From Brandon in California who asks about training muscles that are still sore.  His question is:

Dear Mike: 

Should I work a muscle that is still sore?  For example, if I did lunges on Monday, and I’m still sore on Thursday, should I do squats?  

Dear Brandon: 

Great question!  This is a subject I discuss frequently with my clients.  In order for a muscle to grow, it MUST recover.  If your muscle is still sore, it has not recovered…plain and simple.  Therefore, do not train a sore muscle.  If you do, it will lead to overtraining and everything that comes from overtraining (for example: injury, loss of strength, limited growth, etc.).  

Remember, your muscles do not grow when you are in the gym – they grow while you are resting and recuperating from your workouts. 

In closing, I also want to mention a few supplements that will help with recovery.  You may want to incorporate these into your nutrition program, especially if lack of recovery seems to be a common occurrence. 

• BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids)

• Glutamine

• Creatine

Good luck with your training and thanks again for the great question.  

Mike Francois

Note: Before embarking on any nutrition, supplementation, and/or training program, consult with your physician or other licensed health-care professional.