Is it okay to work on the same muscle group that you did yesterday if it is not sore today?

[GoldenGuppy]

Biceps is what I am talking about - usually when I work on them, I am super tired that day and I feel as if I've worked them out thorougly , but the next day, I am not... can I work on them continuously, every 24 hrs if this is the case? Or am I just not benefitting at all?

 

[Amused]

If it's not sore today, you didn't work it hard enough yesterday.

At least, that's what my girlfriend tells me

Seriously, it's best not to work the same muscle group two days in a row, even if they aren't sore.

 

[jinn]

Nope. Best thing to do is give them 2 days off. Work biceps,shoulders,back etc. one day, Triceps,chest,legs the next. When you work out, you tear your muscles. When the muscle heals, that is how it gets bigger and stronger. If they don't have a rest, you'll only cause an injury sooner or later. If you've been lifting a while and aren't getting tired or a little sore, use more weight. If you just started lifting, then take it slow for a couple weeks and step it up.

 

[GoldenGuppy]

Sounds logical, you have a great point, I guess I'm trying to get too much out of too little =(

 

[huey1124]

seriously, it sounds as though you're not putting enough into your workouts. if you're not sore next day, then try to increase the weight or number of sets the next time you do the same workout.

 

[vash]

If you aren't sore, you didn't hit them hard enough. Plain and simple. Work harder by doing your reps slower and use triangle sets (start low weight with 15 reps, medium with 12 reps, then difficult with 9 reps).

One thing to avoid is to work the same muscle twice in a 24 hour period. If you rare going to the gym two days in a row, avoid working the same muscle(s) because you aren't giving them time to grow.

vash

 

[Double Trouble]

Just remember that when you work your muscles, you're basically breaking them down, and your body realizes that those muscles need to be bigger and stronger to be up to the tasks you use them for, and compensates by rebuilding your muscles. Various proteins and enzymes are used to rebuild these muscle fibers, and the rate at which they rebuild depends on genetics as well as your level of training.

In order to see any positive effects from your workouts, you have to give the muscles enough time to rebuild. Just because your muscles are not sore does NOT mean they have completely finished "rebuilding". Work a different muscle group, give the muscles at least 1 day to 1 1/2 day of rest, then go back at'em again

Good luck!

 

[PG]

I admire your enthusiasm and energy, but you seem as if you need some direction. I am no "expert" or anything, but here is my advice.

Don't work biceps directly. It is not necessary. If you are working on your lats hard, your biceps will run out of strength first.
Most people don't understand this, but the lats are the largest muscles in the upper body. You can work them through chins, pullups, or many different machines. I've read that chins are biomechanically better than pullups because pullups work some specific back muscles more than others, and chins work the back more evenly. Also, chins put your biceps in a better position in terms of mechanical advantage.

Here are the best strength training sites I have found:


cyberpump.com
check out Herk's log

naturalstrength.com

classicx.com

ironmind.com

strongestman.com
This one is great if you are a fan of World's Strongest Man shows

hardgainer.com


edit:

I forgot to answer your question. No, don't work the same muscles 2 days in a row.

Most of the people on the websites above recommend lifting 2 or maybe 3 days a week max. They also recommend working your whole body each time. Workouts should be very intense and brief. On top of this, eat big and get a lot of sleep. This is all you really need.

In choosing exercises, make sure you do big compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses.

This site has a great basic workout that will work your whole body 2 times per week:

http://www.purepower.iwarp.com/2day.html