danny81

I heard that when showering at the end of your session you put the water really hot(not to burn you) and then really cold(not to freeze your) and rotate this it helps relieve DOMs? is this true and are there any other benefits or bad things that will happen?

Witchblade

Contrast showers. I use them all the time. Feels great and helps against DOMS, not that I have a lot of DOMS.

danny81

o really? they work? i should start trying them

goob

I think 'DOMS' will be pissed to see your trying to get rid of him. j/k

I've always felt that cold showers seem to help offset DOMS for me. But this could be purely psychological.

katt

I use my hot tub, it's works wonders. My daughter swears on the ice plunge in the bathtub then a warm shower

BoneCrusher

I just hit the hot tub too ... especially after a particularly competitive couple hours of racquetball. If I don't my legs get me for the abuse. I lift or do what ever routine is on for that day then play ... so legs coulda been that day and get a double dose.

min0 lee

I thought the same thing at first.

Big G

Did somebody say something? Sorry... Must've got distracted by Min0-lee's avatar. Sheesh! "Got milk", anyone?

Goal...... DL:500lb, Sqt:400lb, Bnch:300lb
Current.. DL:375lb, Sqt:335lb, Bnch:260lb
Weight: 197lb (up 36lb), bf=15%ish
Age:35 Training since 11/06 journal

Big G

Info for preventing & treating DOMS here

Goal...... DL:500lb, Sqt:400lb, Bnch:300lb
Current.. DL:375lb, Sqt:335lb, Bnch:260lb
Weight: 197lb (up 36lb), bf=15%ish
Age:35 Training since 11/06 journal

danzik17

Just of curiosity - does anyone else actually not mind DOMS? Love stretching the day after when I'm sore, it feels amazing. That and when trying a new exercise, I can really feel the muscle group it was working the next day, so I know if I'm hitting it right.

katt

I actually don't mind it - The only time it really gets to me is two days after a really hard leg workout and I can't sit down without extreme pain....

ALBOB

I know DOMS isn't an indication of whether or not you had a good workout, but if I don't get them the next day or so I'm pissed. It fires me up to hit that muscle group that much harder the next time.

Rules? You mean we have RULES for that???

min0 lee

I don't mind as long as I don't have to work the next day, I do call it the good pain....

DOMS

You can shower all you want, but you'll need to brush your teeth too.

DOMS

I like it so much that I chose it as my IM username.

goob

Well, he's a bit outspoken, not to mention racist and a grammatical nazi.
But, he's a good guy really.

Just kidding, I like having DOMS, to me, it tells me that i've given my best, and pushed myself hard.

DOMS

Which is convenient.

TheFitnessNerd

Ice Bath has a fair amount of clinical research around it in terms of treating DOMS. Cryotherapy and cold water immersion all can be effective -- especially in terms of stiffness -- which is not something you typically want (especially with calves since it messes with your range of motion and can make climbing stairs a real bitch.)

Generally, I like a little DOMS -- but the calf tightness can really mess with getting things done. Luckily, ice baths are pretty easy to do with the legs. Plunging your chest in a bathtub of cold water ... ehh ... not so pleasant.

Compression sleeves and "active rest" (basically, less intense exercise 24 hours later) also can help out.

For some of the other tactics (and if you're interested in what's going on physiologically with DOMS), you can check out the following link:

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): How To Prevent and Treat DOMS

Matt

"If you are going to win any battle, you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do... the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."
-General George S. Patton

CowPimp

Theoretically, anything that increases blood flow to a given muscle can help you recover faster. When you make the water cold, blood is shunted to your core to make sure that your vital organs have sufficient perfusion/operating temperature. When you make the water hot, blood tends to be pumped in greater proportion to the extremities so that you can release your heat into the surrounding environment more readily. Alternating between the two makes for increased blood flow without having to be physically active.

I forget the ratio you should use, but I do believe there is a certain amount of time you want to spend at each temperature before switching to the opposite.

The only time it's bad to feel the burn is when you're peeing...

Belligerent Bovine badass
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min0 lee

I am too much of a cold water coward, for me I use the Epsom salt hot water bath.

soxmuscle

I stretch in the hot shower after every work. I really don't get sore that much and I credit this as one of the reasons why.

Age: 20 | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 150 lbs | Penis: 12 inches

highpockets

During the start of each basketball season while at training camps where we would sometimes have 3-a-days, I would fill a tub with hot water and add a bottle of rubbing alcohol. The hot water opens the pores and allows the rubbing alcohol to work. I'm no doctor or trainer, but this really seemed to help any leg soreness that I was having.

AldiU

omg lol qft when i would be walking in school the next day after i do legs, my calves and quadriceps would be recked and i also carry a 15 pound bag on my back so sometimes id like trip (not fall) but like kinda loose balance because my legs are so sore.