Background info. 76 yrs old and has not weight trained since my teens.
If my memory serves me right directly after a workout and for a few hours afterward I would have a " pumped up" feeling in the muscle groups I worked, that feeling might linger for another 24 hours.
I am experiencing something very different now, maybe because of age, maybe because of the type of workout and maybe a combination of both. Maybe it is my memory?
Now immediately after the workout I only feel a slight pump but for the next 3 days or so it seems to spread and increase. The chest muscles is where this seems the most exaggerated. I feel almost nothing after a workout but for the next 3 days it steadily increases and on the 3rd day I have a pronounced stiffness in the chest muscles.
Can you describe your " pump" feeling?
As you said, a pump is a swelling of the muscles, caused by an influx of blood.
It’s a pleasant feeling, as it makes the targeted area feel more taut and strong. But it does fade.
The quality of the pump, and the speed at which it fades does seem to be based on nutrition; if I’m well fed, and sufficiently hydrated, I get better pumps.
Another factor is testosterone levels. One side effect of steroid use is better pumps.
Which is to say I’m not sure why you’d have the effect that you’ve described.
Is it a nice feeling, like a pump (the day after a chest day it feels good to flex my chest and feel it engorge with blood)? Is it also associated with soreness?
I have been at it now for 2 1/2 months. No soreness anymore except some minor soreness in the muscles that go from my neck to my shoulders. I don’t imagine I have much testosterone left at my age so am not expecting big gains but I am getting gains just based on how my shirts fit. The only thing I measured before I started was my arms and they ave put on just shy of 1". But they are still not rock hard like they used to be.
Even though it is stiffness more than soreness your timing sounds more like delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) than anything else. Yes we need more recovery with aging.
Kudos to your gains and your illustration that gains in mass and function are achievable including in our 70s.
I did a little experiment today. I just finished my workout. I decided to go to full fatigue with each set. I did get the full body pump I remember from my youth. Maybe I just wasn’t working hard enough.
Huh. I just started weights with a personal trainer yesterday (and i’m sore). I’m in my 50’s and haven’t been to the gym in 25 years. But a week or two ago I sat through a talk by a colleague who works on skeletal muscle biology and sarcopenia and got seriously scared - I can see signs that if I don’t do something I’m going to have major issues in another decade or so.
I didn’t really realize how weak i’ve gotten until we started yesterday. Hopefully can turn this around. Three days X week…
