DOMS anyone???

What the heck is DOMS?? Well I am sure all of us who squatted 10 000 lbs know what it is :)

DOMS = Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

Delayed onset muscle soreness describes a phenomenon of muscle pain, muscle soreness or muscle stiffness that occurs in the day or two after exercise. (24-72 hours) This muscle soreness is most frequently felt when you begin a new exercise program, change your exercise routine, or dramatically increase the duration or intensity of your exercise routine.

Delayed onset muscle soreness is thought to be a result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers. The amount of tearing (and soreness) depends on how hard and how long you exercise and what type of exercise you do. Any movement you aren't used to can lead to DOMS, but  eccentric muscle contraction (movements that cause muscle to forcefully contract while it lengthens) seem to cause the most soreness. (sports medicine)

Common exercises that cause an eccentric contraction include going down stairs, running downhill, lowering weights and the downward motion of squats, push ups or pull ups.

(eccentric muscle contraction)

Although it can be alarming for new exercisers,  and very painful :) , delayed onset muscle soreness is a normal response to unusual exertion and leads to greater stamina and strength as the muscles recover  grow bigger and stronger oh yeah!!

But in the mean time "How do you make it go away???"

active recovery - This strategy does have support in the research. Performing easy low-impact aerobic exercise increasing blood flow and is linked with diminished muscle soreness.

ice baths

massage

stretching

yoga

foam rollers

and my personal favorite:
drinking tequila and coconut water - although this strategy does not currently have support in the research I'm personally working on getting you more data :)