So I just started monday and I am really sore. I DO Not want to take a day off. What do I do? Can anybody give me any tips?

You have to fight through it the first couple of weeks. The stretching will help in the beginning of the workouts. Tonight should be Arms and Shoulders, so you don't need to worry about the lower body beating you took yesterday in Plyo. Just wait until Friday or Saturday. It will feel better and eventually the soreness will be a good kind. The soreness probably discourages alot of people to quit. Don't do it!

Pretty much everyone suffers the same way week 1. It gets better, hang in there. There are threads around with lots of ideas. I dont recall them all, but for me:

1. Keep stretching all through the day.
2. Take advil or alleve, that kind of thing.
3. Drink lots of water.
4. Keep working out. Believe it or not, it helps.
5. Contrast showers. This is where you shower in cold water for a minute, then hot water for a minute, then repeat. As absolutely hot and cold as you can stand it.

Also maybe get a massage? I wasnt able to do that, but it couldnt hurt...

Hang in there! The really bad soreness, like not being able to wash your hair after chest&back, or not being able to sit down and stand up after plyo, is perfectly normal and usually goes away after the first week. For me, it was around day 4 or 5 when the really bad soreness went away. Now after 30 days, I still have soreness here and there, but nothing like it was that first week!

Rick

Rick, Thanks Alot! I really appreciate the advice. I am def. not gonna give up. THANKS!!!

Thanks alot Flock!!!

As said, week 1 soreness is probably one of the most common threads posted about in this forum. Everyone gets it, and most people don't know how to prevent it.

The only method to prevent it is something you learn by other people, or learn yourself after you can't fix it. The only method to prevent week 1 soreness is to do the workouts prior to week 1 so you can suffer while you relax it off. Then when week 1 comes along you already are past it. So you still get sore, but you don't have to fight through it like you do now.

Anyways, the best way to fight it off now that you have it is to do ballistic stretching. Go back and watch the first 7 minutes of Chest/Back and do those stretches. Keep your arms moving, keep the blood pumping, and keep the oxygen flowing. The WORST thing you can do for the sore muscles is to do nothing. They will become stiff(if they aren't already) and just cause you agony. So while you may be dreading Shoulders/Arms today, you will actually be quite surprised at how much of the pain goes away during the workout. Don't worry though, the pain will return after you finish the workout.

Just every 1-2 hours do a couple minutes of "huggers" and "Karen Pot Stirrers". Maybe toss in some reachers and swimmers. Trust me, you will feel a lot better. Massages help very temporarily. It will feel good while you are getting it and for maybe 2-3 minutes afterwards, but nothing more.

If your legs are sore for plyo, do some leg kick jump ropes. So basically doing the jump rope action without ever leaving the ground. Do some marching in place, and lots of shaking of the quads. Legs are harder to reduce the soreness since you use them for everything. A good 80% of people will shake their week 1 soreness after YogaX on thursday. Those who didn't on yoga, will shake it after Kenpo on saturday.

So just hang in there.