Questions regarding anaerobic exercising

[uss]

According to simple logic, in which state of the human body are one's muscles largest? Immediately after working out or after a long rest (when the body doesn't lack energy) or at some other time?

Furthermore, how does excessive work-out affect the body and muscles? Do the accumulation of lactic acid and/or the emerging of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness result in damaging muscles or somehow expanding them?


These are just about the oddest questions I've asked here.


Thanks in advance!

[ 12-31-2005, 09:13 AM: Message edited by: uss ]

[Xen]

Muscles are larger (are growin) during rest. Now the lactic acid is caused by the lack of oxygen. When your muscles cannot get enough of it your body makes the acid. Also when you feel pain after excercise that's good. Why? Well you shocked the muscles in such way that muscles will grow. If you do not shock them from time to time then you will stop growin muscles since your body will adapt to let's say the weight of your dumbells/weights etc.

[Link]

Although Xen's reply is more or less correct, the matter is a lot more complicated.

Lactic acid is quite harmless in itself. Indeed, as Xen mentioned, it's a substance that is pumped into the muscles to let the performer know that the muscles aren't getting enough oxygen. It's a sign of the body to say "Hey, hello up there, I can't go on like this for much longer!" This especially happens in high performance sports, where the body's limits are explored further and further each time you perform (sports like rowing, speed-skating, long distance running, cross-country skiing etc.).
More in-depth: the whole picture is, technically speaking, an issue of oxygen. The body's muscle system works on oxygen, and when you're performing the amount of oxygen in your muscles slowly decreases, up to a point where the body starts making lactic acid. Now this in itself is not a problem, because the muscles will continue to work anyway. For example, in an olympic rowing regatta, or any regatta for that matter, rowers will be starting to feel lactic acid in their muscles after a mere 600 meters (with another 1400 to go!). How do they get to the finish line? Because they've learned to get used to the feeling of burning muscles, because they know the body can endure much much more than it indicates. That's why many high-performance sports train not only the body's physical shape (which is the aerobic system), but also the limits of that physical shape (the anaerobic system): all to perform the best they can.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, however, is contrary to Xen's belief not a good thing. Muscle soreness, in all it's glory, is in fact nothing more or less than tiny ruptures in the muscle - most likely these ruptures have occurred due to insufficient warming up or cooling down, or not taking a shower after your exercises. It's not devestatingly bad, however, but it's best to avoid the feeling so to say.
Xen's right to say that the way to train muscles is to test them to their limits. When you're hauling around weights in the gym, you should be able to do 12 (or so) repetitions, but the last two should be quite hard, you should be having difficulties to complete your exercise. Do not fall into the trap most people fall in: it is NOT, and I repeat, NOT more effective to use heavier weights to boost your muscles, on the contrary. You're probably better off using lesser weight and doing more repetitions, anyway.

To get things straight (just an overall conclusion): pain is essentially never a good thing, even though I claimed that the body is capable of doing things it indicates are impossible. Never, ever, ignore your body's calls. Never.

[ 12-31-2005, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: Link ]

[Felix The Assassin]

What is your goal? Death by asphyixation? You need air! Know matter what exercise program you choose, air must be a part of it.

After a good work-out your muscles may 'feel' bigger, but they actually gain mass while under rest after the session.

Two good replies above!
However, ~Link~ points away from heavy weight, and opts for lighter weight and more reps. The decision is with your goals. If you want to tone and have a nice well balanced body, then light to moderate weights are the scenario you will choose. However, if you want bulk, and mass you will HAVE to use heavy weights. You will never bench press 420lbs (190k) by working with 100lbs (45k), no matter how many reps!

Unless you are currently training, you will have soreness in the begining, this is due to the level of current muscle inactivity. You should feel this, and it should subside shortly. If it persists, or happens everytime, seek training guidance, or medical screening.

Muscle shocking, you should not be doing this until you have a lot of training experience, and your muscle groups are prepared for it. Then it should be done it complete moderation, and supervised with an assistant trainer. Most pro builders stop shocking 6 weeks before an event, and only shock one muscle group a week, completeing a total cycle every fourth week.

[ 12-31-2005, 11:26 AM: Message edited by: Felix The Assassin ]

[uss]

Thanks for the replies! I gained lot's of useful information as you can guess.

Originally posted by Felix The Assassin: After a good work-out your muscles may 'feel' bigger, but they actually gain mass while under rest after the session.

While resting after working out increases overall body mass, does it also have a temporary effect of expanding muscles? In other words, are the muscles larger just after resting than they are at the end of the day?

[Albromor]

Part of the reason for the "largness" is 1) the exercise has increased blood flow and 2) anerobic exercise benefits keep your metabolism up for 24 hours -- even while you sleep.

* Another interesting tid bit: After age 40 men lose 1% of their muscle mass per year if they do not exercise.

[Felix The Assassin]

Originally posted by uss: Thanks for the replies! I gained lot's of useful information as you can guess. quote: Originally posted by Felix The Assassin: After a good work-out your muscles may 'feel' bigger, but they actually gain mass while under rest after the session.

While resting after working out increases overall body mass, does it also have a temporary effect of expanding muscles? In other words, are the muscles larger just after resting than they are at the end of the day? [/QUOTE]Usually measurements are taken after the rest, and before daily activities. Once you have a plan and set routine, you will find that weekly gains of 1/4" after a burn will not last, but will rather provide a total 1/16" gain. It will take Years to produce 20" arms, under the natural weight training program. But benefits will start immediately.
What is your goal?
Cover model for a health magazine?
Cover model of weight lifting magazine?
Total body makeover with complete natural look and tone?
Lastly and importantly. Things like this come and go all the time. But, if you are in for a total body makeover, you will also more than likley change your diet. I never cared about diet, but ate like a horse gone wild with free oats, then worked like heck in the weight room, or ran it off on the pt track.

[uss]

Regarding the food diet, how much protein do you think I should eat daily? Also, what foods should I eat that consist of a large amount of complete proteins? Dairy foods, milk, meat.. what sorts of meat are best?

Furthermore, what about eating raw eggs? How many eggs are proportionate for one day, should one eat the egg yellow (which has fat in it), are there any dangers and precautions one should take when eating them?