Does Lifting Weights Make You Stiff & Tight? Let’s Explain

The is a misconception that lifting weights will make you stiff. However, this is far from the truth. If strength training is applied correctly, lifting weights can increase your flexibility and range of motion, among other things.

However, if you do feel stiff or tight after a weight training session, it is most likely due to poor form, technique, or application of the exercises. And in some cases, lifting far too heavy weights your body can handle or overloading the muscles by doing too much too quickly.

In this article, we show you how you can reduce the chances of stiffness after a workout — and some tips when following a strength training routine to help reduce stiffness after a workout.

 

How to Reduce Stiffness After A Workout?

Weight lifting can cause us to feel inflexible, tight, and stiff because of poor form. Sometimes pushing things too hard can also cause tightness, stiffness, and the feeling that you have lost your flexibility. This is due in part to the inflammation that occurs after repetitive use. This can happen from not only strength training but also other exercises like running and cycling as well.

If you don’t allow adequate time for this inflammation to reduce, it can make it hard for your muscles and joints to recover in time for the next workout or even days when you plan to rest.

As mentioned above weight training alone isn’t responsible for chronic tightness or stiffness. This generally happens when people perform their strength training exercises incorrectly by maintaining constant tension throughout their lifts, lifting more than they can safely, and not allowing adequate recovery time between sets. Knowing this, you must know how often you should target each muscle group and understand how much stress is placed on the target muscles through each workout.

However, there are times when you feel stiff, even though you are lifting with the correct technique or have allowed adequate recovery between sets. If this is the case, how do you reduce stiffness after a weight training workout?

First, let us look at what can cause you to feel inflexible and stiff after a workout. The main causes of feeling stiff and inflexible after a workout are:

– Not reaching the full range of motion of the exercise
– Lifting too much weight
– Poor form and improper recruitment patterns
– Overtraining
– Lack of recovery
– The use of anabolic steroids and other drugs (impairs the development of connective tissues).

To combat stiffness and inflexibility after a workout, you should go through the full range of motion of the movement. That means moving through the exercise with control and avoiding any unnecessary movements (for example: extending your back during a bicep curl).

You shouldn’t be afraid to target tight muscles either. Targeting muscles that are often tight can help to restore their flexibility and mobility. However, you may need to reduce the intensity and weight of the workout if the muscles are feeling stiff. This way the surrounding tissues and nervous system can try to promote flexibility and help to reduce the stiffness you may be feeling.

If your muscles are feeling constantly stiff after a workout, you should try to lower the weight and increases the number of repetitions. This can help reduce the chances of stiffness after a workout. Remember, not every lift needs to be a lift to failure.

A good rule of thumb is to reduce the weight by 20–25% and increase the repetitions to between 20 and 25.

As you can see, does lifting weights make you stiff? No, not all if you follow the correct procedures. However, if you go to the gym with no knowledge of training, you will most likely wake up feeling stiff and tight.

Why Do We Still Feel Tight After A Workout?

Even if you do everything correctly (use proper technique, don’t over lift, and use the full range of motion), you might find stiffness still sets in after a workout.

There are two reasons behind this.

– Post-exercise stiffness is caused by physiological processes within the muscle tissue. That means some soreness or stiffness is inevitable. However, it should only be temporary.

-The other is failing to apply proper training principles to your strength training, which affects recovery and long-term response.

Does Lifting Weights Make You Stiff? – Final Words

To sum things up, lifting weights will not make you stiff or inflexible. Flexibility has very little to do with muscle length. It is influenced more by accessory tissues and our nervous system.

To sum it all up, you shouldn’t be afraid to lift weights. All recent research has shown us that it is a powerful tool to improve tissue health, flexibility, mobility, and strength. That is if you are doing it correctly!

Remember to prioritize moving through the full range of motion of the exercise over the weight you lift. This way, you will reduce the chances of stiffness and injuries.

If all else fails, speak to a personal trainer. They can help set you up with the right strength training plan that can reduce the chances of you feeling stiff after a workout.