Day 4: Is skipping the gym ok?

Can I just say that my legs are ridiculously sore and the thought of running, elliptical, or interval StairMaster was not sitting well with how tired I felt. You know the feeling where you just finished work an hour past usual and you forget where your keys are while tripping over that invisible line in the carpet? So me. Along with other pestering female issues, I have been on point with my eating today and decided to rest. Some people would consider this absolutely unacceptable, but in my world your body knows best. In addition, what do you think has the power to negatively affect your body over night? A skipped workout for recovery, or a bad diet? You guessed it! A bad diet can cause overnight bloating, sluggishness, and mental fatigue. So before you get down on yourself for not being able to make it to the gym 5 days a week, listen to what your body is telling you. Anyone can give you advice and theory based on the mechanisms of how the body works, but only you know what truly makes you tick and when you need a break.

So what am I experiencing? DOMS. Also known as delayed onset muscle soreness, many people experience soreness two to three days after an intense workout. The reason you experience this increased pain is due to small micro tears in the muscle during the healing process. Remember if you are sore to the touch or notice your gait change it is probably a good idea to rest the muscle. This is one of my favorite concepts in fitness, because you can almost feel your muscles gradually become stronger. Be sure to eat plenty of protein and moderate carbs after your workouts! Below are some supplements I use to help offset DOMS in order to not interfere with too much of my workout schedule!

ZMA - Zinc and Magnesium specially bonded. Take two or three before bed, and this decreases muscle soreness by about 50% (this number is specific to me)

Muscle Martini (Amino Acids)- This is great

for anytime during the day when you feel your muscles need a little more helpto repair. It also contains a cortisol blocker, which is beneficial in preventing the breakdown of muscle!

Listed below is my leg workout I promised, HAVE FUN!!

Warm up: 10 minutes StairMaster 

Ab Machine: 70lbs 4sets x15reps - 30sec rest

Barbell Hip Raises w/ 25lbs each side 4x15 and super set with donkey kicks 4x15 - 45sec rest

Leg Extension (single leg) 4x12 - 45sec rest 

Hamstring Curl (single leg) 4x12 - 45 sec rest 

Smith Machine Squat (butt to heels) 4x8 and super set with Mountain Climbers 4x30 - 45sec rest

Barbell Dead lift w/45lbs each side 4x10 - 45sec rest

Seated Incline Leg Press w/270lbs 4x15 - 45sec rest 

Tip: I wear a stop watch and pay very close attention to my time intervals! Any questions let me know :)