Most Asked Fitness Questions and their Answers

Why are my muscles sore after a workout?
Your muscles are sore after a workout due to D.O.M.S. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It's not during the workout that your muscles become bigger and stronger, but after the workout when they are adapting to the stress they just underwent that they are remodeling and rebuilding and hence hurting. D.O.M.S. can take 24-72 hours before you start to feel it and it can last a couple of days after it begins. Your muscles will also hurt more when you are new to a certain exercise, de-conditioned, or performing eccentric (emphasis on negative movement) exercises.
Does muscle turn into fat?
No, a muscle turning into fat is a popular myth but it holds no truth. What is actually happening when you think your muscles are turning into fat is as you become less active your muscles atrophy (shrink). When this happens your body's metabolism slow down so you do not burn as many calories therefore you start to add new fat. It's not muscle turning into fat, rather muscle wasting and fat being put in its place.
What is the difference between free weights and weight machines?
Free weights are exercise tools such as dumbbells or barbells whereas weight machines are more restrictive and used mostly for isolation exercises such as the pec deck or leg extension machine. I personally believe free weights are the best way to train for people of all experience levels because they teach your body how to properly use synergist muscles, enhance firing rate, and order of muscle recruitment. This will produce better performance in athletes and also boost your metabolism by recruiting more muscle fibers.
Why should I rest my muscles after a workout?
You should rest your muscles after a workout because it is after the workout that the actual adaptations occur that cause you to become stronger and bigger. During the workout you are causing micro tears to your myofibrils (part of your muscle) which during rest adapt to the new stress so you are stronger and ready for your next workout or competition.
Note: There can be some error when using this formula because people are so adaptable and varying to exercise.
What should I eat after a workout and why?
After you are done working out you should eat a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein. This meal should be consumed within the first 30 minutes of post-exercise while our bodies are still in an anabolic environment and should be mostly simple sugars and protein with a high biological value (most similar to the form our body needs it in). This will speed up absorption and enhance the recovery process. The quicker we begin refueling empty glycogen (energy) stores and rebuilding broken down muscle tissue the more we can get out of our next workout.