a few days ago whether or not I could/should work out (at all, not just those muscle groups) when my muscles felt like they were trying to eat me alive.  I found out that obviously you don't want to target the specific muscle groups that are in agony, but to do cardio that uses those muscles is fine.  It's also okay to work other muscle groups.  I knew some of that, but it's good to know that even if my muscles are trying to murder me I can still do some kind of workout.

In reading all of the things I did, I also found out the clinical term for "my muscles feel like they are trying to eat me alive and destroy my spirit" (I'm sure everyone knows what I'm talking about).  It's called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS.  I am not really surprised that there is a name for it, and it's good to know.  There are a ton of recommendations for how to prevent it, how to lessen it, and how to treat it.  The funny thing is that for as much pain as you can be in after a really intense workout, for me it's a good pain.  It sounds weird but I've always felt a little bit satisfied through the suffering, knowing that I had an awesome workout and my muscles were ultimately going to be stronger for it.

Hopefully as the next year continues, I get stronger and progress enough that I'm not in as much pain after a workout - it would be a nice change of pace.  At least I know that when I'm studying German there's not going to be residual pain.  I am a little overwhelmed on the German front, but more on that later.  I think it's time for a little reading and then bed.

Tschüss!