Workout schedule 5 days - sore legs - too much?

So last week I started HIIT in addition to strength, so I'd do a full body workout one day, then HIIT the next.

I realized I can't work my legs that hard 2 days in a row (HIIT made me more sore than I expected!)

So I switched up -

M - HIIT
T - Upper body/core
W - lower body
th - upper body/core
f - HIIT

Well. I came in this morning to do my workout, which involves about 20 minutes on treadmill (warm up/cool down) plus step ups between lifts. (circuit training)

OMG my legs are hating me!

Am I just going to have to tough it out until I'm all used to it and it will lessen? or am I hurting myself by using them when they are sore? I'm going slow on treadmill (less than 3.0) on upper body days. (i am also moving a few of my core exercises to the lower body days, cause they work my legs too much)

I am considering moving upper body to Mon/Fri before the HIIT, putting all core into the lower body routine for wednesday, and either taking tu/th off completely or walk slowly for 30 minutes to kind of warm up the legs and work out the soreness.

(I also hike the mountain on saturdays or sundays.)

I want to get in as many days as possible but I don't want to hurt myself and even upper body days affect my legs!

What do y'all think?

I say tough it out. Eat some bananas for potassium to help with the soreness but it will get easier in a week or two.

I was doing plyometrics (jump training) one day a week , yoga one day and a actual leg workout (squats and such) as well as kempo and mountain biking 3 days a week....My legs killed me for the first couple of weeks.

This past weekend i biked like 50 miles on the road and yesterday i did about 10 on the mountain...im feeling fine...legs are a little tired but not nearly as sore as they would have been a year ago, it takes time for your body to get used to it.

wow. okay, I'll try to tough it out then! Unless it HURTS instead of just really sore. I am really scared of getting hurt and not being able to work out (sorry for all y'all out there who that seems to be happening to a lot lately! you're making me paranoid lol)

How long are you HIIT sessions?

10 minute warm up at 3.0

20 minutes of 30 sec sprint (8.0) then 60-90 sec walk (3.0)

then 10 minutes cool down on treadmill

then stretching

20 min of HIIT (not including warmup).... that's pretty intense if you are new to it. The programs I've seen have you start with 4 min (30 sec sprint, 30 sec walk).

Overtraining can lead to some bad things - I'd say scale back a little.

I actually had to cut my HIIT sessions down to twice a week from three times a week. The reason being my legs were getting overtrained. Three sprinting sessions plus lifting with my legs all in one week was getting to be too much.

Now I do the following :

Mon - Shoulders / Cardio (20 Min Bike/10 Min Jump-Rope)

Tues - HIIT (AM) / Biceps (PM)

Wed - Cardio (20 Min Eliptical/10 Min Jump-Rope)

Thurs - Chest and Triceps / Cardio (20 Min Bike/10 Min Jump-Rope)

Fri - HIIT (AM) / Back/Legs

Sat/Sun - Off 

Oh. I guess I just got too excited. LOL

I'll drop down a bit and give myself a little time to work up to it.

I do HIIT 3 days a week, jogging and speed walking 3 other days, lifting 3 days and other work 6 days. Squats, lunges, planks, jumping jacks, various type of pushups, pullups, chinups, leg and ab work. My legs get soar also. If it is muscle soreness you may need to cut back or stretch more. HIIT is intense and you may want to start slowly and build more muscle in your legs first. Squats, lunges, lifting. Do you wear good shoes and do you use proper form? What about an incline? With HIIT start with no incline. Drink PLENTY of water.

Original Post by crazydiamondchrysalis:

So last week I started HIIT in addition to strength, so I'd do a full body workout one day, then HIIT the next.

I realized I can't work my legs that hard 2 days in a row (HIIT made me more sore than I expected!)

So I switched up -

M - HIIT
T - Upper body/core
W - lower body
th - upper body/core
f - HIIT

Well. I came in this morning to do my workout, which involves about 20 minutes on treadmill (warm up/cool down) plus step ups between lifts. (circuit training)

OMG my legs are hating me!

Am I just going to have to tough it out until I'm all used to it and it will lessen? or am I hurting myself by using them when they are sore? I'm going slow on treadmill (less than 3.0) on upper body days. (i am also moving a few of my core exercises to the lower body days, cause they work my legs too much)

I am considering moving upper body to Mon/Fri before the HIIT, putting all core into the lower body routine for wednesday, and either taking tu/th off completely or walk slowly for 30 minutes to kind of warm up the legs and work out the soreness.

(I also hike the mountain on saturdays or sundays.)

I want to get in as many days as possible but I don't want to hurt myself and even upper body days affect my legs!

What do y'all think?

Try taking an Epsom Salt bath.  Don't laugh, someone suggested that to me when I first started working out and WOW, what a difference it made.  Give it a shot.

Ron

Original Post by mulewhipper:

Original Post by crazydiamondchrysalis:

So last week I started HIIT in addition to strength, so I'd do a full body workout one day, then HIIT the next.

I realized I can't work my legs that hard 2 days in a row (HIIT made me more sore than I expected!)

So I switched up -

M - HIIT
T - Upper body/core
W - lower body
th - upper body/core
f - HIIT

Well. I came in this morning to do my workout, which involves about 20 minutes on treadmill (warm up/cool down) plus step ups between lifts. (circuit training)

OMG my legs are hating me!

Am I just going to have to tough it out until I'm all used to it and it will lessen? or am I hurting myself by using them when they are sore? I'm going slow on treadmill (less than 3.0) on upper body days. (i am also moving a few of my core exercises to the lower body days, cause they work my legs too much)

I am considering moving upper body to Mon/Fri before the HIIT, putting all core into the lower body routine for wednesday, and either taking tu/th off completely or walk slowly for 30 minutes to kind of warm up the legs and work out the soreness.

(I also hike the mountain on saturdays or sundays.)

I want to get in as many days as possible but I don't want to hurt myself and even upper body days affect my legs!

What do y'all think?

Try taking an Epsom Salt bath.  Don't laugh, someone suggested that to me when I first started working out and WOW, what a difference it made.  Give it a shot.

Ron

 

 Good advice. Salt water is excellent for soar muscles. A buffered aspirin might also help.

I really am no expert, but from personal experience, i'd say be careful. What sort of hurt is it? Achey muscles are ok (i think!), but if its more like shooting pains up your legs, or it happens on impact - i'd stop for a bit! I recently just managed to sort out the damage I did from working through leg pain - and I did it by just not running for a bit, and doing some more weights to strengthen my legs. 

oh no! no sharp pains - i am an extreme sissy when it comes to pain. Its definitely just soreness!

shelly, I'm trying my best to have good form - I am new to any kind of running! I really concentrate when Im in the sprint cause I know one wrong move and PLUTZ. My form is good with the squats, lunges, etc - I've done those with a trainer before and on my own and DVDs and such (I watch me in the mirror) - except the one-leg things, which I do very slowly. My balance has gone to ****. (I do core stuff on upper body days to strengthen that - planks and stuff)

I do not do the incline yet for HIIT! no way! I do drink lots of water.

I need new shoes. these are decent but getting old. I'm just incredibly strapped for cash at the moment so they will just have to do.

I'll try the epsom salts too! Today they felt great, but then I did my lower body workout heh. So I will probably need them tonight/tomorrow!

Thanks for all the input!! :)

Remember too that HIIT is like strength training when it comes to consecutive days. Don't do it two days in a row. Maybe alternate your lift days with HIIT days. And one rest day a week. No workout. Not that you have to lay in bed all day but a day off a week to rest and recover is good for your body.

Make sure you are stretching before and after, I find this always helps me be less sore after a hard workout.  I usually do a 20 min Pilates tape I have just for the stretching, always prevents me from being debilitating sore after horseback riding!

I've heard drinking milk also but I can't attest to it!

yes, I alternate HIIT then upper body then lower body then upper then HIIT.

I warm up for 10 minutes on the treadmill and I stretch for 10 minutes after. I won't stretch before because stretching cold muscles is supposed to be not so good. ?

I wasn't sore yesterday and I'm not sore today (even though I did lower body strength yesterday) so I think it was the pure intensity of my last HIIT, I just got all gung-ho and hit it too hard. This week I am learning how to pace myself!!! :D

Still trying to learn that patience thing. Can't quite get the hang of it!