There is nothing more frustrating than to spend countless hours pounding the weight room, only to find that you have not been performing the exercise correctly or in the proper sequence and not getting the desired results.
Overtraining is usually the culprit. As amazing as it is, many people have this crazy idea that the, "no pain, no gain" theory, still applies and are constantly sore from their workouts. Well let me set the record straight, "constant pains means no brains". There is absolutely no reason why a person should remain sore after each workout, time and time again. If you are still sore after the third or fourth workout while on the same training program there is a problem. You may be overstraining your muscles and tendons and not allowing them to recover.
Your body has a great alarm system. It is called, "PAIN". When a workout causes you pain, pay attention to it. Knowing how to react may help you avoid further injury to your body. A weight training program should emphasize slow-and steady progress. You might feel a little "stretching" of the muscle, which is understandable and alright. But outright pain or a sharp "burning" in the muscle is not. If this happens to you it means you need to back-off to avoid further injury which may lead to more serious complications. In some cases you may need to seek a chiropractor or a medical doctor’s advice and treatment. Sometimes a chiropractor can be a weight trainer’s best friend.
Some pain is common. As you workout and perform repeated contractions, as substance called "lactic acid" builds up at the cell wall. This is caused by the exchanges of gases (oxygen, carbon, etc) and glucose and glycogen which enhance and stimulate muscle growth.
Pain that appears a day or two after a training session may be lessened by slowly increasing the weight used over a period of time. Sometimes stretching both before and after a workout may help remedy this problem.
Never ever bounce while stretching. Slowly stretch out the muscle, hold the stretch for 10-20 count, then return to the original position. Never stretch if you feel extreme pain. Do not cause pain in other areas such as the low back or in supportive joints. You might be causing more damage than help.
I am not a proponent of the idea that you must stretch after each set or in between each exercise. In my opinion, if you are trying to promote growth, there is no need to stretch the muscle out after each set. A good warm up set should be sufficient to stretch out the muscle and allow it to contract as you lift heavier weight with your next set. If you want to stretch, it should be done either before or after the workout session and not during. If you experience severe pain during the set, do not just merely stretch it out, STOP it all together. This may lead to more serious and unproductive results.
Sometimes you may experience cramps in a muscle. This is usually but not limited to endurance sports. The reason could be because there is a reduction of liquids in the body caused by sweating or an insufficient in-take of water. The best way to stop the cramp is to locate it in the belly of the muscle cramping. Apply pressure to it and massage it in a circular motion. Another way to relieve a cramp is be using a technique called "stripping" the muscle. This involves applying pressure to the cramp in a downward motion, away from the heart and should help in relieving immediate pain and assist the cramp to subside and stop contraction. It still is uncomfortable and hurts. You may need to seek professional advice.