Clenched stomach muscles

[Cun]

Quick question,
I recently started working out,
and the next day my abdomen muscles were clenched really tight where I couldn't even stand up straight without pain.
Why is that?

[silicon toad2000]

when you workout you damage your muscle fibres, it is this damage that forces your body to adapt and make you stronger.
You must stretch after you exercise.

[Asmoday]

Also, you might have pushed too hard -- or pushed yourself within a normal range, but with a nutritional deficiency.

I concur with Silicon Toad, you must EAT and STRETCH properly. Otherwise, you are red-lining your car without any oil. BOOM.

[bylto]

You must be a beginner Cun. It can be be incredibly sore after the first time you hit your abs hard. You literally make tears in the muscle tissue, the tissue repairs itself only a little bigger - that's the growth process. I've done squats before that left me virtually paralized from the waist down for 4 days afterwards lol. It'll heal and get easier over time - stick at it

[Matthew Shea]

Yeah, that's to be expected, Cun. Of all your body's muscle groups, the abs are the ones that you want to be the most careful with since that's where the pain can hit you the hardest.

My experience is that a light workout on a sore muscle will help more than anything. Don't do that before you've recovered a bit, though. When you're feeling up to it, work out your abs again, but do it real easy. Some easy crunches on a stability ball would be good for starters. Work those muscles back up gradually after that and slowly increase the reps to where you feel you should be.

If the pain's not going away after a few days, see a doctor for a muscle relaxant. If you pull a muscle badly enough, sometimes they won't stretch back out on their own. They have milder relaxants that won't make you loopy. I had to do that once when I severely over-worked my quads and the pain wouldn't go away. They'll probably prescribe a prescription strength ibuprofen or similar along with it.

[Cun]

Ah, thanks for the info, it finally went away for good today, so I expect to give my abs another go today. What are some good stretches and what should I eat to make sure it doesn't happen as bad again?

And yes, I am a beginner, but I think it is a great idea to get in decent shape. Besides looking lean never hurt anybody.

[Shamou]

Cun! Today I went to the gym for the 1602nd time in the past nine years... it's a big gym... and I get to see and talk to many people who want to get back in shape...

One thing that I have observed is that about 98 percent of the people who start training will not continue after two or three months... The reason is that they had unreal expectations... they thought that after two months, they would look like Arnold Schwarzenegger... ridiculous...

It takes time to get out of shape... and it also take time to get back into shape...

My best advice to you is to take it slow... it takes at least three years to become a full fledged bodybuilder... so, patience and perseverance... and you'll get results... and not pain, injuries and quitting...

The very best of luck to you...
.

[Cun]

I don't really even want to be as big as say Arnold,
just in shape.
^^